12-Days in Washington State
Travel date: July 2021
Overview
Washington delivers an incredible range of landscapes, all within a few hours of driving and with easy access in and out of Seattle. On this trip, we looped through all three of the state’s national parks, experiencing endless waterfalls and majestic views at Mount Rainier, 360° mountain vistas in North Cascades, and the diverse rainforest-to-coast ecosystems of Olympic. Along the way, we made stops in Leavenworth and Lake Chelan, which are destinations in their own right.
What makes this itinerary so special is the diversity. This trip is jam-packed from start to finish. We logged 53 miles of hiking and over 10,000 feet of elevation gain. Days ranged from intense hikes and mountain views to laid-back vineyards and wine tastings, finishing in a moss-covered rainforest and sunsets along the Pacific Ocean.
Staying inside or very near the parks made early starts easier and helped us avoid crowds on the most popular trails. Paradise Inn at Mount Rainier was a major advantage and is highly recommended. Olympic’s size required two different lodging areas to fully experience both the alpine and coastal regions.
Details
- Route: Seattle → Mount Rainier → Leavenworth → Lake Chelan → North Cascades → Olympic → Tacoma → Seattle
- National Parks: Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic
- Duration: 12 days
- Flights: Fly in/out of Seattle
- Getting around: Rental car
- Download Itinerary
A detailed overview of each major destination of the trip can be found in the following posts:
Where We Stayed
- Seattle (arrival night): Crowne Plaza
- Mount Rainier: Paradise Inn (inside the park)
- Leavenworth: White Aspen Luxury Camping
- Lake Chelan: Midtowner Motel
- North Cascades: North Cascades Inn
- Port Angeles (Olympic): Red Lion Inn
- Forks Area (Olympic): Dew Drop Inn
- Tacoma (departure night): Holiday Inn Tacoma Downtown
Activities
FOMO Trails
- Comet Falls
- Skyline Trail to Panorama Point
- Mt. Fremont Fire Lookout
- The Enchantments (to Colchuck Lake)
- Second Beach (sunset)
- Hall of Mosses (Hoh Rainforest)
Tours Booked
- Whale Watching Tour – Anacortes (4–5 hours)
FOMO Highlights
- Drinking our morning coffee outside Paradise Inn while staring in awe at Mount Rainier
- Taking an ice-cold plunge into the surreal turquoise waters of Colchuck Lake after a challenging climb
- Diablo Lake and that surreal blue-green water glowing at sunset
- Reaching the summit of Maple Pass Loop for sweeping 360° mountain views
- Watching bald eagles battle over a whale carcass on our whale tour — not the orcas we hoped for, but unforgettable all the same
- Second Beach at sunset — sea stacks silhouetted against the Pacific
- Walking through Hoh Rainforest and moss-covered trees