If you fly into Seattle and rent a van, you essentially can’t go wrong. Washington is a gorgeous state and traveling in any direction from Seattle you’ll find yourself in lush green forests, next to crystal blue lakes, or staring up at ice capped volcanic peaks. The Cascade Mountain range is to the northeast of Seattle, to the south is Mount Rainier National Park, and to the west is Olympic National Park. Last year, my fiancée and I completed an epic Washington road trip and spent time in two national parks. On our Washington road trip, we flew into Seattle, rented a van, and we began by travelling west through the Olympic Peninsula. We camped along the way and enjoyed Olympic National Park and the coast of Washington. After that, we spent two days in Mount Rainier National Park and then made our way up to Ana Cortes to do whale watching in the San Juan Islands. The trip was nothing short of incredible. Here is our Washington road trip itinerary:
Seattle > Port Angeles > The Olympic Peninsula > Mount Rainier > Anacortes
1. Seattle
To start our Washington Road trip, we flew into Seattle. While in Seattle, we stayed at Warwick Seattle and had a great view of the water from our room plus we were within walking distance to everything downtown. Some of the downtown spots I recommend while in the city:
- Kerry Park for sunset
- Pier 62 at sunset
- Bathtub Gin & Co (speakeasy bar)
- Dinner at Il Bistro or The Pink Door
- Pike Place Market
- Mr. Darcy’s Bar
2. Port Angeles:
The second stop on our Washington road trip was Port Angeles. Port Angeles is about a 2 hour drive from Seattle. We camped at Port Angeles KOA. After packing up camp at the KOA, we stopped for coffee at The Coffee Box before heading to the gorgeous Lake Crescent to do some hiking.
Lake Crescent Hikes:
Marymere Falls
- 2 miles total
- Easy
- Starts at Lake Crescent
Mount Storm King
- Also starts at Lake Crescent
- 5.3 miles total
- 2,076 feet of elevation
- HARD but beautiful views at the end
3. The Olympic Peninsula
Rialto Beach:
After hiking at Lake Crescent and enjoying the water for a bit, we drove west on the 101 to Rialto Beach.
Where to stay near Rialto Beach:
Mora Campground
- We stayed at the most incredible campground just outside of Forks and down the road from Rialto Beach: Mora Campground. We slept in the rainforest and actually woke up to a bunny rabbit gnawing on some foliage outside our tent in the morning.
- Luckily, we reserved a first come first serve campsite at 5pm when the rangers open them up for grabs at the ranger station. Otherwise, you can book ahead of time at: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/247591
Camp on Rialto Beach:
- You can also camp on Rialto Beach with an Olympic NP Wilderness Permit that can be found here: https://www.recreation.gov/permits/4098362
- Make sure to bring a bear cannister for all food and pack everything in and out. Fires are not permitted on the beach. Quinault Ranger Station has bear cannisters for rent if you need one. Pay attention to the tides and know when and where high tide will be before going.
Hike on Rialto Beach
- Hike Hole-in-the-Wall from Rialto Beach Trail:
- 3.3 miles total
- One of the best parts of our Washington road trip
- Easy hike along the beach. Includes walking over some slippery rocks near the “hole in wall”
- This hike MUST be done at low tide. The tide covers a large portion of this hike at high tide
- Great opportunity to see sea life (sea urchins, small fish) in the shallow waters at low tide
- The hole in wall is gorgeous and the hike itself is lots of fun
- Be on the lookout for bald eagles perched in trees along the beach
Where to Eat in The Olympic Peninsula:
- Food options are limited in this area and I’d recommend making something at your campsite if possible, but if you need to get food out, grab something at BBG Blakeslees’s Bar and Grill. Great beer selection. Bar food. Small town vibes.
Hoh Rain Forest
We only spent a few hours at the Hoh Rain Forest and we chose to do a quick hike called the “Hoh Rain Forest Hall of Moss”. Just off the 101, travelling south you’ll take a left onto Upper Hoh Road which takes you along the Hoh River and into Olympic National Park. This is the only time while in the Olympic NP that we actually passed an official park entrance. Continue on this road until you reach the parking lot at the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center where you’ll find the trailhead. After the hike we parked the car along the Hoh River and sat for a while as the sun set.
Hoh Rain Forest Hall of Moss Hike:
- 1.1 miles total
- Easy walk through the rainforest
Kalaloch
Continuing our drive down the 101 and towards our next campsite, we decided to stop at a cute coastal town called Kalaloch. We grabbed a delicious lunch and glass of wine at Creekside Restaurant located within Kalaloch Lodge. We were drawn to the patio of this restaurant with views overlooking the ocean.
After lunch, we walked down onto the beach where we saw the “Tree of Life” a big iconic tree right along the beach.
Although we didn’t stay the night here, we made note of the Kalaloch Beach Campground for our next visit. These campgrounds are located right along the beach and are beautiful. The Kalaloch Lodge cabins also would be a great place to stay if you’re looking for a bit more luxury. These cabins are situated overlooking the ocean and I can’t imagine a better spot for whale watching and sunset.
4. Mount Rainier National Park
Wynoochee Lake and Coho Campground
After Kalaloch we continued on the 101 south until we reached Donkey Creek Road just south of Lake Quinault. We followed this road to Forest Service Road 2294 until we reached Wynoochee Lake where we checked into our next campground, Coho Lake Campground. The drive to the campground was FAR and bumpy on the forest service road. We had no service the entire time. This is a hidden gem in Mount Rainier National Park but you may want to skip it if you’re short on time and simply take the fastest route to the main entrance at Mount Rainer National Park.
Wynoochee Lake was gorgeous and I recommend Coho Campground if you’re really trying to “get away from it all” – but be aware that there is nothing nearby here.. no service, no food, no gas etc. If we did this trip again, I’d skip this campsite just because it’s so far out of the way of everything else. It is located within Olympic National Park and this can be deceiving when visiting the park because I assumed booking a campsite within the park would put us close to everything… not the case here. Olympic NP is SO spread out. Make sure to check where your campsite is and the driving distances to and from each area.
Tolmie Peak Hike
For our first day exploring Rainier National Park, we decided to hike the beautiful Tolmie Peak Trail which is known for its views of Mount Rainier.
- 5.6 miles total
- 1541 feet of elevation total
- Moderately difficult with some steep areas on the trail
- Heavily trafficked
- There is a fire lookout tower at the end with AMAZING views of Rainier
- Make sure its a clear day before you go. When its cloudy/overcast its possible you wont see Rainier
- The drive up to the trailhead is gravel and bumpy although 4X4 is not required – we saw plenty of small cars making it to top. Our car got very dusty
Camping Near Mount Rainier National Park Entrance:
Alder Lake Campground
We camped at Alder Lake Campground about 25 minutes from the Mount Rainier Park Entrance.
The campground was simple with bathrooms available and showers that could be used after inserting a few quarters.
The lake is gorgeous and boating permits can be obtained.
We chose this campsite because it was affordable and close to the entrance of Mount Rainier national park. I’d definitely stay here again when visiting rainier if a campsite inside the park was not available.
Book here: https://tacomapower.goingtocamp.com/home
Hike in “Paradise” at Mount Rainier
No Washington road trip is complete without checking out the Paradise area in Mount Rainier National Park. Located next to Paradise Inn, this area is the trailhead to summit Mount Rainier as well as the start of many other amazing hikes. The name “paradise” makes sense when you see it. Colorful wildflowers dot a lushly green landscape that is all overlooked by the striking icy peak of Mount Rainier. I don’t suggest leaving Mount Rainier before coming to this area. Arrive as early as possible because the parking area fills up and traffic gets bad in the afternoon.
Hikes at Paradise:
Myrtle Falls Viewpoint
- 1 mile total
- Easy
- Heavily trafficked
Panorama Point
- 4 miles total
- 1263 feet of elevation total
- Amazing View
- Moderate hike, heavily trafficked
5. Anacortes and the San Juan Islands
The last thing we did on our Washington road trip was make the long drive up to Anacortes Island where we did a 4-hour long orca whale watching tour with Island Adventures. There are many whale watching tour companies in and around Seattle. If you don’t want to drive as far as we did (hour and a half each way), I recommend finding a tour that takes off from the city.
I enjoyed this tour because the boat was very comfortable, there was a marine biologist onboard providing excellent information, there was food and drink available for purchase, and we saw several families of orcas while on board. The Salish Sea is gorgeous, and this tour takes you past the famous Deception Pass and by several of the San Juan Islands. Views of Mount Baker and the Cascades are amazing from the boat. We also saw sea lions and leopard seals on our tour.
After our time in Ana Cortes, we headed back towards Seattle where we caught a flight the next day, tired but satisfied from an incredible Washington road trip.
Washington is a breathtaking state with so much to do and see and an incredible variety of scenery. Whether its whale watching or hiking in Mount Rainier National Park, you are sure to have a magnificent time.
Hope this Washington Road Trip guide helps you plan an epic trip!
Cheers,
Alanna