Adventurous Trip to Washington State National Parks

You will land in Seattle and rent a car to drive two hours to Concrete, WA, which is near the North Cascade National Park. If you want any groceries for the week, be sure to stop in Mount Vernon, as this is the last major city before you arrive at the NP. Mount Baker National Forest has a gorgeous lake you can drive around, and hike a few short hikes. You can eat dinner at “The Hub” in downtown Concrete before tucking in for an early night.

Spend the day exploring North Cascades National Park. This is the least populated of the three NP’s in WA. Start your day with a four-mile moderate hike named Thunder Knob that has views of Diablo Lake. Be warned, there is a very steep incline up. After the hike, take a rest and drive through the park. There are many short loop hikes throughout the park. Washington Pass Overlook is a great loop hike. End your day with a final hike in Newhalem and explore the powerhouse.

Today, you will want to drive towards Mount Rainier National Park. Stop for breakfast in Mt. Vernon at Calicos. Next, drive toward the northeast side of Mt. Rainier. Here, you can go to Crystal Mountain Ski Lodge and take a gondola ride up 6,000 feet to the top. There are amazing views of Mt. Rainier. Absolutely gorgeous! You can make your way into the park after you explore Crystal Mountain. There are many short hikes to complete in the northern part of the park. Finally, drive to Ashford for dinner at Mt. Rainier Base Camp. Warning - there is very limited cell service in these National Parks

Grab an early breakfast and coffee at Whittakers Cafe in Ashford. Start your day in Mount Rainier National Park with a 1.2 mile loop hike called Nisqually Loop. There are very pretty views of the mountain throughout the hike. There is another one-mile hike at Paradise's visitor center to view Myrtle Falls. Next, check out Reflection Lake, it has the perfect reflection of Mount Rainier. From here, there is another hike to Crater Falls, which is a challenging 3.4 mile hike if you are up for it. Or drive to Adler Lake, which is outside the park but has very gorgeous blue water. There are many places to eat here as well.

Today you will head to the last Washington National Park, Olympic. Drive up the coast and stop in Seabrook, WA. This is an adorable coastal beach town! Kalaloch Beach is also a great beach to explore. The most popular beach on the coast is Ruby Beach. End your day watching the sunset on Rialto Beach, there are black pebbles so the sun glimmers and it is a breath-taking sunset. Check into a hotel in Forks, WA for the night.

Your last day you will want to spend exploring Olympic NP. The Hoh Rainforest is very mossy and diverse in climate. There is a short hike called Sol Duc Falls, which is very pretty but populated, so be sure to go early! There is a great restaurant in downtown Port Angeles named 48 Degrees North. Then, check in to your hotel in Port Angeles, WA for the night.