Best Road Trip Routes in Washington State

Washington's road trips leverage its extraordinary geographic variety — the Cascade volcanoes, the Olympic Peninsula rainforest, Puget Sound's islands, and the dry eastern plateau all within a day's drive of Seattle.

Cascade Loop Scenic Highway (440 miles)
Washington's designated scenic loop — from Everett north on US-2 over Stevens Pass (4,061 ft) through Leavenworth (a faux-Bavarian alpine village that somehow works), across the Cascades, north to Winthrop (a Wild West-themed town in the Methow Valley), west on WA-20 (the North Cascades Highway) past Ross Lake and Diablo Lake (impossibly turquoise water), and back to I-5 at Burlington. Allow 3–4 days. The North Cascades Highway section (WA-20) is one of the finest mountain drives in North America — closed in winter.

Olympic Peninsula Loop
From Seattle via ferry to Kingston (or drive around via Tacoma), the loop circles the entire Olympic Peninsula: Hurricane Ridge, the Hoh Rainforest, the coast at Rialto Beach (Ruby Beach's sea stacks are spectacular), Kalaloch, Lake Quinault, and the Hood Canal. About 4–5 days to do justice. The contrast between the rainforest (west) and the dry rainshadow zone (northeast, near Sequim) is remarkable within 50 miles.

San Juan Islands Ferry Loop
From Anacortes, the Washington State Ferry serves Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan islands — the most scenic ferry system in the lower 48. Orcas Island has Moran State Park and Mount Constitution (2,409 ft) with views of the entire archipelago, the BC coast, and Mount Baker. San Juan Island has Lime Kiln Point State Park (the best place in the lower 48 to see orcas from land). Multi-day stays on the islands make the ferry system worth the itinerary.

Mount Rainier Circle Drive
The full circumnavigation of Mount Rainier National Park via the Mowich Lake Road (north), Carbon River Road (northwest — unpaved), and the paved loop through Paradise and Sunrise. The Sunrise area (6,400 ft) gives the closest auto-accessible views of the summit and the Emmons Glacier.