Washington State has so much to offer that it’s hard to fit it all into just one itinerary. This itinerary is mostly around hiking because Washington State is home to not just one but three National Parks.
Day 1
You’ll need to arrive to Seattle International Airport early in order to start this itinerary. I would recommend arriving no later than around 11am. From the airport, head towards Crystal Mountain resort near Mount Rainier National Park.
The resort is about a 2 hour drive outside of Seattle. Take the gondola up to the top of Crystal Mountain. The top of the mountain has one of the greatest panoramic views of the area. There is also a restaurant up at the top along with a gift shop.
Current ticket prices for adults is $25 during the week or $29 on the weekends and holidays. You can also access hiking trails from the top of the mountain.
After taking a gondola ride back down the mountain, drive to the Grove of the Patriarchs trail near Stevens Canyon Road. It’s an easy 1.5 mile loop trail with a small suspension bridge to cross. This trail is home to some very tall and very old trees including a few that are over 1,000 years old.
From there drive to Nisqually Lodge just outside the National Park gates. It is affordable and really convenient to the entrance of the park. There are not many options for restaurants in the area, but a short drive up to the Paradise Inn Restaurant at the top of Paradise Mountain is worth it.
Day 2
The next morning, drive back towards Paradise Mountain and make a stop by Reflection Lake to take some photos. There is a trail that takes you right to Reflection Lake but there’s also a stop off point by the highway that gets you close to the lake without needing to hike.
From there, continue driving up to the top of Paradise Mountain. You may want to get there early because the parking lot can get full. Paradise Mountain offers a lot of trails. There are many different lengths and difficulties for different fitness levels.
Visit the ranger station first for a map. The rangers can help you locate the trailheads for the trails you want to take. The Alta Vista to Myrtle Falls trail is more of an intermediate trail but it does offer one of the best photo spots of Mount Rainier. The Skyline Trail also offers an incredible view.
After a few hours of hiking, head out towards Olympic National Park. On your way, you can make a stop at Nisqually Falls. You’ll see plenty of parking and it’s a quick walk down a set of stairs to the falls.
You should arrive at Lake Quinault Lodge in the Olympic National Park just in time for dinner.
Day 3
You may need to make it a really early morning the next day in order to make it to Ruby Beach to view the tidepools. The best time to view the tidepools is at low tide. If you want to see the star fish and anemone, you’ll have to look at the current low tide times for your itinerary and make sure you’re there at that time.
Low tide for us happened to be at 6:45 am that morning so we headed out before 6 am so that we could make the 45 minute drive. You can access Ruby Beach after a short walk, but you will not want to walk down the trail barefoot.
Wait until you reach the beach to do that! After taking in all the tidepools, grab some breakfast at the Creekside Restaurant in Kalaloch.
Then drive another hour to the Hoh Rainforest. Take the Hall of Mosses trail which is a super short trail but very beautiful. Drive a little further to the Sol Duc area to take the Sol Duc Falls trail. It’s not a difficult hike but the trailhead can be hard to find.
From there, continue on to the Lake Crescent Lodge. Lake Crescent is a beautiful area and offers plenty of activities including boating and kayaking.
Day 4
Head out early in the morning to hike to Marymere Falls. There’s a fork in the trail and if you want more of a challenge, you can hike up Mount Storm King. The hike has quite an elevation gain but offers an amazing view of Lake Crescent. If you’re not up for the elevation, stick to the easy trail and continue to the waterfall and head back.
Next on the itinerary, drive up to the Hurricane Ridge area for some additional hiking opportunities. The Hurricane Hill trail is a very popular trail. It’s supposed to be a 3.2 mile trail out and back, however, I will honestly say that it felt much longer than that. It’s well worth the view though. Currently, it’s undergoing maintenance so make sure to check the park website to see if the trail is open.
Drive to Olympic Lodge which is very centrally located in Port Angeles about 18 miles from Hurricane Ridge. You’ll have plenty of restaurant options for dinner in that area.
Day 5
That next morning, leave a little early and drive east to Leavenworth, Washington. Make sure to stay at the Bavarian Lodge. There’s a lot to explore in the town. The Christmas shop is amazing! You can spend the afternoon going from shop to shop. The town is also full of German restaurants.
There are so many breweries and wineries in the area and each of them offer a tasting or a flight. Thank goodness the entire town is accessible by foot because you can go from a distillery to a brewery to a winery and then safely back to your hotel. Everyone in the town is so friendly too!
Day 6
After breakfast the next morning, walk around town a little bit more before leaving to drive down to Salish Lodge. If it’s in the budget, splurge for the “Romance Atop The Falls” package. It comes with a deluxe room with a fireplace, a jet tub and rain shower heads.
You can also book massage or other spa appointments which makes for a relaxing afternoon before changing for dinner. Have dinner in The Attic which has a beautiful view of the area.
Day 7
The next morning after a country breakfast (included in the package), take a walk to get a good view of the Snoqualmie Falls. You might actually recognize the view from the Twin Peaks TV series.
After checking out of the hotel, head back up to Seattle. It is only about an hour drive to Seattle. Park by the Public Market and walk around the area. Spend the afternoon walking and shopping. The first Starbucks can be found here but it is constantly busy. Lines were backed up all the way down the sidewalk. It’s worth a photo but it is not worth a wait for coffee.
There’s so many restaurants to choose from so you’ll have a lot of options in Seattle. After dinner, check into the Cedar Brook Lodge for the night. The next morning, after checking out of the hotel, you’ll head to the airport to go back home, hopefully much more relaxed after your vacation.
A few words of advice if you choose to follow this itinerary, there are very few restaurants between Kalaloch and the Lake Crescent area. There are also few gas stations so make sure you take care of both before you leave Kalaloch just to make sure.
Also, we traveled in September and there was a very unusual heat wave the first part of the week. But the weather can vary greatly in September and it’s also not unusual to have snow falling in September so make sure you plan accordingly.
In Seattle, just like in most major cities, pick-pocketing is prominent so don’t keep your valuables in a backpack on your back or in your back pocket.
Go have fun exploring!
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