The Ultimate 12 Day Itinerary for Washington’s National Parks

From lush rainforests, to moody beaches and towering mountains, Washington State has it all. Visiting Washington’s national parks is the perfect way to take in all the diverse natural beauty of the state. This itinerary for Washington’s national parks will take you to all three parks – North Cascades, Olympic, and Mt. Rainier – as well as San Juan Island.

A Few Notes on This Itinerary for Washington’s National Parks

To take full advantage of everything in this itinerary, you’ll want to take the trip during the summer. This is the best time for weather in the Pacific Northwest and guarantees that any seasonal destinations will be open. If you go during the off season, restaurants, hotels, and even sections of the national parks may be closed.

The entrances into the national parks, especially Olympic and Mt. Rainier, can have long waits. Get to the parks early (i.e., before 9am) or later in the afternoon to avoid the crowds. The national parks have live webcams, so you can see what the line looks like before you go.

Dining options are limited in certain towns, so stock a cooler with drinks and snacks in case you can’t find a place to eat.

This itinerary for Washington’s national parks includes a lot of hiking. Don’t forget to pack comfortable, waterproof hiking shoes. Additionally, you’ll want to have plenty of hiking clothes, a backpack, and a lightweight raincoat. All the towns in the itinerary are casual, so I typically wore my hiking clothes the entire day and didn’t worry about packing anything fancy.

If you need to shorten the itinerary, you could either skip Friday Harbor and go straight from Marblemount to Port Angeles, or cut your time at Mt. Rainier by a day.

Day 1 – Travel from Seattle to Marblemount

Travel Time: 1 hour and 50 minutes or 2 hours and 47 minutes, if stopping in Bellingham

Lodging: Buffalo Run Inn

Activities: Visit Bellingham (optional), visit Ladder Creek Falls and surrounding gardens

The first stop on your itinerary for Washington’s national parks is North Cascades. Start in Seattle and drive to Marblemount, one of the closest towns to North Cascades. The most direct route will take around 2 hours. However, if you have the time, take a short detour to Bellingham for lunch and to explore the town.

Once you’re settled into your hotel, check out Ladder Creek Falls and its surrounding gardens, located behind the Gorge Powerhouse in Newhalem. This 0.4-mile loop trail includes thundering waterfalls and manicured gardens.

Restaurant options in the area are limited, but I highly recommend Marblemount Diner.

Day 2 – North Cascades National Park

Travel Time: None

Lodging: Buffalo Run Inn

Activities: Hike Thunder Knob, drive Highway 20 with stops at overlooks or hike Pyramid Lake

Today is all about exploring North Cascades! Start the day by hiking Thunder Knob, which is a relatively easy 3.6-mile hike that provides excellent views of the turquoise-colored Diablo Lake.

Once you’ve completed the hike, drive along Highway 20, making sure to stop at the overlooks. Diablo Lake Overlook and Gorge Lake Overlook are 2 must-stops – I suggest packing a lunch to enjoy at one of these spots. If you’re looking for a more active afternoon, do the 2.1-mile Pyramid Lake trail to see forest scenery, ending at a mountain lake.

Day 3 – Travel from Marblemount to Friday Harbor

Travel Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes driving, plus 1 hour and 45 minutes on a ferry

Lodging: Friday Harbor House

Activities: Explore Friday Harbor

A lot of this day is spent traveling, but it’s definitely not boring! Drive from Marblemount to Anacortes, where you’ll catch a ferry to the town of Friday Harbor, located on San Juan Island. You’ll want to make reservations for the ferry in advance, especially if it’s a busy time of year. Once you’re on board, sit back and take in the scenery until you arrive at San Juan Island.

After you’ve arrived and settled into your hotel, spend the afternoon strolling through Friday Harbor, checking out a brewery or coffee shop, and grabbing dinner. My favorite food and drink options are San Juan Island Brewing, Cease & Desist Beerhouse, The Bait Shop, Spring Street Deli, and Matia Kitchen and Bar.

Day 4 – Friday Harbor

Travel Time: None

Lodging: Friday Harbor House

Activities: Kayak tour

The best way to see the San Juan Islands is from the water! Take a half day kayak tour to see the Island’s gorgeous coastline and abundant wildlife. Depending on the day, you can spot whales, sea lions, seals, otters, eagles, sea birds, and more. On a clear day, the Olympic Mountains and Vancouver Island, Canada are visible.

If you aren’t feeling active, go on a whale watching tour instead. You’ll still get the amazing views, but don’t have to work as hard for it.

Day 5 – Travel from Friday Harbor to Port Angeles

Travel Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes on the first ferry and 45 minutes on the second ferry, plus about 2 hours driving

Lodging: Red Lion

Activities: See the sunset from Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center

This is another travel-heavy day, but a little more than half of your travel time will be on a ferry. Like before, I recommend making ferry reservations in advance. Take the ferry from Friday Harbor to Anacortes, then drive to Coupeville, where you’ll catch another ferry to Port Townsend. From Port Townsend, it’s another short drive to Port Angeles.

Since you’ll be arriving in Port Angeles later in the day, there isn’t much time for hiking or other activities. Instead, check in at your hotel and spend the afternoon driving into Olympic National Park. Stop at all the overlooks and plan to be at the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center around sunset. The view of the sun dropping over the mountains is incredible!

Next Door Gastropub, Chestnut Cottage Restaurant, First Street Haven, Spruce, and Toga’s Soup House are my top restaurant choices in Port Angeles.

Day 6 – Olympic National Park (Hurricane Ridge)

Travel Time: None

Lodging: Red Lion

Activities: Hike Hurricane Hill and other trails near Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center

Make today a hiking-heavy day! Start with Hurricane Hill. This is one of the most popular hikes on the Hurricane Ridge side of Olympic National Park, so it’s nice to start early and beat the crowds. Spend the rest of the day doing hikes around the Visitor Center. Sunrise Viewpoint Nature Trail and Cirque Rim Nature Trail are both short, easy hikes. If you want something longer, take Hurricane Ridge Trail.

Day 7 – Travel from Port Angeles to Forks

Travel Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Lodging: Pacific Inn Motel

Activities: Hike the Hall of Mosses and Spruce Nature Trail or visit Ruby Beach and Third Beach

After seeing the Hurricane Ridge side of Olympic National Park, you’ll head to Forks, which will be home base for the Hoh Rainforest side of the park. The drive from Port Angeles to Forks is only a little over an hour, so take your time and stop at any interesting sights along the way. Lake Crescent is especially beautiful!

After arriving in Forks, you have a couple of options. Depending on what you’re feeling, head for either the Hoh Rainforest Entrance of Olympic National Park or to Ruby Beach and Second Beach.

Option 1: If you go to Hoh Rainforest, complete the Hall of Mosses and Spruce Nature Trails. Combined, these two trails are about 2 miles with very minimal elevation gain.

Option 2: Head down to Ruby Beach and then up to Second Beach. You can park basically right next to Ruby Beach, but there is a short hike to Second Beach with a steep climb down at the end. Keep in mind that these are Pacific Northwest beaches, so they are rocky and chilly, and you probably won’t want to get in the water.

Forks has limited dining options, which are basically all closed by 7-8pm. Sully’s Burgers is my favorite spot in Forks. The grocery store is open a little later if you miss the cutoff for restaurants.

Day 8 – Olympic National Park (Hoh Rainforest and Beaches)

Travel Time: None

Lodging: Pacific Inn Motel

Activities: Hike the Hoh River Trail and hike the Hall of Mosses and Spruce Nature Trail or visit Ruby Beach and Third Beach

What Forks lacks in restaurants it makes up for with coffee shops. Grab a coffee from either A Shot in the Dark, Mocha Motion, or NW Coffee Bros. before starting the day.

Get an early start and head straight to the Hoh Rainforest entrance – during peak times, the entrance gets very backed up and the wait to enter the park can be 2+ hours. Once you’ve parked, follow the Hoh River Trail as far as you want. The entire trail is 17.4 miles out, but I recommend taking it about 5 miles in to Five Mile Island and turning around there. If you went to the beaches yesterday, spend the afternoon hiking the Hall of Mosses and Spruce Nature Trails. If you already did these trails, head to the beaches.

Again, dining options are limited, but the Hard Rain Cafe is a great option.

Day 9 – Travel from Forks to Paradise

Travel Time: 5 hours

Lodging: Paradise Inn

Activities: Enjoy Paradise

Today is probably the longest travel day, so after you check in at the hotel, relax and enjoy the area. The Tatoosh Café in the Paradise Inn lobby has wine and beer, as well as some decent sandwiches, so I suggest grabbing dinner and a couple drinks and watching the sunset from the deck.

If you plan to eat at the Paradise Inn Dining Room during your stay, make reservations when checking in, so that you are guaranteed a table. Otherwise, you can eat at the Tatoosh Café at the Paradise Inn, the Camp Deli at Jackson Visitors Center, or the National Park Inn in Longmire. You can also leave the park for more variety/cheaper dining options, but it adds to the time you’ll spend in the car.

Day 10 – Mt. Rainier National Park

Travel Time: None

Lodging: Paradise Inn

Activities: Hike Skyline Trail and shorter trails near Paradise

If I had to choose, Mt. Rainier is probably my favorite stop on this itinerary for Washington’s national parks and today’s hike is no doubt my favorite within Mt. Rainier. Start at the Paradise Inn/Jackson Visitor Center and follow the Skyline Trail, making sure to stop and take in the view at Panorama Point. At Panorama Point, there are views of the Tatoosh Peaks, Mount Adams, Mount Saint Helens, and Mount Hood, as well as the most beautiful wildflowers. This is one of the most incredible views in the park and shouldn’t be missed. In all, this loop is 5.5 miles.

Grab lunch at the Tatoosh Café, then spend the rest of the day exploring the shorter trails near Paradise. Deadhorse Creek Trail, Waterfall Trail, Moraine Trail, and Alta Vista Trail are all easy with great views.

Day 11 – Mt. Rainier National Park

Travel Time: None

Lodging: Paradise Inn

Activities: Drive Paradise Valley Road and Stevens Canyon Road, hike Comet Falls

Spend the morning driving to the major stops along Paradise Valley Road and Stevens Canyon Road. I suggest starting near Longmire by hiking the short Trail of the Shadows, then continuing along Paradise Valley Road back in the direction of Paradise to Ricksecker Point, and Narada Falls. Feel free to skip stopping at Christine Falls for now – you’ll be back this afternoon. Then, turn onto Stevens Canyon Road to see Ruby Falls, Reflection Lake, Upper Sunbeam Falls, and Picture Frame Falls.

Grab lunch and then drive to the Comet Falls trailhead. Comet Falls is another of my favorite hikes in Mt. Rainier. It’s a 3.8-mile round trip trail that ends at the spectacular Comet Falls, one of the highest waterfalls in the park.

Day 12 – Travel from Paradise to Seattle

Travel Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes

Activities:

Drive from Paradise to Seattle. Either spend time in Seattle, fly home, or continue to your next destination.

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What destination are you most looking forward to visiting on this 12 day itinerary for Washington’s national parks?