27 Best Day Trips from Seattle in 2023

27 Best Day Trips from Seattle in 2023

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This Pacific Northwest metropolis is a dream for day-trippers; Seattle is about subsequent to the Olympic Peninsula and located on Puget Sound. When visiting Seattle, you might be surrounded by water and rainforest. And while you enterprise out of town limits, you have got the Canadian border, many nationwide park decisions, and islands galore you’ll be able to entry by ferry. Day journeys from Seattle are adventurous by default. So out of doors journey lovers, put together for the intense temptation to go away Downtown Seattle.

Top Day Trips from Seattle

Top Day Trips from Seattle

In this information, we’ve obtained absolutely the creme de la creme of day journeys from Seattle. We’re speaking Olympic National Park classics like Hoh Rain Forest and ferry experience Seattle day journeys to locations just like the San Juan Islands. You can hop on a ship, seize mountaineering boots and climbing gear, guide an tour, or hire a automotive. These day journeys from Seattle are all price pushing your self.

Planning Your Trip To Seattle Right Now?

Below are a few of the prime day journey excursions from Seattle. Don’t overlook to plan forward when visiting Washington!

Top Day Trip Activities and Tours from Seattle:

Best Day Trips From Seattle Whatcom Falls Park

This little metropolis park would possibly sound unassuming, however it is among the greatest day journeys for waterfall mountaineering trails and ornate gardens. You stroll alongside tiny paved mountaineering trails by way of closely mossed forests – sometimes navigating stone bridges that seem like one thing from a fairytale.

The entire park is atmospheric, and you’ll’t go incorrect for a serene mountaineering expertise. We added it to this information as a lesser-considered possibility than the ‘major Seattle day trips’ like Mount Rainier. Whatcom Falls Park is a stunning day journey from Seattle, involving a 1.5-hour drive or a 2.5-hour Greyhound journey. By automotive, it is a perfect distance from Seattle, and as an excellent bonus, it’s free to enter.

On the way in which, you’ll be able to incorporate stops at Samish Park, which has a chosen swimming space, and northern Seattle points of interest like Bad Dog Brewery and Stillaguamish Valley Pioneer Museum. Bellingham is an exquisite coastal metropolis and has lots extra to supply when you’ve visited Whatcom Falls Park. As a winter day journey detour, you possibly can even go snowboarding on the close by Mount Baker. Whatcom Falls is simply a place to begin.

2. Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area

Best Day Trips From Seattle Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area

Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area is the place to go for a dramatic waterfall. Whatcom Falls is ideal for cutesy forest waterfalls, however Columbia River Gorge has a choice of colossal falls. The protect is about round an 80-mile-long canyon as much as 4000 ft deep. The Columbia River crashes by way of the canyon, and you’ll select from varied mountaineering trails to embrace the surroundings.

Visiting Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area is kind of an endeavor, almost 4 hours in distance from Seattle. But it’s undoubtedly undertakable you probably have a number of drivers to rotate between driving shifts. Besides, you’ll be able to even stopover in Portland en route.

For us, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area stood out for its mighty waterfalls, that are probably the most spectacular (force-wise) in the area. If you fancy some extra adventurous waterfall hikes, it’s the better of the day journeys from Seattle.

3. Point Defiance Park

Best Day Trips From Seattle Point Defiance Park

Point Defiance Park is to not be skimmed over. This 760-acre monster of a park is about in the close by metropolis of Tacoma and is the basic nod to an ‘urban oasis’ that many city-dwellers crave. Point Defiance Park juts into Puget Sound, with viewpoints sprinkled round its edge.

Vashon Viewpoint and Dalco Passage Viewpoint – these views all deserve a glance in, particularly if you happen to coincide your go to with dawn or sundown. Aside from the scenic strolls, Point Defiance Park has loads of main points of interest. While you’ll be able to enter the park without spending a dime, you’ll be able to pay to go to points of interest like Fort Nisqually Living History Museum and the Point Defiance Aquarium.

Point Defiance Park is barely any distance from Seattle. You are speaking 45 minutes by automotive, and by public transport, about 2 hours. To be trustworthy, Point Defiance most caught our eye as a result of it entails bypassing Tacoma and getting a contemporary metropolis perspective. After a couple of days in Seattle, shaking off one metropolis and refreshingly embracing one other for a day is sweet. This park is probably the most lovely place to take action, incorporating a little bit of inexperienced house.

4. Whale Watching

Best Day Trips From Seattle Whale Watching

While we’re on the subject of marine life, it could be a criminal offense to go with out mentioning whale watching. Whale watching is among the greatest day journeys from Seattle, and between May and October, you might be in for a deal with. Seattle’s surrounding waters have every part from grey and humpback whales to the beloved orca. Book a whale-watching tour and take a look at your luck with sightings; Seattle is a whale hotspot.

Best Day Trips from Seattle Whale Watching Tour

Your journey distance from Seattle relies on your boat journey alternative. Many boats provide a half-day expertise, like this 4-hour afternoon zodiac cruise. It is necessary to notice that what boat kind you select additionally massively impacts your day journey expertise. Zodiacs are a lot nearer to the water’s floor, so you may get a way more intimate expertise, however wrap up heat since you’ll be uncovered to all the weather.

Covered boats provide a extra snug, heat expertise, however you might be a lot additional away from the whales. We’d suggest the zodiacs for optimum expertise, that are additionally deemed barely extra moral and fewer intrusive than the big boats, the place whales can injure themselves on big propellers.

5. Boeing Future of Flight

Best Day Trips From Seattle Boeing Future of Flight

Boeing Future of Flight is certainly one of our shortest day journeys from Seattle. In reality, it is just a 30-minute distance from Seattle metropolis middle by automotive. Flight fanatics searching for a fast addition to your itinerary, that is it. The museum is a ridiculously informative immersion into the world of business jets. You wander by way of corridor after corridor of detailed displays. But, maybe most excitingly, additionally get up-close and private with jets-in-the-making on the industrial jet meeting plant. Boeing Future of Flight is the closest you may get to industrial aviation motion in the US – if not the world. For that cause, we simply had so as to add it to this information.

Time-wise, we’d permit a couple of hours to get to the museum, go searching, seize a espresso, and return to Seattle. It actually is a bitesize day journey.

6. Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

Best Day Trips from Seattle Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

Let’s preface this by saying that Skagit Valley is at all times an exquisite day journey from Seattle. The valley is lower in half by 150 miles of river and has beautiful, sweeping inexperienced grasslands. However, it actually comes into its personal in the course of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival – which runs from March to May yearly. During the tulip competition, there are seas (and we imply seas) of bobbing tulips in oranges, pinks, yellows, whites, and extra. The flowers are painstakingly organized in color-coordinated rows and are a shocking place to go to from Seattle. You can simply spend a number of hours strolling between the totally different tulip fields.

Best Day Trips From Seattle Skagit Valley Tulip Festival  flowers

The valley is an hour and 10 minutes from Seattle metropolis middle by automotive. You may also take a number of guided excursions to see the tulip shows, like this one on Viator. If you don’t drive, a guided tour is your only option.

7. Victoria, BC

Best Day Trips From Seattle Victoria BC

Victoria, BC, is situated throughout the Canadian border and is a famously old-world vacation spot. Sat on the sleepy, grizzly bear and leaping salmon-filled Vancouver Island, Victoria is pleased with its early ancestry and never but able to shake off the previous structure and even transport strategies like horse-drawn carriages. The British affect in Victoria can also be closely leaned into, with tearooms and double-decker buses all through town. As a day journey, it’s nice enjoyable.

By land, Victoria is a substantial distance from Seattle. But by high-speed clipper ferry, the journey takes lower than 3 hours. Must-visit points of interest in Victoria embrace visiting the brightly-colored floating pier of retailers at Fisherman’s Wharf Pier, Hatley Castle, and Craigdarroch Castle. Don’t overlook the Malahat SkyWalk both; this attraction is a 10-story tower that brings you to a 600-meter elevated walkway amidst Arbutus and Douglas Fir forests. It is among the greatest out of doors points of interest town has to supply.

8. Mount St Helens

Best Day Trips From Seattle Mount St Helen

Mount St Helens is an lively stratovolcano simply south of Seattle. Scary? Perhaps a bit. Its final explosion was in 1980, and this disaster marked the deadliest volcanic eruption ever in US historical past. And whereas it hasn’t erupted since, it’s nonetheless some of the adrenaline-junkie day journeys from Seattle. You can go to any of its surrounding viewpoints, together with Johnston Ridge Observatory and Windy Ridge Viewpoint. But solely superior climbers and mountaineers can deal with the climb-only path to the summit. Non-climbers get the views, whereas climbers get the problem of summiting an lively volcano.

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Mount St Helens could also be one of many longest day journeys from Seattle, taking 3.5 hours by automotive from Seattle’s metropolis middle. Don’t let that part you although, particularly you probably have drivers to rotate driving shifts between. Mount St Helens is an enchanting and difficult place in your subsequent hang-out if you’re a sophisticated climber and mountaineer. You’ll cross by way of Olympia in your technique to the volcano, which makes an important midway stopping level. You can at all times cease for some political historical past and well-earned espresso after getting face-to-face with one of many US’ most feared volcanoes.

9. La Push Beaches

Best Day Trips From Seattle La Push Beaches

Twilight followers will most likely be conversant in La Push Beach. It is that moody-aesthetic, angsty teen-style seaside with battered black sprinkled sand, crashing waves, and washed-up driftwood. The most spectacular factor about driftwood is that generally it may be virtually full tree trunks. Out of all of the day journeys from Seattle, La Push seashores actually have the environment right down to a tee. You can go to (creatively named) First Beach, Second Beach, Third Beach, or Rialto Beach.

Best Day Trips From Seattle La Push Beach2

The distance from Seattle is fairly excessive; you’ll catch a ferry experience together with your automotive throughout Puget Sound earlier than driving by way of the Olympic National Park if you wish to go the adventurous route. Otherwise, drive by way of Tacoma and over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, throughout the highest finish of the Olympic Peninsula – passing Port Angeles. The entire drive takes below 4 hours, with an 8-hour return journey. Therefore, you’ll want a number of drivers or an in a single day keep and a few flexibility over the time period ‘day trip.’

10. Port Angeles

Best Day Trips from Seattle Port Angeles

Port Angeles is excess of a metropolis squeezed onto the shoreline by the looming presence of Olympic National Park. The tiny metropolis is correct on the prime of the Olympic Peninsula and, for many, merely a bolt-hole to discover the close by nationwide park and forest. Don’t be that particular person, although; Port Angeles is a day journey in its personal proper. The metropolis is an actual cultural hotspot – extremely celebratory of its heritage and humanities. You can go to the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center, Elwha Klallam Museum on the Carnegie, and the Port Angeles Underground & Heritage Tour.

Best Day Trips from Seattle Port Angeles Downtown

Port Angeles is among the most underrated day journeys from Seattle. The Port Angeles distance from Seattle is simply 2.5 hours; you’ll want a automotive and will likely be crossing the Puget Sound by automotive ferry (which even sounds thrilling). If you have got a day or two to spare, you possibly can keep in a single day in Port Angeles and use it as a base to catch the ferry to Victoria the next day as a second-day journey. There’s a direct ferry line between the 2 that’s simply too tempting to not use you probably have the time.

11. Olympia

Best Day Trips From Seattle Olympia

There’s at all times pure magnificence and a mountaineering path to be discovered inside straightforward distance from Seattle. But today journey affords one thing barely totally different. Olympia is the state capitol of Washington, DC. This title signifies that town, which is humbly situated on the southern finish of Puget Sound, simply an hour’s drive from Seattle, homes crucial buildings in Washington.

The Washington State Capitol Campus, Legislative Building, and a 1909-built Governor’s Mansion are in Olympia. Regarding political historical past and American tradition, Olympia affords far more in-depth perception than Seattle. So day journey right down to Olympia and get all of it found out.

It is free to enter the Washington State Capitol Building and Campus. You can simply spend an hour or two wandering round this political attraction. Then you’ll be able to see extra of the issues to do in Olympia. Definitely permit an entire day for the go to, particularly if you happen to attain town by 1.5-hour practice. Olympia is understandably common for its political and American historical past. And if these are issues that float your boat, then Olympia has your identify written throughout it.

12. North Bend

Best Day Trips From Seattle North Bend

North Bend is a perfect day journey for railroad historical past and delightful pure surroundings. The city has Northwest Railway Museum and its conventional practice line. Plus, the beautiful Three Forks Natural Area. It is a superb place to go to for a couple of hours of wandering and enjoyable. North Bend can also be the one day journey in this information that may be accomplished by a single, short-distance bus journey. You can catch the Trailhead Direct Mt. Si for 35 minutes and arrive straight in North Bend – which undoubtedly beats navigating the Seattle metropolis middle in a rental automotive.

Best Day Trips From Seattle North Bend2 Mount Si

North Bend is a cute allrounder, primarily suited to these with an curiosity in railway heritage or lifeless set towards driving to go on a day journey from Seattle. We’ve added today journey as it’s a simple bus experience possibility for non-drivers visiting Seattle. Oh, and we’ll drop in the enjoyable proven fact that the city was additionally used as a set for Twin Peaks, a big film; be ready to identify all of the acquainted backdrops.

13. Go Wine Tasting

Best Seattle Day Trips Wine Tasting

Going wine tasting is a enjoyable day journey from Seattle – and you might be undoubtedly by no means wanting guided wine-tasting excursions from Seattle. Woodinville is among the hotspots for wine-tasting day journeys from Seattle. Woodinville Wine Country is famed for its reds; cabernet sauvignon, syrah, and merlot are all on the tasting menus. And with over 130+ wineries in the area, visiting all of them in a day is unimaginable. Pick your tasting expertise correctly. If you go for today journey, you might be in for an thrilling time.

Best day trips from Seattle Wine Tasting Tours

Most wine-tasting excursions final roughly 7 hours and embrace 4-6 wineries. Pace your self, as you’ll be making an attempt round 5 glasses of wine at every cease, and it’s hilariously straightforward to get too tipsy. Woodinville is barely a 25-minute drive from Seattle metropolis middle, so most of your time will likely be spent in the tasting experiences. It is straightforward to see why wine tasting is so prevalent in Seattle. Woodinville Wine Country is shut, well-run with plenty of tour choices, and famend for tasty reds.

14. Gig Harbor

Best Day Trips from Seattle Gig Harbor

Gig Harbor is a blink-and-you-miss-it city in dimension, however in character, it’s price a go to. The city is related to its previous and has a robust sense of maritime neighborhood. Gig Harbor is simple and stuffed with candy native points of interest for a healthful escape for a day. The Harbor History Museum is an absolute should, with an immersive historical past that features an 1893 schoolhouse and a 65-foot fishing vessel.

Climbing Finholm View offers you a shocking view of the city and water, and catching a Gig Harbor gondola is a should if you need lovely views from the water. Even simply strolling by way of Gig Harbor is worth it; recognizing the homes with overwater verandas and making an attempt the contemporary catch dishes is a deal with.

Best Day Trips from Seattle Gig Harbor Museum

The Gig Harbor distance from Seattle is subsequent to nothing, taking simply 45 minutes by automotive or 2.5 hours by public transport. It is a well-liked day journey that additionally bypasses Tacoma – win, win.

15. Snoqualmie Falls

Best Day Trips From Seattle Snoqualmie Falls

Snoqualmie Falls is one other lovely waterfall, this time located alongside the Snoqualmie River inside strolling distance of its namesake city Snoqualmie. That’s loads of ‘Snoqualmies’. In extra sensible phrases, although, the waterfall is only a 30-minute drive from Seattle, making it one of many shortest Seattle day journeys. It is common as a sundown attraction, because the falls are fantastically illuminated at the moment with a pastel backdrop. Between the billowing waterfall spray and the sheer energy of the crashing water, it is among the most impactful falls you’ll be able to go to inside a brief distance from Seattle.

For us, we love how shut this waterfall is. It is the kind of day journey you possibly can nonetheless wrangle after a busy day in Downtown Seattle – zipping throughout to catch the sundown at Snoqualmie Falls is the proper late-afternoon journey.

16. Tiger Mountain State Forest

Best Day Trips From Seattle Tiger Mountain State Forest

Tiger Mountain State Forest spans 13,745 acres. And we’d recommend experiencing it on horseback or by bike if you wish to cowl some floor. You can hire bikes and arrange horseback path rides on-line beforehand. Otherwise, embrace the handfuls of mountaineering trails Tiger Mountain State Forest affords.

The most spectacular is Chirico Trail to Poo-Poo Point, which is 6.4km out and again and takes round 3 hours to finish. You can often spot dangle gliders and paragliders having fun with the valley, and this path additionally offers you lovely views of Mount Rainier in the space. Tiger Mountain State Forest is right for infinite hours on forest tracks.

The distance from Seattle is minimal, taking solely half-hour by automotive. You can add Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park to your day journey while you drive to Tiger Mountain State Forest. The park has tons of mountaineering trails and is situated midway alongside the precise driving route you’ll be utilizing.

17. Wallace Falls State Park

Best Day Trips From Seattle Wallace Falls State Park

Wallace Falls State Park is jam-packed and stuffed with old-growth forests, spreading over an unlimited space of 1,380 acres. But its successful issue is its 265-foot waterfall, which you’ll be able to stand up near on the Wallace Falls Middle Falls Overlook. The waterfall plunges dramatically towards a thick backdrop of coniferous timber – visually actually hanging. The overlook is a 5-mile hike however price each sweaty step for the ultimate view.

Wallace Falls State Park is the proper place to exhaust your self for probably the most untouched pure views. The park is someplace to go for an final waterfall hike. Of course, there are prolonged trails alongside the riverbank, too, together with the close by lovely Wallace Lake. So you have got loads of mountaineering choices.

The Wallace Falls State Park distance from Seattle is an hour by automotive or 3 hours by a sketchy public transport mixture. For apparent causes, we’d recommend driving. If you have got time to remain at Wallace Falls State Park in a single day, do, because it affords campgrounds that make for an pleasurable in a single day base.

18. Portland

Best Day Trips From Seattle Portland

When mentioning our different day journeys from Seattle, Portland has popped up a couple of instances. So what precisely does this powerhouse of Oregon provide to visiting vacationers? In brief, eco-friendly recreation, microbreweries, and extra coffeehouses than you possibly can ever rely. Portland is inherently stylish, and Oregon’s largest metropolis is overdue a repute makeover. Visiting Hoyt Arboretum, International Rose Test Gardens, and Witch’s Castle are all sensible out of doors issues to do in Portland to attach with nature. Then simply head to the microbreweries or seize a caffeine repair.

Top Day Trips From Seattle Portland Oregon

You can drive to Portland in simply over 3 hours from Seattle. But we’d really recommend catching the Amtrak Cascade. The practice takes 3.5 hours however means you keep away from driving by way of the congested metropolis middle or worrying about having to park and experience in on public transport. Catch the primary practice from Seattle to Portland so as to arrive at round 10 am, catching the 7 pm service again to Seattle. You’ll be again in Seattle by 11 pm and get a full day of 9 hours to sightsee Portland.

19. Diablo Lake

Best Day Trips From Seattle Diablo Lake

Diablo Lake is a shocking alpine attraction and delightful addition to our day journeys from Seattle. We’d recommend pinpointing the Diablo Lake Vista Point, aka the Diablo Lake Overlook, which has probably the most spectacular view of the electrical blue lake. Because Diablo Lake is full of glacial water, its waters seem virtually cloudy in shade.

And the brightness is an actual draw, too, making the lake some of the photogenic day journeys from Seattle. You can begin on the viewpoint after which embark on one of many many hikes across the lake’s perimeter; a digicam is important.

In phrases of distance from Seattle, Diablo Lake is 2.5 hours by automotive and requires you to drive – it’s in the center of nowhere. It is sandwiched between the rest of Ross Lake National Recreation Area and North Cascades National Park. Be ready for a desolate wilderness expertise of pure magnificence.

20. Vancouver

Best Day Trips from Seattle Vancouver

Vancouver is among the most unimaginable day journeys from Seattle, and it’ll take little to persuade you to agree with us. You can zip over from Seattle to Vancouver in simply 2.5 hours by automotive. Vancouver is the darling of the Pacific Northwest coast of Canada. It has shut ties to its First Nations historical past, unmatched orca-watching alternatives, and an excellent cultural scene. It really looks like you’ll be able to museum-hop endlessly in Vancouver. Or you’ll be able to head simply exterior town to hikes and out of doors recreation points of interest like Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, which snakes by way of the treetops of a 30-acre park.

Best Day Trips from Seattle Vancouver Capilano Suspension Bridge

It doesn’t take a genius to see why Vancouver is so common – there are such a lot of issues to do. And for anybody desirous to sneak Canada into their US journey, it’s a sensible technique to mix two international locations in a restricted time. Vancouver is so iconic that we simply needed to embrace it amongst the perfect Seattle day journeys. How may you miss it when you find yourself so shut?

21. Whidbey Island

Best Day Trips From Seattle Whidbey Island

Whidbey Island is one other of the perfect Seattle day journeys – famously performing because the boundary for the northern finish of the Puget Sound. The island is large, taking part in house to over 70,000 everlasting residents. It is beloved for its shoreline and small coastal communities. It is such an exquisite instance of coastal dwelling that it has been used in movies resembling Free Willy 2, The War of the Roses, and Top Gun: Maverick. Whidbey Island has every part from seashores to lakes and farmland. You go to this kind of place since you need to discover farm-to-table eating places and have a healthful, off-the-grid weekend.

Deception Pass Bridge

Best Day Trips From Seattle Deception Pass Bridge

With solely a day journey, although, it’s good to suppose virtually. You ought to undoubtedly drive Deception Pass Bridge, go to Deception Pass State Park, cease by arty Langley, get some historical past at Fort Casey, and, with youthful kids, go to Price Sculpture Forest for some family-tailored enjoyable.

Whidbey Island is a surprisingly brief distance from Seattle. The Whidbey Island distance varies by practice and automotive, however each choices take round 1.5 hours. The practice takes 1.5 hours whereas driving takes an hour. Its proximity to Seattle partly makes it a well-liked getaway and day journey.

22. Bainbridge Island

Best Day Trips from Seattle Bainbridge Island

Remember Bainbridge Island from earlier? This time, we’ll deal with the entire island, not simply Fort Ward’s scuba diving alternatives. The island is reached by ferry from Seattle, taking solely an hour. You can convey a automotive (which we extremely suggest as a result of the island is a nightmare on foot or public transport), and ticket worth varies based mostly on car dimension. When it involves out of doors recreation, while you arrive, you might be spoiled for alternative, and that extra cash to convey a automotive will likely be enormously appreciated.

Best Day Trips from Seattle Bainbridge Island Coast

On a day journey from Seattle, you’ll be able to plan a bit street journey round Bainbridge Island to hop between its totally different points of interest. The Bainbridge Island distance by ferry is so brief that you just barely deplete any vitality on the ferry part. So, a couple of hours of driving is totally nothing and a possible possibility. Bainbridge Island has the attractive Bloedel Reserve, a nature protect 150 acres in dimension. The reserve has manicured paths to go to the forests, ornate backyard, and reflection pool inside its limits. The island additionally has the Grand Forest West and Gazzam Lake reserves. While for tradition, there’s the Bainbridge Island Historical Museum and Museum of Art.

23. San Juan Island

Best Day Trips From Seattle San Juan Island

San Juan Island is a bit animal-watching hotspot simply off the coast of Seattle. You can meet its resident alpacas, take a kayaking tour to identify its common orca guests, or simply embrace chook watching from a scenic lavender discipline. The ferry experience drops you in Friday Harbor, the place you’ll be able to museum hop and benefit from quite a few wildlife-themed excursions across the island.

In phrases of distance from Seattle, today journey is prolonged. While it’s best visited on a multi-day journey, probably the most bold and rigid-scheduled of you’ll be able to deal with this as a day journey from Seattle. San Juan Island is reached by a 3-hour 45-minute ferry that departs from Seattle Harbor.

Treat this ferry experience as your first wildlife-watching expertise. You can see whales, orcas, dolphins, seals, and plenty of sea birds. So don’t waste this ferry journey – pack binoculars and a digicam with an excellent lens. You can have an excellent few hours on the island earlier than catching a return ferry.

24. North Cascades National Park

Best Day Trips From Seattle North Cascades National Park

Banff has everybody flashing coronary heart eyes however North Cascades National Park is your greatest wager if you need a Banff-style expertise with out crossing the Canadian border. And as a perfect mid-length journey North Cascades National Park is simply 2 hours away from Seattle by automotive.

It’s most spectacular when it has snow-capped peaks in full glory, however its shiny blue and inexperienced alpine lakes are beautiful year-round. North Cascades has that alpine attract whereas being means much less busy than a few of the different nationwide park decisions close to Seattle. Those in the know like it for its quieter trails and alpine surroundings – particularly these electric-colored lakes.

Best Day Trips From Seattle North Cascades National Park2

North Cascades is an absolute given in an inventory of the perfect day journeys from Seattle. It has greater than 300 glaciers and dozens of mountains, basically a photographer’s paradise. You have many trails to decide on from, and even simply driving by way of ensures lovely views. Allow a full day in North Cascades to embrace the expertise absolutely.

25. Olympic National Park

Best Day Trips from Seattle Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park is an unimaginable addition to your Seattle expertise, and you might be seemingly already planning a visit or, on the very least, conversant in it. Olympic National Park staggeringly covers a close to million acres. Predominantly, this encompasses old-growth rainforests, waterfalls, and some multi-day mountaineering trails that depart you in any other case lower off from the skin world.

In a perfect world, you’d have greater than a day to go to the park, particularly with its proximity to Rialto Beach and the Twilight-famed black sand shoreline. There are simply so many issues to do in Olympic National Park. But in a day, you’ll be able to at the least cowl its highlights – Hoh Rain Forest and its Hall of Mosses Trail, Hurricane Ridge, and trail-lined shores of Lake Crescent.

Best Day Trips from Seattle Olympic National Park Views

The Olympic National Park’s distance from Seattle varies relying on the place you intend to go to (it’s virtually 1,000,000 acres in dimension, keep in mind). However, to get to the principle customer middle is a 2.5-hour drive. We suggest renting a automotive for this journey. You can guide guided excursions, however they’re extortionate in worth and really restricted in your itinerary. Instead, hire a automotive and get exploring independently.

26. Mount Rainier National Park

Best Day Trips From Seattle Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier National Park is clustered round an lively volcano with a glaciated peak – Mount Rainier itself. The mountain basks in each glory and a spotlight, with incredible mountaineering trails zig-zagging its slopes and surrounding space. And whereas it’s beautiful in spring with all of the mountain flowers, Mount Rainier National Park is unquestionably extra of a winter day journey from Seattle. You can ski or snowmobile.

While you’ll be able to even take guided snowshoe walks if you happen to fancy one thing with a bit extra of a sightseeing angle. If you go to Seattle in winter, Mount Rainier National Park is the place you need to be. It has a repute for being a snow lover’s heaven.

Fun Day Trips From Seattle Mount Rainier National Park

In phrases of distance from Seattle, the Mount Rainier National Park distance varies barely relying on the place you go to. As a basic rule although, permit simply over 2 hours to succeed in the park by automotive, with further time in case of poor situations. If you guide a guided tour with transport from Seattle (you will want a automotive to entry the nationwide park), count on to be driving for a couple of hours to permit for potential pick-ups and stop-offs.

27. Fort Ward Park

Regarding waterfront parks, Fort Ward Park just isn’t one to overlook. The park is barely an hour’s drive or a 1.5-hour bus and ferry experience from Seattle, however it offers you a completely totally different impression of the area. But it’s most well-known for its underwater park for scuba divers. For anybody PADI certified, there are tons of corals and marine life to work together with. Hard to not love, proper? Fort Ward Park is a hidden gem for a lot of, so contemplate it the darkish horse of this information on the perfect day journeys from Seattle.

Fort Ward Park is about on Bainbridge Island, which we are going to cowl as a day journey attraction later. However, we needed to first spotlight Fort Ward Park as a standalone attraction – primarily because of its large scuba diving potential. It is among the greatest dive spots in miles round. And whereas a PADI is required to scuba dive at Fort Ward Park, you’ll be able to nonetheless benefit from the 4,300 ft of shoreline with a scenic footpath with out getting your ft moist.

Day Trips from Seattle: FAQs

Fun Day Trips From Seattle FAQ

It is very easy to really feel impressed by these day journeys from Seattle; pure magnificence is a assure, which we love. Before you go, although, be aware of these further snippets of information. These are our Seattle day journeys FAQs.

What to go to exterior of Seattle?

Definitely squeeze in some nationwide park visits when visiting Seattle. Olympic National Park and Mount Rainer National Park are the 2 large ones. You also needs to make time to go whale watching as properly.

What cities are one hour from Seattle?

Olympia, Bremerton, and Tacoma are all inside an hour of Seattle. With three hours, you’ll be able to attain cities like Portland and Vancouver.

Is Bainbridge Island price visiting?

Bainbridge Island is famend for its nature and has the forested Bloedel Reserve to go to. It additionally has some cultural points of interest just like the Bainbridge Island Museum. It is an efficient allrounder in relation to day journeys from Seattle.

What is 5 hours away from Seattle?

Siuslaw National Forest and plenty of different main Oregon points of interest are 5 hours away from Seattle. You may also enterprise throughout the Canadian border and into the agricultural areas round Vancouver and Vancouver Island.

To Conclude

Best Seattle Day Trips San Juan Islands

Day journeys from Seattle are thrilling – however you don’t want us to inform you that. Now you understand the total extent of town’s day journey potential for your self. If you fancy tradition, there’s Port Angeles, rainforest hikes, Olympic National Park, and snowboarding, Mount Rainier. Oh, and you’ll see humpback whales and generally even orcas from May to October. Seattle is someplace the place it’s good to permit further days simply to make use of town as a base.

Wait, have you ever obtained lodging already? If not, selecting a Seattle neighborhood is simply as necessary as planning a Seattle day journey or two. Which neighborhood you select will massively impression your expertise, so be sure that to tell apart your Fremont from your West Seattle. You’ll additionally need to pay shut consideration to your neighborhood of alternative and the way it impacts your distance to sure day journey points of interest.

Have an excellent time visiting Seattle. Whether you go to Mount Rainier or Whatcom Falls, you’ll have a spectacular time embracing all its thrilling environment.

Plan Your Next Trip to Washington State With these Resources

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