Crystal Mountain ski resort is located 150kms southeast of Seattle in Mount Rainier National Park and is directly accessible by road only. A combination of flying to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and transferring by shuttle bus is the best option for getting to the resort; while self-driving from other US cities and rail travel are possible, but usually involve long travel times.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is served by about 30 airlines, including Air Canada, American Airlines and Delta, and flights arrive from all over the US and from cities in other parts of the world. A helicopter service is also available to Seattle's Boeing Field Airport from Victoria and Vancouver (BC), on Helijet Airways. Shuttles run to downtown Seattle from there and from the airport to Crystal Mountain resort.

If you’re driving from the airport, take I-5 south and exit on to highway 18 for Auburn. Turn right on to highway 164 (Auburn Way) to Enumclaw, from where highway 410 goes to the resort. Seattle is fed by the main I-5 (north-south) artery that runs from San Diego (in the south) to the Canadian border (in the north). I-90 also serves Seattle from the east.

Amtrak trains run from Vancouver (British Columbia) and from Portland (Oregon) to Seattle. The train takes about four hours from Vancouver to Seattle, and three to four hours from Portland. One-way fares from Vancouver and Portland usually cost between $25 and $30. Amtrak trains also run to Seattle from San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco on the Coast Starlight, and from Spokane and points east on the Empire Builder.

Greyhound Lines buses run to Seattle directly or with connections from most cities in the continental US and offer the cheapest travel option, yet journeys are apt to be uncomfortable and arduous.