Explore Mount Rainier National Park
Compare the towns that can serve as a base for your visit, then open a guide for drive times, services, lodging and local planning details.
Gateway Town Quiet gateway on Mount Rainier's edge. Basic lodging and cafes, fuel stop before the park.
View guide → Gateway Town Historic alpine district at 6,400 ft. Summer-only access, no lodging, restored 1920s NPS Rustic structures.
View guide →Nisqually Entrance is in the southwest and serves Longmire and Paradise.
Southwest Entrance - By Car Year-round access to the park is via SR 706 to the Nisqually Entrance in the southwest corner of the park. The road from the entrance to Longmire remains open throughout winter except during extreme weather. The road from Longmire to Paradise closes nightly from November 1 through winter. It reopens the following morning dependent upon snow removal and current conditions. Even though roads will be open, some facilities may not be available. A note on using GPS : Many visitors now use GPS (Global Positioning System) units to help them navigate while driving. However, the street address for Mount Rainier National Park (55210 238th Avenue East) leads to the Mount Rainier headquarters in Ashford, Washington, NOT to the Nisqually entrance of the park. To reach the Nisqually entrance using GPS use the address 39000 State Route 706 E, Ashford, WA 98304. This will take you on SR 706 east past the park headquarters to the Nisqually Entrance. It is recommended that visitors refer to road maps in addition to using GPS units when driving to the park. Directions to the Southwest Entrance of the park (Nisqually, Longmire and Paradise)source
White River and Sunrise are in the northeast, reached via SR 410 from Enumclaw.
Northeast - Sunrise, White River and southbound SR 123 are accessed via SR 410 from Enumclaw.source
SR165 access to Carbon River and Mowich Lake is blocked by the Fairfax Bridge closure. The bridge is closed to vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians; there is no alternate route.
Carbon River and Mowich Lake in the northwest are not accessible via SR165 due to the closure of the Fairfax Bridge. The bridge is closed to pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles and there is no alternate routesource
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