BY AVERY GOODSTINE for WEEKLY VOLCANO | 10/9/2026
Wilkeson Basecamp offers hiking gear, Mt. Rainier passes
Jayme Peloli is keeping things in the family with the new Wilkeson Historical District Basecamp.
Now serving as government relations for the town of Wilkeson along with being the executive director of the Wilkeson Historical District, Peloli is a fifth generation Wilkeson family, with her daughter being the sixth.
In 2023, Peloli bought the family’s former store with plans to turn it into a vacation rental, catering to visitors who are on their way to Mount Rainier. However, the Fairfax Bridge closing derailed those plans.
In April 2025, the Washington State Department of Transportation permanently closed the over 100-year-old bridge to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic. A planning study conducted from March to December 2025 found that there was “advanced deterioration in the steel supporting members of the bridge.”
The bridge has historically provided access across the Carbon River Canyon to residents, businesses, and visitors coming from the nearby towns of Wilkeson, Carbonado, and other east Pierce County communities. Now, there is no public access from State Route 165 to Mount Rainier National Park’s Mowich Lake Entrance and Carbon River Ranger Station.
WSDOT’s final report published earlier this year recommends two options: tear down the existing bridge and build a new one slightly north of the existing bridge, or remove the bridge completely and compensate residents for lost access.
In an effort to keep the town going despite the loss of the bridge, Peloli was inspired to bring in new life.
“I became involved in advocating for the town and working with our local legislators on a path forward, but we couldn’t put our community on hold, basically, while we waited for the bridge,” she said. “And I was watching empty buildings sit, and I kept thinking about what we could do right now to bring life back into those spaces. And so that’s really where the Basecamp began.”
Basecamp was created by the town’s nonprofit Wilkeson Historical District to reinvest into the community. After personally having to travel to nearby communities for meetings because there was nowhere in Wilkeson that met her needs, Peloli saw an opportunity to fill that gap. With community partners offering to help, Basecamp quickly grew into more than just an idea.
Now, a successful partnership between the Wilkeson Historical District and Clink Coffee Company has emerged, as they make up the coffee shop part of Basecamp.
Peloli said Clink is an obvious partner because they already have a loyal customer base, are local to South Prairie, and the owners are passionate about their community.
Along with the coffee shop, Basecamp acts as a hub for community gatherings and adventurers who are exploring the Carbon River region. There are grab-and-go snacks, trail gear available to rent or buy, maps and local recreation information, Mount Rainier National Park passes, locally made products and gifts, Wilkeson Historical District merch, and remote-work spaces.
“We have experienced significant disruption,” Peloli said. “We are not victims in Wilkeson, though. We are able to find our way forward, and we’ve always put in place the right partners. We’ve always had the right businesses willing to invest and move forward. So I think Basecamp is just one example of many where we’ve found the way forward with this opportunity.”
Since being open for less than a month, Peloli said they’ve already seen some regulars making Basecamp part of their routine. Visitors from nearby towns of McCleary, Ashford, and Eatonville are also popping in to see what’s been going on. Peloli said the emphasis remains on investing back into Wilkeson residents.
“Our residents need to be the foundation of this investment,” she said. “You can see that in the businesses that are doing well here that have that strong local support. Visitors are very important, obviously, but the people that also live here, they deserve a place to gather and businesses that can serve them.”
Basecamp is just one way the town is progressing since the bridge closure. Peloli still hopes to turn the building next door into a place for overnight stays, plus additional meeting rooms. Together, the two buildings will offer about 3,200 square feet to welcome people into downtown, she said.
Additionally, Wilkeson was awarded an $857,000 grant from the Pierce County Conservation Futures Program that went toward purchasing 137 acres of land that Peloli said will be used for passive recreation.
Peloli said she’s also excited about the work they are doing with Pierce County to open the Foothills Trail between Wilkeson and Carbonado in late October or early November. This will be the first time the trail has been opened and maintained.
“I think together that these projects really give people more of a reason to spend time in Wilkeson and really invest in our downtown, preserving the open space, helping connect people, recreation around us,” Peloli said. “I think for the Wilkeson Historical District, preserving that history means keeping these buildings active and useful, and it’s for economic resiliency in our town. It means caring for the places that tell our story while creating opportunities for people who live here today.”
