Kutacane is the small district capital of Southeast Aceh, the nearest town of any size to the western trailheads of the park and the standard transit point between Medan and Ketambe. Most travellers see only its bus station, but it is a perfectly pleasant place to spend a night before heading into the forest, with a handful of guesthouses, a busy market, and warungs serving good Acehnese food.
The town also handles permits and registrations for treks into the park, which can be useful if you have not arranged everything in advance through a guesthouse in Ketambe. The Alas River rafting outfitters keep offices here as well. Buses from Medan take about eight hours through hilly forest country; from Banda Aceh the journey is longer and crosses some of the most spectacular mountain road in northern Sumatra.