Mount Rainier is visible from a long distance but getting to the mountain may not be straightforward.
The park is big, with many entrances. When you type in “Mount Rainier National Park” into your GPS navigation, you may not get to the part of the park you intended to reach. For example, many people coming from Seattle who want to get to Paradise instead end up at Carbon River – 3 hours away from Paradise! So knowing which area – and which entrance – you want to go to will save you a lot of time.
Follow these tips to find your way:
➡️ Check the Directions webpage for detailed directions to different entrances depending on where you are coming from https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/directions.htm
➡️ Don’t depend only on GPS! Refer to road maps in addition to using GPS units when driving to the park.
➡️ Most park entrances DO NOT have specific GPS addresses. However, if you want to reach the Nisqually Entrance with access to Longmire/Paradise, you can use the address 39000 State Route 706 E, Ashford, WA 98304.
➡️ Eastside entrances, such as the White River Entrance with access to Sunrise, are reached via SR 410. Ohanapecosh is reached via SR 123.
➡️ Make sure to check the road status. Some roads may be closed or have limited access: https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/road-status.htm
➡️ Check MountRainierNPS on Twitter for changing conditions or emergency closures: https://twitter.com/MountRainierNPS
Please note, the Nisqually Entrance is open year-round, all other entrances are open on a seasonal basis.
