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27 Best Day Trips from Seattle in 2023

27 Best Day Trips from Seattle in 2023


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 once you enterprise out of the town limits, you will have 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 depart 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 lease a automobile. These day journeys from Seattle are all value pushing your self.

Planning Your Trip To Seattle Right Now?

Below are a few of the high day journey excursions from Seattle. Don’t neglect 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, nevertheless it is among the finest day journeys for waterfall mountaineering trails and ornate gardens. You stroll alongside tiny paved mountaineering trails by 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 improper 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 beautiful day journey from Seattle, involving a 1.5-hour drive or a 2.5-hour Greyhound journey. By automobile, it is a perfect distance from Seattle, and as an excellent bonus, it’s free to enter.

On the best way, you’ll be able to incorporate stops at Samish Park, which has a delegated swimming space, and northern Seattle sights like Bad Dog Brewery and Stillaguamish Valley Pioneer Museum. Bellingham is a phenomenal coastal metropolis and has lots extra to supply when you’ve visited Whatcom Falls Park. As a winter day journey detour, you may 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 toes deep. The Columbia River crashes by the canyon, and you’ll select from varied mountaineering trails to embrace the surroundings.

Visiting Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area is sort of an endeavor, almost 4 hours in distance from Seattle. But it’s positively 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) within 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 within 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 in case you coincide your go to with dawn or sundown. Aside from the scenic strolls, Point Defiance Park has loads of main sights. While you’ll be able to enter the park free of charge, you’ll be able to pay to go to sights 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 automobile, 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 recent metropolis perspective. After just a few days in Seattle, shaking off one metropolis and refreshingly embracing one other for a day is nice. This park is probably the most stunning 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 might be against the law to go with out mentioning whale watching. Whale watching is among the finest day journeys from Seattle, and between May and October, you might be in for a deal with. Seattle’s surrounding waters have every little thing from grey and humpback whales to the beloved orca. Book a whale-watching tour and check out your luck with sightings; Seattle is a whale hotspot.

Best Day Trips from Seattle Whale Watching Tour

Your journey distance from Seattle is determined by 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 comfy, 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 massive boats, the place whales can injure themselves on large propellers.

5. Boeing Future of Flight

Best Day Trips From Seattle Boeing Future of Flight

Boeing Future of Flight is considered one of our shortest day journeys from Seattle. In truth, it is just a 30-minute distance from Seattle metropolis heart by automobile. Flight fans searching for a fast addition to your itinerary, that is it. The museum is a ridiculously informative immersion into the world of economic jets. You wander by corridor after corridor of detailed reveals. 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 within 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 just a few 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 all the time a phenomenal 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 completely different tulip fields.

Best Day Trips From Seattle Skagit Valley Tulip Festival  flowers

The valley is an hour and 10 minutes from Seattle metropolis heart by automobile. You can even 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 best choice.

7. Victoria, BC

Best Day Trips From Seattle Victoria BC

Victoria, BC, is positioned 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 happy with its early ancestry and never but able to shake off the outdated 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 the 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 sights in Victoria embody visiting the brightly-colored floating pier of retailers at Fisherman’s Wharf Pier, Hatley Castle, and Craigdarroch Castle. Don’t neglect 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 finest out of doors sights the town has to supply.

8. Mount St Helens

Best Day Trips From Seattle Mount St Helen

Mount St Helens is an energetic stratovolcano simply south of Seattle. Scary? Perhaps a little 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 probably the most 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 sort out the climb-only path to the summit. Non-climbers get the views, whereas climbers get the problem of summiting an energetic volcano.

Best Day Trips From Seattle Mount St Helen2

Mount St Helens could also be one of many longest day journeys from Seattle, taking 3.5 hours by automobile from Seattle’s metropolis heart. 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 in case you are a sophisticated climber and mountaineer. You’ll go by Olympia in your strategy to the volcano, which makes an important midway stopping level. You can all the time 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 in all probability 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 typically it may be nearly 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 along with your automobile throughout Puget Sound earlier than driving by the Olympic National Park if you wish to go the adventurous route. Otherwise, drive by Tacoma and over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, throughout the highest finish of the Olympic Peninsula – passing Port Angeles. The entire drive takes beneath 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 way over a metropolis squeezed onto the shoreline by the looming presence of Olympic National Park. The tiny metropolis is correct on the high of the Olympic Peninsula and, for many, merely a bolt-hole to discover the close by nationwide park and forest. Don’t be that individual, 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 automobile and will probably be crossing the Puget Sound by automobile ferry (which even sounds thrilling). If you will have a day or two to spare, you may 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 all the time pure magnificence and a mountaineering path to be discovered inside simple distance from Seattle. But this present day journey affords one thing barely completely different. Olympia is the state capitol of Washington, DC. This title signifies that the town, which is humbly positioned 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 discovered.

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 a complete day for the go to, particularly in case you attain the town by 1.5-hour prepare. Olympia is understandably fashionable 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 exquisite pure surroundings. The city has Northwest Railway Museum and its conventional prepare line. Plus, the beautiful Three Forks Natural Area. It is a good place to go to for just a few hours of wandering and enjoyable. North Bend can also be the one day journey on 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 immediately in North Bend – which positively beats navigating the Seattle metropolis heart in a rental automobile.

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 useless set in opposition to driving to go on a day journey from Seattle. We’ve added this present day journey as it’s a straightforward bus experience possibility for non-drivers visiting Seattle. Oh, and we’ll drop within the enjoyable undeniable fact that the city was additionally used as a set for Twin Peaks, a major 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 positively 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 within the area, visiting all of them in a day is unattainable. Pick your tasting expertise correctly. If you go for this present day 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 embody 4-6 wineries. Pace your self, as you’ll be attempting round 5 glasses of wine at every cease, and it’s hilariously simple to get too tipsy. Woodinville is just a 25-minute drive from Seattle metropolis heart, so most of your time will probably be spent within 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 measurement, however in character, it’s value a go to. The city is related to its previous and has a powerful sense of maritime neighborhood. Gig Harbor is simple and stuffed with candy native sights 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 provides you a shocking view of the city and water, and catching a Gig Harbor gondola is a should in order for you stunning views from the water. Even simply strolling by Gig Harbor is worth it; recognizing the homes with overwater verandas and attempting the recent 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 automobile 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 stunning waterfall, this time located alongside the Snoqualmie River inside strolling distance of its namesake city Snoqualmie. That’s numerous ‘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 fashionable as a sundown attraction, because the falls are superbly illuminated right now 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 may 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 counsel experiencing it on horseback or by bike if you wish to cowl some floor. You can lease bikes and set up 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 normally spot grasp gliders and paragliders having fun with the valley, and this path additionally provides you stunning views of Mount Rainier within the distance. Tiger Mountain State Forest is right for infinite hours on forest tracks.

The distance from Seattle is minimal, taking solely half-hour by automobile. You can add Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park to your day journey once you drive to Tiger Mountain State Forest. The park has tons of mountaineering trails and is positioned 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 enormous space of 1,380 acres. But its successful issue is its 265-foot waterfall, which you’ll stand up near on the Wallace Falls Middle Falls Overlook. The waterfall plunges dramatically in opposition to a thick backdrop of coniferous timber – visually actually hanging. The overlook is a 5-mile hike however value 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 stunning Wallace Lake. So you will have loads of mountaineering choices.

The Wallace Falls State Park distance from Seattle is an hour by automobile or 3 hours by a sketchy public transport mixture. For apparent causes, we’d counsel driving. If you will have time to remain at Wallace Falls State Park in a single day, do, because it affords campgrounds that make for an gratifying 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 just a few occasions. So what precisely does this powerhouse of Oregon provide to visiting vacationers? In brief, eco-friendly recreation, microbreweries, and extra coffeehouses than you may ever depend. 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 counsel catching the Amtrak Cascade. The prepare takes 3.5 hours however means you keep away from driving by the congested metropolis heart or worrying about having to park and experience in on public transport. Catch the primary prepare from Seattle to Portland so 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 exquisite addition to our day journeys from Seattle. We’d counsel 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 crammed with glacial water, its waters seem nearly cloudy in coloration.

And the brightness is an actual draw, too, making the lake probably the most 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 digital camera is critical.

In phrases of distance from Seattle, Diablo Lake is 2.5 hours by automobile and requires you to drive – it’s in the course 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 automobile. 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 seems like you’ll be able to museum-hop perpetually in Vancouver. Or you’ll be able to head simply outdoors the town to hikes and out of doors recreation sights like Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, which snakes by 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 fashionable – there are such a lot of issues to do. And for anybody desirous to sneak Canada into their US journey, it’s a sensible strategy to mix two international locations in a restricted time. Vancouver is so iconic that we simply needed to embody it amongst the perfect Seattle day journeys. How might 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 appearing because the boundary for the northern finish of the Puget Sound. The island is massive, enjoying residence to over 70,000 everlasting residents. It is beloved for its shoreline and small coastal communities. It is such a phenomenal instance of coastal dwelling that it has been utilized in movies corresponding to Free Willy 2, The War of the Roses, and Top Gun: Maverick. Whidbey Island has every little thing from seashores to lakes and farmland. You go to this kind of place since you wish 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, you should suppose virtually. You ought to positively 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 prepare and automobile, however each choices take round 1.5 hours. The prepare takes 1.5 hours whereas driving takes an hour. Its proximity to Seattle partly makes it a preferred getaway and day journey.

22. Bainbridge Island

Best Day Trips from Seattle Bainbridge Island

Remember Bainbridge Island from earlier? This time, we’ll give attention to 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 deliver a automobile (which we extremely suggest as a result of the island is a nightmare on foot or public transport), and ticket value varies based mostly on car measurement. When it involves out of doors recreation, once you arrive, you might be spoiled for alternative, and that extra cash to deliver a automobile will probably be vastly appreciated.

Best Day Trips from Seattle Bainbridge Island Coast

On a day journey from Seattle, you’ll be able to plan a little bit highway journey round Bainbridge Island to hop between its completely different sights. The Bainbridge Island distance by ferry is so brief that you simply barely expend any vitality on the ferry part. So, just a few hours of driving is completely nothing and a possible possibility. Bainbridge Island has the gorgeous Bloedel Reserve, a nature protect 150 acres in measurement. 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 little 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 fowl watching from a scenic lavender discipline. The ferry experience drops you in Friday Harbor, the place you’ll be able to museum hop and make the most of quite a few wildlife-themed excursions across the island.

In phrases of distance from Seattle, this present day 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 sort out 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 lots of sea birds. So don’t waste this ferry journey – pack binoculars and a digital camera with a great lens. You may have a great 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 finest guess in order for you a Banff-style expertise with out crossing the Canadian border. And as a really perfect mid-length journey North Cascades National Park is simply 2 hours away from Seattle by automobile.

It’s most spectacular when it has snow-capped peaks in full glory, however its vibrant blue and inexperienced alpine lakes are beautiful year-round. North Cascades has that alpine attract whereas being approach much less busy than a few of the different nationwide park decisions close to Seattle. Those within the know find it irresistible 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, primarily a photographer’s paradise. You have many trails to select from, and even simply driving by ensures stunning views. Allow a full day in North Cascades to embrace the expertise totally.

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 doubtless 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 go away you in any other case lower off from the skin world.

In a really 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 no less than 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 propose to go to (it’s nearly one million acres in measurement, bear in mind). However, to get to the primary customer heart is a 2.5-hour drive. We suggest renting a automobile for this journey. You can guide guided excursions, however they’re extortionate in value and really restricted in your itinerary. Instead, lease a automobile 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 energetic volcano with a glaciated peak – Mount Rainier itself. The mountain basks in each glory and a spotlight, with implausible 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 certainly extra of a winter day journey from Seattle. You can ski or snowmobile.

While you’ll be able to even take guided snowshoe walks in case you 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 wish 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 normal rule although, permit simply over 2 hours to achieve the park by automobile, with additional time in case of poor circumstances. If you guide a guided tour with transport from Seattle (you will have a automobile to entry the nationwide park), count on to be driving for just a few 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 just an hour’s drive or a 1.5-hour bus and ferry experience from Seattle, nevertheless it provides you a very completely 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 think about it the darkish horse of this information on the perfect day journeys from Seattle.

Fort Ward Park is about on Bainbridge Island, which we’ll 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 finest 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 toes of shoreline with a scenic footpath with out getting your toes moist.

Day Trips from Seattle: FAQs

Fun Day Trips From Seattle FAQ

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

What to go to outdoors of Seattle?

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

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 value visiting?

Bainbridge Island is famend for its nature and has the forested Bloedel Reserve to go to. It additionally has some cultural sights 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 lots of different main Oregon sights are 5 hours away from Seattle. You can even 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 let you know that. Now you already know the total extent of the town’s day journey potential for your self. If you fancy tradition, there may be Port Angeles, rainforest hikes, Olympic National Park, and snowboarding, Mount Rainier. Oh, and you’ll see humpback whales and typically even orcas from May to October. Seattle is someplace the place you should permit additional days simply to make use of the 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 ensure to differentiate your Fremont out of your West Seattle. You’ll additionally wish to pay shut consideration to your neighborhood of alternative and the way it impacts your distance to sure day journey sights.

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.

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