Discover Washington State’s National Parks

If you’ve grown weary of the urban rat race and yearn for stunning wide-open spaces, it’s time to grab your bags and head to Washington State. Scattered with incredible landscapes carved out by nature, the state takes the protection of its parks for future generations seriously. Home to three stupendous national parks that boast a volcano, wild roadless interiors, and part of the Cascade mountain range among their many attractions, Washington is also a heavy hitter when it comes to state and historical green spaces.

With so many options, it can be difficult to know where to start. Therefore, we’ve selected six of our favorite parks in Washington State to help you finalize your shortlist.

1. Mt Rainier National Park

One of the country’s most emblematic national parks, Mt. Rainier is anchored by a huge, glacier-encrusted stratovolcano that stands sentinel over the city of Seattle, which is 70 miles away. While commonly known as Mt. Rainier, it’s also called Tahoma by the area’s Indigenous Puyallup people.

US park pioneers recognized the area’s beauty and environmental significance early on; Rainier was the nation’s fourth national park when it was created in 1899 by President William McKinley. A strong historical element remains in the form of several old buildings, including the handsome Paradise Inn, the “parkitecture”-style Longmire buildings, and the Camp Muir Mountain Refuge, all constructed between 1916 and 1929 and designated National Historic Landmarks.

The park is famed for its glaciers (it features 25), subalpine flower meadows, and tracts of old-growth forest, with the dazzling 14,417 ft mountain at its core. Mt. Rainier ranks as the fifth-tallest peak in the Lower 48 and the highest by prominence.

Hiking is the primary way visitors experience Rainier. A well-marked web of trails offers options ranging from the mega-adventurous 93-mile Wonderland Trail, which completely circumnavigates the mountain, to the accessible 0.7-mile Trail of the Shadows loop, and the breathtaking 5.5-mile Skyline Trail that meanders through stunning flower meadows.

Camping and wildlife watching are also popular activities. At several drive-in campgrounds, you might encounter a variety of fauna, including black bears, elk, and mountain goats. The park is also a renowned mountaineering destination, with approximately 8,000 climbers attempting to ascend Rainier each year, roughly half of whom successfully summiting.

Visiting Mt Rainier National Park: A 2-hour drive from downtown Seattle, Rainier is easily accessible by car and has a basic network of roads, climbing to 6,400 ft at Sunrise, the highest point. Entry is $30 per vehicle, and visitors can stay overnight in one of four campgrounds (one being tent-only) and two historic lodges.

2. North Cascades National Park

Stunningly isolated, North Cascades National Park is one of the least-trafficked national parks outside of Alaska, with around 20,000 annual visitors. This low visitor count is great for those seeking solitude, adventure enthusiasts, and ardent naturalists.

Within this park’s borders, you’ll find the highest level of biodiversity in the United States. The park is divided into two regions by the Ross Lake National Recreation Area, a narrow strip bisected by Hwy 20, its summer-only access road.

The northern section is largely untouched, favored mostly by serious mountaineers and backcountry explorers. The lofty peaks here have evocative names such as Mt. Despair, Mt. Terror, Mt. Fury, and Damnation Peak. Many of these challenging mountains weren’t officially climbed until the 1930s.

The southern portion of the park, near the Lake Chelan Recreation Area, is somewhat more accessible. A popular 3.7-mile hike to Cascade Pass offers stunning views and serves as a gateway to the Pacific Crest Trail and Stehekin River Valley.

Visiting North Cascades National Park: Located 100 miles northeast of Seattle, the North Cascades trailheads are accessible via Hwy 20, which is closed in winter. This park is unique in that it’s free to enter, with camping options available at a number of campgrounds located along the highway.

3. Olympic National Park

Surrounded on three sides by water, Olympic National Park is a lush, forested area first designated in 1909 by pioneering US President Teddy Roosevelt, a leading figure in the early environmental movement.

The park is renowned for its expansive tracts of old-growth temperate rainforest, one of the wettest ecosystems in the USA. Giant spruce, hemlock, and fir trees draped with moss and ferns define the Hoh Rain Forest on the park’s west side, where visitors can stroll along interpretive trails and potentially spot the area’s emblematic Roosevelt elk.

While the park’s interior remains a roadless wilderness full of enchanting valleys and glaciated mountains, more accessible sights abound at its edges, including Sol Duc hot springs and the historic Lake Quinault Lodge.

The park also protects part of Washington’s wild Pacific shoreline, featuring 60 miles of storm-lashed beaches, rugged trails, and remnants of the region’s ancient Indigenous culture, including Ozette, a 2,000-year-old Mahak village unearthed during a Pacific storm in 1970.

Activity enthusiasts will find plenty of options, including skiing, beachcombing, rainforest exploration, wildlife spotting, and hiking. There are several short interpretive trails off Hwy 101, while a challenging multi-day excursion known as the Seattle Press Expedition hike allows for deeper exploration.

Visiting Olympic National Park: The park is easily reached by car from Seattle and by ferry from Victoria, Canada. A number of public buses operate along Hwy 101. Entry is $30 per vehicle or $15 per person, with 14 official campgrounds and four historic park lodges and resorts available.

4. Klondike National Historical Park

Klondike is a unique park that crosses state lines and an international boundary. History buffs can visit several sites in Skagway, Alaska, and another location in Dawson City, Canada. The main focus in Washington is an excellent free museum located in Seattle’s Pioneer Square, telling the story of a city that became a base camp for fortune-seekers during the Klondike Gold Rush.

5. Cape Disappointment State Park

Washington marks the endpoint of Lewis and Clark’s legendary journey across America. The premier site of this multi-state historical park is Cape Disappointment State Park, located at the mouth of the Columbia River. Here, visitors will find a lighthouse, a web of blustery trails, the ruins of an old fort, and an impressive interpretive museum that details the Corps of Discovery’s epic 1804–1806 expedition.

6. San Juan Island National Historical Park

Designated in 2013, San Juan Island National Historical Park highlights a notorious border dispute from 1859 when the British and Americans nearly went to war over a dead pig. This peculiar tale is presented at two separate sites on the island: English Camp and American Camp. Visitors can explore military quarters, earthen fortifications, a cemetery, and a newly established visitor center.

This guide was originally published on February 26, 2021, and has been updated for accuracy and relevance.