The Ultimate Pacific Northwest National Parks Road Trip

Jump to Section

There is no way to see every awesome national park in one trip. But with this Pacific Northwest national parks road trip, you can visit a few of the amazing ones!

The Pacific Northwest is not only home to volcanos, rain forests, sea-lined coasts, and mountain ranges, but also to some of the nation’s best national parks! Some of the best national parks are in this area, so why not see them all!

Seeing every national park might not be possible. After all, you could be traveling for months trying, but there are some notable places that you won’t want to miss on a road trip along the Pacific Northwest. If you’re looking to hit all of the best national parks by road tripping across the Pacific Northwest, here are the ones you must hit along your road trip.

Olympic National Park

Located in Washington, Olympic National Parks is considered to be three parks in one. At the heart of this national park, you’ll find Mount Olympus, standing at 7,980 feet tall. This national park is home to glaciers and pine forests, with rivers and waterfalls around every turn.

Some of the can’t miss stops on your Olympic National Park trip include:

Hurricane ridge:

Fantastic panorama views!

Sol duc Falls:

The grandeur of this waterfall has to be seen to be believed.

Lake Crescent and Marymere falls:

A pristine lake and a very kid-friendly waterfall hike!

Hoh rainforest:

Walk through spooky forest dripping with moss.

the coast:

See the famous haystacks, climb on the driftwood, and go tidepooling!

Go at low tide to see phenomenal wildlife!

North Cascades National Park

After Olympic National Park, head east, and you’ll find yourself in the Cascades Mountain Range. Located in Northern Washington State, you can see famous vistas like Diablo Lake. There are loads of family friendly hikes in this area too!

Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier sits at 14,410 feet, and you can see Seattle off in the distance when it’s not entirely covered by clouds. This park is lush with alpine forests, waterfalls, and meadows full of flowers. If you’re looking to escape the crowds, head to the Carbon and White River entrances to escape the two million visitors who come every year to see this park.

Multnomah Falls

Head to the Columbia River Gorge for this next place! You’ll find Mount St. Helens in the area, and a beautiful waterfall is hidden along the Columbia River and surrounded by forest.

Crater Lake National Park

Did you know that Crater Lake is the only national park in Oregon? It lies in the southern part of the state, and Crater Lake is the center of this beautiful national park. This lake is some of the clearest you’ll find in any North American lake and is worth visiting to see this massive body of water.

Redwood National Park

This is the last national park on your journey. This park is most known for the towering trees that are as high as 350 feet making them some of the largest in the entire world! These Redwood trees are worth the trip alone, and there are plenty of walking paths that are incredibly family friendly.

By starting in Seattle, Washington, and ending in Portland, Oregon, you can see many of the best national parks sites! While there are so many nearby national parks, these are the ones that are worth stopping for a detour! You could even camp in each spot overnight to make this multiday road trip more exciting.

The Ultimate Pacific Northwest National Parks Road Trip

The Ultimate Pacific Northwest National Parks Road Trip