Along Ross Lake and Diablo reservoirs boat-in camping is allowed, permits are required from the Wilderness Information Center in Marblemount, Washington.

Ross Lake NRA provides the primary access points for motorists and backpackers entering the North Cascades National Park Service Complex.

Most travelers in the region use the North Cascades Highway, which bisects the National Recreation Area east to west.

The second vehicle access point is the southern terminus of the 43-mile (69 km) gravel Silver Skagit Road just south of the Canada–US border at the Hozomeen campground.

The nearest large town on the west side of the park is Sedro-Woolley, Washington, while Winthrop lies to the east and Hope, British Columbia to the north.