Highway 7

Highway 7 from Tacoma through Elbe to the southwest (Nisqually) entrance in Mt. Rainier NP will close Monday May 8th through May 11th, see news story which reads as follows.

"I was at Mount Rainier National Park Thursday and en route saw signs warning of the pending closure of a portion of state Route 7. The closure, from milepost 21 to 27, will take place from Monday through May 11. The stretch being closed runs from the Alder Cutoff Road north to the intersection with state Route 161.

With the closure, Tacoma area residents headed to the Nisqually entrance to the park will have to take a detour through Eatonville using state Route 161 and the Alder Cutoff Road. A scenic but longer option for Olympia area residents would be to come across U.S. 12 and take state Route 7 north from Morton to Elbe and then head to the park on state Route 706."

This is section of highway 7 just north of LaGrande to just east of Alder, the stretch along the Experimental Forest to Alder Lake State Park, and adds about 30 or so minutes to your drive either way. Plan accordingly.