Address and Parking
9010 453rd Street E
Eatonville, WA 98328
Mount Rainier Institute is located at University of Washington's Pack Forest in Eatonville, Washington. Mount Rainier Institute groups with scheduled programing should enter Pack Forest the gatehouse located off highway 7. After crossing under our welcome timbers please begin to look on your right for a sign post indicating where your group will be unloading. Upon arrival to your parking spot you will be greeted by staff and given instructions on the next steps.
Directions
From Seattle:
Alternative 1 – Best during high traffic times: (I-5 to Highway 7 -- Through Parkland): Follow I-5 south through Tacoma. Take Exit 127, and follow Highway 512 for about ¾ of a mile. Take the first exit for Steele St and turn left onto Steele St. Continue for about 5 miles on Steele St/116th St. Turn left where the 116th St ends onto WA-704E/Cross Base Hwy and follow for ¾ of a mile. Turn right onto Highway 7 South. Stay on Highway 7 for about 22 miles through Spanaway and Elk Plain toward Elbe. After you cross the Mashel River, watch for the sign "University of Washington Pack Forest." The entrance to Pack Forest will be on your left.
Alternative 2 – Best during all other times: (I-5 to Highway 161 -- Through Puyallup): Take I-5 south. Take I-405 North “Renton” exit then take the Hwy 167 Kent exit South. Follow Highway 167 to Puyallup, and exit to Highway 161 South. Follow Highway 161 (Meridian Street) through South Hill and Graham, and through the town of Eatonville (approximately 28 miles). Cross the Mashel River exiting town and continue 4 miles past Eatonville until you reach the intersection with Highway 7. Turn left onto Highway 7 South and watch for the sign "University of Washington Pack Forest" approximately 1/4 mile from the Highway 7 : Highway 161 junction. The entrance to Pack Forest will be on your left.
From Portland:
Take I-5 North to US Route 12 (Exit 68, about 1 hour north of Longview). Go east, following US-12 through Morton. Turn left (north) on Highway 7. Follow Highway 7 through Elbe, Alder, and LaGrande. Approximately 1 mile north of LaGrande, you will see the entrance to Pack Forest on your right.
Parking:
A large wooden sign marks the entrance to Pack Forest at our gatehouse on Highway 7. There is limited parking at the gatehouse and the arboretum for trail users. Main parking areas for visitors and conference attendees are up the hill. Please follow the appropriate signs for your group. Horse trailers should park in the large gravel lot about ¼ mile North of our main entrance near the junction of Highway 7 and Highway 161.
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Mount Rainier Institute
The University of Washington acknowledges the Coast Salish peoples of this land, the land which touches the shared waters of all tribes and bands within the Suquamish, Tulalip and Muckleshoot nations. Mount Rainier Institute is honored and grateful to provide programs that take place in the ancestral homelands of the Nisqually, Puyallup, Muckleshoot, Yakima, and Cowlitz.
Mount Rainier Institute provides outstanding nature-based education experiences that are rooted in science and nurture the next generation of environmental stewards and leaders.