Elbe Safety Rest Area

It would be nice if this facility had running water and were open 24 hours, but oh well– it’s better than nothing, and it’s free!
According to the WSDOT page, the seasonal hours are from 07:30 to 19:00, weekends and holidays only. I would assume that those hours will expand to include weekdays and possibly earlier opening/​later closing during the summer months, but there is no information available on that. Oh well, so far most of the times that I’ve been by here and needed to use a restroom it was open– hopefully my luck will hold out in this regard!

Elbe, WA population: 29.
En route to Mt Rainier from Seattle, you may pass through Elbe and see the brightly colored re-​purposed trains of the Hobo Inn, Pizza Express and the Mount Rainier Railroad Dining Company. On the opposite side of the street you’ll find a supply shop, gas station and this charming little rest area.
You won’t be able to use the restroom at the gas station, even if you fill your tank there. The friendly gentleman inside seems familiar with the plight of travelers passing through. He will quickly and politely direct you to a short, well-​worn dirt pathway through the grass leading to this rest stop. He’s done this before.
Glance across the street to the red and green train cars and you’ll see a sign warning that the restrooms are for paying customers only.
Meanwhile, nature is still calling. Good for you if you have offline restroom maps of the area. However, forget an online restroom search since you probably won’t have access to a signal for several miles in the opposite direction. Not only are cell phone signals limited and/​or non-​existent, but, so is running water and a septic system. Remember, the population here was 29 as of the 2010 census and that tiny number doesn’t do much for building a local infrastructure.
Minimal infrastructure here means that this state rest stop is more like a luxury porta-​potty. No flushing toilets but you’ll find seat doilies and stalls so spacious that you couldn’t bump your head on the door while squatting if you tried. There’s also toilet paper which is arguably superior to looking for a mullein leaf in the woods.
No running water means no sink. You will find a pair of decent sized mirrors in this restroom but a single Purell hand sanitizer attached to the stark white walls. Two mirrors, one hand sanitizer? Personally, I would prefer to see multiple hand sanitizers or at least a backup rather than multiple mirrors. Thankfully, the hand sanitizer was full.
There is also a baby changing station and when was the last time you saw one of those in a porta-​potty?
This little rest stop is one of the few options before the last small base camp town just outside the Mt Rainier park entrance. It’s probably just as creepy as any other remote rest area at night so be sure to use the buddy system.
Overall, it is clean, includes an information kiosk, and a picnic area out front. This rest stop is super clean compared to some rest stops with flush toilets and running water.
If nature calls when you’re passing through the little town of Elbe, you’ll be relieved to find the Elbe Rest Stop and some upscale cowgirl toilet paper.

The fact that the government spent 3.5 million dollars on this is sickening. Only time I stopped in someone had shit on the floor

This is a moderately brand new facility. It’s perfect if you need to stop on your way to mount rainier or take a rest before continuing on to your final destination. I believe there aren’t a lot of places to use the rest room in Elbe so again this place is near perfect so you don’t have to hold it until Mt Rainer.
I do like that they have utilized the waterless urinals in the men’s room. I wish more places would adopt this style as it saves a HUGE amount of water use. They don’t have sinks in the bathrooms either but instead sanitary wipes, so that is somewhat odd. They do have baby changing tables in the regular bathrooms and a family restroom if you’ve got a gaggle of kids.
There are picnic tables outside if you want to have a little lunch. There is not a large area for dogs to go to the bathroom though. The general railroad house /​barn look of the place is kind of cool too. Rustic. I almost alway stop here on my way to Mt Rainier and definitely will be back.