Mount Rainier National Park is one of three national parks in Washington. Expect to see stunning mountain areas, majestic volcanoes, and lush forest areas. And of course, the park is centered around Mt. Rainier, the highest peak in the Cascade Range.
Figuring out how to go to Mount Rainier National Park is an essential part of your planning process. To help you decide how to get to Mount Rainier National Park and to get the most out of your trip, use this guide as you start your travel preparations.
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Where is Mount Rainier National Park Located?
Mount Rainier National Park lies in the west-central Washington area. It’s located southeast of Seattle and Tacoma and the location of Mount Rainier National Park gives you easy access from these major cities as well as Yakima and Portland in Oregon.
Mount Rainier National Park Entrances
The park has several entrances. All entrances collect fees and/ or check passes for the national park.
Nisqually Entrance – Wilderness Information Center (Longmire), Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center (Paradise)
This southwest entrance is open to park all year round and accessible via State Route 706.
Carbon River – Carbon River Visitor Center
This is the park’s northwest access point you can reach via State Route 165 through Wilkeson.
You need to park your vehicle at the entrance, but it’s open for foot-traffic and cyclists all year round.
Mowich Lake is another entrance at the northwest section but is only open during summer until the middle of October.
Stevens Canyon – Ohanapecosh Visitor Center
This entrance is in the southeast area of the park and can be reached via US Highway 12. It’s also open from the later weeks of May to early October.
White River – Sunrise Visitor Center
This northeast entrance is just off State Route 410 on the Chinook Scenic Byway. However, it only opens in late June or early July and closes in mid-October.
What major city is closest to Mount Rainier?
If you want to include trips to cities near Mount Rainier National Park, Yakima is just an hour and a half from Mount Rainier’s White River entrance.
Tacoma is also a manageable two-hour distance to the Nisqually (Paradise), Sunrise, Carbon River, and Ohanapecosh entrances. It’s ideal if you want to stay in a nearby city and at the same time get to the best attractions in the park.
The cities of Seattle and Portland, Oregon are more or less two hours away from Mount Rainier, so you can make a stopover before or after you visit Mount Rainier.
There are also small towns near Mount Rainier National Park you can stay in or add to your itinerary.
The town of Ashford sits just right outside the park’s Paradise area. This is worth adding to your travel plans, particularly during summer. It’s a good base with lots of trails and a bunch of accommodations and restaurants.
Enumclaw gives you access to the park’s northern Carbon River and Mowich Lake entrances. Hiking trails to scenic falls and lakes, along with great viewpoints of Mount Rainier and roadside views are things you can experience here. This town is also just a short drive to Seattle.
Packwood is also nearby Mount Rainier with access to multiple park locations in Paradise, Ohanapecosh, and Sunrise.
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How To Get to Mount Rainier National Park
You might also like to read:
- Mount Rainier National Park Guide
- Best airport for Mount Rainier National Park
- Best hikes in Mount Rainier National Park
- Skyline Trail Guide
How To Get to Mount Rainier National Park
You can get to and around Mount Rainier in several ways. Driving is the most convenient option, either from hoe or from a bus or train station or nearby airport. There are also several tours available, mostly from Seattle, that offer day trips to popular park attractions.
Let’s take a look at your travel options and details on how you can get to Mount Rainier National Park so you can choose what’s best for your trip.
Taking a Tour to Mount Rainier National Park
If you prefer not to drive, since there are no shuttles in Mount Rainier, taking a taxi from a nearby town and a tour are your only options. Tours have the added advantage of an expert guide to accompany you, so you can learn all about the history and geography of the national Park.
Although there are no tours from nearby Tacoma or other small towns around the national park, there are several options for day trips from Seattle. All of them are about 10-12 hours long and include about 2 hours of driving each way to/ from the park. They all go to the Paradise part of Mount Rainier National Park.
Private Mt Rainier National Park Day Trip from Seattle
The nice thing about a private tour is that you can go at your own pace and you get the guide completely to yourself. The trip includes a professional guide and pickup from Seattle and Sea-Tac hotels. Lunch is not included.
BOOK A PRIVATE DAY TRIP TO MOUNT RAINIER FROM SEATTLE/ SEA-TAC
Touring and Hiking in Mt. Rainier National Park
If you like to hike and want to have a chance to get on the trails, then this day trip is for you. The meadows in Paradise are one of the highlights of any trip to Mt Rainier National Park, and you will see them best when you hike the trails. In addition to the regular highlights, you’ll have a chance to hike for a mile each way to a viewpoint to see the glaciers on the side of Mount Rainier up close.
BOOK A DAY TRIP WITH HIKING TO MOUNT RAINIER FROM SEATTLE
Mount Rainier National Park Luxury Small-Group Day Tour with Lunch
If you like to travel in style, want a little more comfort in your day trip to Mount Rainier, and prefer to have lunch included, then this is your tour. The day trip includes a gourmet picnic lunch with wine. It’s a small group with maximum seven people.
BOOK A SMALL GROUP LUXURY TOUR TO MOUNT RAINIER WITH LUNCH INCLUDED
Mount Rainier Day Tour from Seattle
This is a more affordable option. A regular day tour from Seattle to Mount Rainier, taking in the highlights of the Paradise area including Narada Falls and Christine Falls. A professional guide accompanies the tour to give plenty of information and point you to all the highlights.
BOOK A DAY TOUR FROM SEATTLE TO MOUNT RAINIER
Flying to Washington, Mt Rainier National Park
The closest airport to Mount Rainier National Park is Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. All park entrances are accessible from there.
The easiest way to get from the airport to any Mt. Rainier National Park location is by taking a rental car. Seattle-Tacoma to the White River Ranger Station is 71 miles, while Paradise in Nisqually entrance is 94 miles away.
Though it has more limited flights than Seattle-Tacoma, Yakima Air Terminal is another airport close to Mount Rainier. They offer several commercial and charter flights. The airport is just 75 miles from the White River entrance and about 117 miles from the Nisqually-Paradise entrance.
If you’re looking for a wide range of both domestic and international flights, Portland International Airport is another of the possible airports near Mount Rainier National Park. It will take you about three hours to get to the White River Ranger Station and Paradise entrances from this airport.
For more information about flying to Mount Rainier, read my guide to the best airports for Mount Rainier National Park.
Check prices on flights to Seattle Airport here
Taking the Train to Washington, Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier train routes and services aren’t available directly inside the park. However, if you like to travel by train, you can get to an Amtrak train station fairly close by and pick up a rental car or take a taxi or tour there to get you into the park itself.
Tacoma, Centennial/Lacey, and Centralia stations on the Amtrak Cascades and Coast Starlight routes, while Tukwila is only on the Amtrak Cascades route. Seattle’s King Street Station gives you even more options since it also on the Empire Builder train route in addition to Amtrak Cascades and Coast Starlight.
Tacoma is the nearest Mount Rainier train station. There aren’t any car rentals at the station itself, but there are car rentals like Zipcar, Enterprise, Budget, and Hertz around 6-10 minutes away, so you can take a taxi or Uber to their locations. The Nisqually and Carbon River entrances are the nearest entrances from Tacoma with both less than an hour and a half away.
King Street Station in Seattle is a bit farther away – it’s about an hour and 45-minute drive to the White River and Carbon River entrances. But you can get a Zipcar rental service at the station or nearby Sixt car rental facility. There are other car rental agencies a short taxi or Uber ride away. It’s also the only station that runs tours to Mount Rainier.
Amtrak’s Tukwila station is another option for the White River entrance. An Enterprise car rental agency is about 5 minutes from this station.
The other two stations, Centralia and Centennial/Lacey are around the same distance to the Paradise area, though the latter is also closer to the Carbon River and Lake Morwich entrances. There’s an Enterprise rental car office located 4 minutes away from Centralia. Centennial/Lacey also has a few car rental agencies nearby, including Enterprise and AVIS.
Taking a Bus to Washington State Mount Rainier National Park
There are no direct bus routes into Mount Rainier National Park, so taking the bus is not really the most convenient way to get to the park. But if you want to take the bus from Seattle to Mount Rainier National Park, there are nearby towns and cities where you can get a tour or rental car.
If you’re flying to Sea-Tac Airport, King County Metro, and Sound Transit Express Bus 578 are available at the airport bound for Enumclaw. Both offer routes from Seattle to Auburn Transit Center. From the center, the DART Route 915 takes you to Enumclaw’s School District Road and McDougall Avenue.
Enumclaw is the nearest city to the park’s Carbon River or White River entrances, but there are no car rental agencies there. Your option would be to take a taxi or Uber from the city to get you to the park. However, unless you’re really planning to visit Enumclaw, you’d be better off taking a car rental service from the airport to get you straight to the Carbon River or White River entrances.
Greyhound is another bus line that can get you to cities near Mount Rainier like Seattle, Tacoma, and Yakima.
From Seattle main bus station on Royal Brougham Way, several car rental agencies like Budget, SIXT, Enterprise, AVIS, Hertz, and Zipcar are all around 3 to 8 minutes away.
Greyhound’s Tacoma bus station also has Zipcar, Budget, and Enterprise car rental offices just 3-5 minutes away. Hertz is about 8 minutes from the bus station.
Another alternative is getting off Tall Men’s Supermarket at Yakima’s South 5th Avenue. You can pick up a car rental at Enterprise, just 4 minutes away from the station, or get a Budget rental car 8 minutes away.
Driving to Mount Rainier National Park
You’ll need different driving directions to Mount Rainier National Park depending on which entrance you’ll access. If you’re planning a Mount Rainier National Park drive during the winter, note that some entrances will be closed due to weather conditions.
If you’re planning a road trip from Olympic National Park to Mount Rainier National Park, a direct trip by car takes more or less about 5 hours, though you can also make several stops in Seattle, Tacoma, and/ or Olympia.
Driving Directions to Mount Rainier National Park
For driving routes from Seattle, Tacoma, Yakima, and Portland to different Mount Rainier entrances, here are the basic details
Driving from Seattle to Mount Rainier National Park
How to get to Mount Rainier from Seattle:
To Nisqually Entrance
How far is Mt Rainier from Seattle? The distance from Seattle to Mount Rainier National Park (Nisqually Entrance) is 86 miles. From Seatac to Mount Rainier National Park is 75 miles.
Travel Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Driving Directions:
To drive from Seattle to Mount Rainier National Park, head south on I-5 and take exit 127 on SR 512. Head east on SR 512 until you reach south on SR 7. From there, drive east on SR 706 through Ashford until you reach the entrance.
To White River/Sunrise/Ohanapecosh Areas
Distance: 80 miles
Travel Time: 1 hour and 35 minutes
Driving Directions:
For Mount Rainier National Park directions going to the northeast entrances, head south to I-5 and take exit 154a on I-405. Continue east on I-405 and then south on SR 167. From there drive east on SR 410 to get to the White River entrance.
To get from Seattle to Mt Rainier National Park’s Ohanapecosh entrance, continue south past Stevens Canyon Road on SR 410 up to SR123.
Driving from Tacoma to Mount Rainier National Park
To Nisqually Entrance
Distance: 60 miles
Travel Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Driving Directions:
From Tacoma to Mt Rainier National Park via Nisqually entrance, go east on SR 512 to south on SR 7. Take SR 706 going to Elbe, then go east on SR 706 straight to Ashford. You’ll reach the entrance from there.
To White River/Sunrise/Ohanapecosh Areas
Distance: 68 miles
Travel Time: 1 hour and 25 minutes
Driving Directions:
If you’re taking the White River/Sunrise entrance to Mount Rainer from Tacoma, drive east on SR 512 going to SR 167. Head north on SR 167 towards SR 410. Drive east on SR 410 until you get to the White River entrance.
For the driving route to Ohanapecosh, go south on I-5 and take exit 68 on Highway 12. Go east on the highway and pass through Morton, Randle, and Packwood. Head north on SR 123 until you reach Mount Rainier National Park’s Ohanapecosh area.
Driving from Yakima to Mount Rainier National Park
To Nisqually Entrance
Distance: 137 miles
Travel Time: 2 hours and 45 minutes
Driving Directions:
Access to routes from Yakima to the Nisqually entrance will depend if you’re visiting during the summer or winter season.
During the summer season, you can take the west of US 12 to SR 123. From north of SR 123, they can follow Stevens Canyon Road and head west to Paradise and Longmire. In winter months, the route starts west on US 12 going to SR 7 in Morton. From there, head north to Elbe from SR 7. You’ll reach the Nisqually Entrance and Longmire/Paradise coming from the east on SR 706.
To White River/Sunrise/Ohanapecosh Areas
Distance: 75 miles
Travel Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Driving Directions:
To access the east White River side of Mount Rainier National Park, drive west on Highway 12 going to SR 410. Head west from there via the Chinook and Cayuse Pass to get to the entrance. If you’re heading to the Ohanapecosh area, go west on US 12 until you reach SR 123. Turn right from SR 123 and head north to the park’s entrance to get to Ohanapecosh.
Driving from Portland to Mt. Rainier National Park
To Nisqually Entrance
Distance: 138 miles
Travel Time: 2 hours and 25 minutes
Driving Directions:
From Portland Oregon to Mount Rainier Washington, drive north on I-5 and take exit 68 on Highway 12. Go east on Highway 12 until you get to Morton via SR 7. Drive north on SR 7 and head to Elbe’s SR 706. Drive east from there until you reach the Nisqually entrance.
To White River/Sunrise/Ohanapecosh Areas
Distance: 203 miles
Travel Time: 3 hours and 30 minutes
Driving Directions:
To get to the White River/Sunrise entrance, head north on I-5 to SR 512 east. Drive towards SR 167 and take exit 135 in Tacoma. Head east from SR 167 going to SR 410. Continue driving east on SR 410 and you’ll get to the entrance.
To reach the Ohanapecosh area, drive north to US 12 via I-5 and take exit 68. Head east from US 12 until SR 123. Go north on SR 123 to the Ohanapecosh area.
Carbon River Entrance
The park’s Carbon River northwest entrance is accessible via SR 165 through Wilkeson. It’s open all year, though vehicles aren’t allowed beyond the park entrance.
The Lake Mowich entrance is 5.5 miles from the Ranger Station in Carbon River and is open to the public during summer until the middle of October.
Check out my guide to saving money on rental cars before you book.
How do you get to Mt. Rainier National Park without a car?
If you prefer not to drive, getting a tour from Seattle is your best choice. You can get to Seattle via plane, train or bus. (See sections above).
For the less-visited northern section of the park, where tours do not go, you can get a taxi or Uber from Enumclaw, which you can get to by bus.
FAQs about Getting to Mount Rainier National Park
What airport do you fly into for Mount Rainier National Park?
The best airport you can fly to for Mount Rainier National Park is Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Check my guide to the Closest Airports to Mount Rainier National Park for other options.
Can you get to Mt Rainier without a car?
Yes, if you prefer not to drive, you can take a tour from Seattle to get you around the park.
What is the best way to enter Mount Rainier National Park?
The best way to enter the park is via the Nisqually entrance. It’s open all year-round and you’ll have access to Paradise, Mount Rainier’s most popular area.
What city is Mt Rainier closest to?
The closest cities to Mount Rainier are Tacoma and Seattle.
Is there a train from Seattle to Mt Rainier?
There aren’t any train services from Seattle to Mount Rainier but there are train stations close to the park. See the Train Section above for full details.
Which Mt Rainier entrance is closest to Seattle?
From Seattle, the closest park entrance is the southwest Nisqually entrance.
Is there a shuttle to Mt Rainier?
Shuttle services are not available inside the park, so the best way to get around is by driving your own vehicle.
Is there public transportation to Mt Rainier?
No. Although you can access public transportation services from nearby cities like Tacoma and Seattle, you still need a car or take a tour to get around the park itself.
How far is Mount Rainier National Park from Seattle?
Seattle – Mount Rainier National Park is around 90 miles and takes about an hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours.
Travel Insurance for Mount Rainier
You should definitely have travel insurance when you travel to Mount Rainier. Good travel insurance will cover you for trip cancellation, theft or damage of your property when traveling, medical help if you have an accident in or while visiting Mount Rainier National Park, WA, or medical repatriation if you need to get medi-vaced out.
A great insurance option is Travelex. It has coverage for all you’ll need. You can choose the best travel insurance plan for your trip here or get a quote right now:
Enjoy Mount Rainier National Park!
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How To Get to Mount Rainier National Park
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About the Author
James Ian is a national park, camping and hiking expert.
He has dedicated his life to travel, visiting more than 80 countries, all 7 continents and most of the national parks in the United States. With over 35 years experience in the travel industry, James has worked on cruise ships, at resorts and hotels, and as a travel planner who’s helped hundreds of people plan successful trips to US national parks.
Based on his experience visiting our national parks multiple times, in-depth research and expertise as a travel planner, James has published detailed itineraries for most of the major national parks in the US. These itineraries, as well as in-depth park guides, comprehensive camping and hiking gear reviews and buying guides, and helpful packing lists and gift guides will help you have your own incredible trip to US national parks without stress and hassle.
As a national park expert, James has contributed to many publications, including USA Today, Time Business News, Savoteur, Best Trip, and Wired.
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