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
-
Drive time: 2.30 hrs(one way)
-
Entry : Paid
-
Current Conditions Road Status:
-
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
-
Drive time: 2.30 hrs(one way)
-
Entry : Paid
-
Current Conditions Road Status:
-
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 ΒΌ 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.
Know MoreYou might also be interested in:
Suzzallo Library is the central library and a landmark in the University of Washington, Seattle. Architecture style of the main library complex is an example of the Collegiate Gothic style architecture.
read more
Wengen is a small Swiss tourist and farming village that isn’t just near the mountain but it is in them, well up and on the very side of one of the Alps. Just look at these pictures and you will already be in awe, we were lucky to have a clear day after continuous rain for couple of days, when the majestic Alps (Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau) opened up to views surrounding Wengen.
read more
Yosemite National Park is the 3rd national park in USA with amazing granite cliffs, waterfalls, giant sequoia groves, glaciers, mountains and lakes. **Yosemite National Park ** is located in Sierra Nevada, California, a mountain range that stretches over 400 miles.
read more
During a -3 ft low tide at Brackett’s Landing in Edmonds, we spotted more sea life than we expected. Here is a quick visual guide to what we found and how to identify each one on your own trip.
read more
Universal Studios Singapore offers rides that includes nerve wracking to family friendly roller coaster and is a place loaded with fantastic shows to watch out for. We will share our take on the best Universal Studios Singapore rides and attractions, and this is a place to spend a day on your Singapore Visit, in case you have not been to one of the Universal Studios yet.
read more
Apart from the amazing panoramic views, seafood and world famous Starbucks coffee,Seattle is also home to fantastic collection of museums and few might fit your interest. Below are our top picks from the area.
read more
Amsterdam lookout is a fun place to visit. You will see a lot of blogs discussing whether it is worth visiting it or not ,but if you are a tourist, we would suggest to visit. It gives you a view of Amsterdam from a different perspective.
read more
Brussels(capital of Belgium) is a fascinating place with stunning architecture and fascinating history. It is just two hours away from Amsterdam or Paris, via high speed trains and is a good stopover city or a weekend city to explore.
read more