Best of Cascades - Day trip ideas from Seattle
Snow-clad peaks of the Cascade Range in the Pacific North West is just one of the reasons to go on epic road trips. Seattle is a good base to start your journey to explore these majestic volcanic peaks and trails surrounding them.
1. Sunrise - Mt Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier stands as an icon in the Washington landscape and rises out of the Cascade Mountain Range 14,411 feet . An active volcano, Mount Rainier is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous U.S.A. Most roads are open from late May to early October, which allow for both stunning views and access to a wide range of hiking trails and other sites.
Sunrise, at 6400 feet, is the highest point to which you can drive in all of Mt. Rainier National Park – and all the Cascades, for that matter. It offers the park’s most panoramic views and is 1000 feet higher than Paradise. We recommend to take the Chinook highway to reach Sunrise area.
Sunrise and Paradise are the major attractions but they are located at different ends of the park. Acess to We recommend doing only one in a day as there so many beautiful hikes and trails, at one location itself
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Drive time: 2.30 hrs(one way)
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Entry : Paid
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Current Conditions Road Status:
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Location: Sunrise Visitor Center, Sunrise Park Rd, Ashford, WA 98304
2. Paradise Area- Mt Rainier National Park
Paradise area is the most visited section in Mt Rainer National park. At 5,400 feet, this area has glorious views of Mount Rainier and panoromic trails. If you want to do one trail, do the Panorama trail
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Drive time: 2.30 hrs(one way)
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Entry : Paid
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Current Conditions Road Status:
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Location: Henry M Jackson Visitor Center, Paradise Rd E, Ashford, WA 98304
3. Artist Point - Mt Baker Area
Artist Point, at the very end of the Mt. Baker Highway and features stunning views of Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan. Artist Point is the top competitor for best viewpoint in Washinngton state. The beautifully shaped Mount Shuksan is the star of the area, with a gorgeous summit pyramid and several impressive glaciers.The road opening is seasonal and make and always make sure to check the road status.
Read more about hikes in this area in our other blogs.
- Drive time: 3 hrs (one way)
- Entry : Paid, Free (National park pass, Northwest forest pass etc)
- Road Status: Check here at WSDOT
- Location: Artist Point, Deming, WA 98244
4. Diablo Lake - North Cascades National Park
Diablo Lake is the crown jewel of the North Cascades National Park.The lake is created by Diablo Dam, is located between Ross Lake and Gorge Lake on the Skagit River.Diablo Lake overlook provides the best view of the lake from the North Cascades Highway, and it’s really incredible.If you want to reach the lake, you need to hike the Diable lake trail(around 7 miles in and out)
The road is seasonal and always check the weather conditions before you head out.
Read more about hikes in this area in our blogs.
- Drive time: 2 hrs 30 mins(one way)
- Entry : Free
- Road Status: Check here at WSDOT
- Location: Diablo Lake Vista Point, N Cascades Hwy, Rockport, WA 98283
5. Washington pass overlook - North Cascades Highway
Washington overlook on Hwy 20, att 5476 feet, the view of Liberty Bell Mountain and other peaks is spectacular.The views from the overlook are easy to access from a parking lot, and ¼ mile of the path is paved and wheelchair accessible. You can combine this with the Diablo lake trip as they are on the same highway, around 30 mins further up. There are lot of beautiful hikes in the area. Check out our North Cascades Hike blog to find more.
Read more about hikes in this area in our blogs.
- Drive time: 3 hrs (one way)
- Entry : Free
- Road Status: Check here at WSDOT
- Location: Washington Pass, Washington 98862
6. Johnston Ridge observatory - Mt St. Helens
Mount St. Helens views from Johnston Ridge observatory, sittig on a bluff just 5.5 miles from the crater at an elevation of 4314 ft/1327 m, is nothing short of amazing. You can see all of the lava dome, crater, pumice plain and the landslide deposit reminding you of the last eruption.Observatory is located 53 miles east of the town of Castle Rock at the end of State Route 504.
Read more about hikes in this area in our blogs.
- Drive time: 3 hrs (one way)
- Road Status: Check here at WSDOT
- Location: Johnston Ridge Observatory, 24000 Spirit Lake Hwy, Toutle, WA 98649
- Click here for more Info
Travel Tips
- Spring & Summer season is the best time to explore Cascades.
- Most of the roads open only after May and closes in October.
- Hike a trail to explore the area
- Stay in one of the numerous campsites in the national park areas
About Us
Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world. We love travel and exploring new places and culture. We started this blog to share our travel journeys, experiences and planning information and of course some pictures of the destinations. We hope to provide some insight about the destinations visited by us and to inspire other people to travel more. We have full time jobs but we make sure we use every opportunity to get out and explore the wonderful creation around us.
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