Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Getting There & Away
Car
The park has four entrances: Nisqually, on Hwy 706 via Ashford, near the park's
southwest corner; Ohanapecosh, via Hwy 123; White River, off Hwy 410; and Carbon
River, the most remote entrance, at the northwest corner. Only the Nisqually entrance is
open in winter, when it's used by cross-country skiers.
eco-minded guided bus tours from Seattle.
Need to Know
»
Park entry
car/pedestrian $15/5
»
Location
95 miles (three hours) southeast of Seattle
»
Tourist Office
Jackson Visitor Center
( 360-569-2211, ext 2328; Paradise;
10am-7pm daily Jun-Oct, 10am-5pm Sat & Sun Oct-Dec)
; Longmire Hiker Information Center
(
Click here
)
Trail information and backcountry permits.
SIGHTS
Nisqually Entrance
Nisqually, on Hwy 706 via Ashford, near the park's southwest corner, is the busiest and
most convenient gate and it's open year-round. Climbs to the top of Rainier leave from
the inn; excellent four-day guided ascents are led by
Rainier Mountaineering Inc
(
www.rmiguides.com
; 30027 SR706 E, Ashford)
for $991.
PARADISE
VISITOR CENTER
F
'Oh, what a paradise!' exclaimed the daughter of park pioneer James Longmire
on visiting this spot for the first time in the 1880s. Suddenly, the high mountain nirvana
had a name, and a very apt one at that. One of the snowiest places on earth, 5400ft-high
Paradise remains the park's most popular draw, with its famous flower meadows
backed by dramatic Rainier views on the days (a clear minority annually) when the
mountain decides to take its cloudy hat off. Aside from hiding numerous trailheads and
being the starting point for most summit hikes, Paradise guards the iconic Paradise Inn
