Featuring lush green forests to volcanoes encrusted in frozen blue glaciers, Washington’s iconic National Parks can satisfy your desire to explore the outdoors. Whether you’re escaping for some quality family time with the kids, looking for new landscapes to photograph or heading out for a solo exploration of remote wilderness, the National Parks offer the perfect reprieve to rest your mind and rejuvenate your spirit. Check out our recommendation of four spots to visit during National Park Week, which runs from April 16-24th, and enjoy free admission to some of the most scenic spots in the region.

1. Olympic National Park and Forest

Wander along Ruby Beach and experience Olympic National Park's rugged coastline. Creative Commons Licensed by JD Hascup
Wander along Ruby Beach and experience Olympic National Park’s rugged coastline.

Boasting glaciated mountains, a wild, rugged coastline, mineral-rich hot springs and dense old growth rainforest, the coastal paradise of Olympic National Park is ripe with adventure opportunities. Arteries of winding trails through the park afford visitors unlimited options for hiking, backpacking, exploration and relaxation.

2. North Cascades National Park

Diablo Lake, nestled in the mountainous North Cascade National Park.
Diablo Lake, nestled in the mountainous North Cascade National Park.

Explore a landscape adorned with craggy mountains complete with over 300 winding glaciers with an adventure to North Cascades National Park. Located just three hours from Seattle, the North Cascades promise striking vistas of jagged peaks networked with turquoise alpine lakes and valleys densely blanketed with evergreen forest. With a unique ecosystem created from the fusion of arid eastern and moist western micro-climates, a trip to the North Cascades is a visit to the ecological heart of the Northwest.

3. Mount Rainier National Park

The glacier-carved Mt. Rainier stands tall above pristine old-growth forests.
The glacier-carved Mt. Rainier stands tall above pristine old-growth forests.

If soaring volcanoes, sweeping mountain views and glistening snowfields peak your interest, Mount Rainier National Park is not to be missed. The crux of the park, Washington’s highest and most iconic volcano, Mount Rainier soars 14,441 feet into the atmosphere, dwarfing visitors below who come to marvel at her stature and magnitude. The perfect place to snowshoe, picnic and enjoy an up close and personal look at one of North America’s most famous peaks.

4. Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area

Vibrant flowers carpet the Columbia River Gorge canyon.
Vibrant flowers carpet the Columbia River Gorge canyon.

Feast your eyes upon endless fields of amethyst lupine blossoms and mustard-hued balsam root. Over 800 species of wildflowers, 15 of which thrive nowhere else in the world, flower each spring, painting the Columbia River Gorge canyon with radiant color. Blooms last from late March until early May, making next week an optimal time to visit this unique oasis. Nestled between two parallel ridgelines rising over 4,000 feet, the Columbia River Gorge is the perfect destination if you seek wide open spaces and bright, bold color.

Whether your journey leads you into remote wilderness or to the base of one of our majestic volcanoes, a National Park adventure is sure to delight and inspire. If you need help narrowing down your options, or have more time to venture further away from the Puget Sound area, be sure to check out the National Park Service’s Find Your Park to choose the right park for you. Get outside this spring and explore the U.S. National Parks of the Pacific Northwest.

 

 

 

Photo Credits From Top: David Burch, JD Hascup, Jeff Few and Patt Sloan