The Ultimate 10-Day Washington Road Trip Guide

By The Backseat View

This is your road trip if you love WILD national parks, snow-capped mountains, waterfalls, rainforests, and breathtaking beaches. The ruggedness of Washington’s beauty can’t be captured in words or photos, reminding me of Alaska. Washington is one of my top 10 favorite states, and I think everyone should visit, especially during July when the Lavender Farms bloom. Our road trip begins with meeting a Troll in Seattle, then heads north to search for the “Twilight” vampires in Olympic National Park’s rainforest. The sea-stacked beaches on the coast are worth the trip alone.

After a few days, we will travel south to Portland for the best waterfalls in the country. Mount Rainier National Park’s alpine lakes and snow-capped mountains will close the vacation. You need 14 days to hit Washigton’s 3rd National Park, North Cascades National Park. Alright, let’s open the Washington Road Trip Guide.

Washington Road Trip

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” Henry Miller

Seattle

Seattle should be on everyone’s list for at least a day. Only 5 minutes from the Tacoma International Airport is Tukwila Family Center, which has mini-golf, an arcade, and go-karts. We enjoyed an hour of family fun before continuing to West Seattle.

Alki Beach

I LOVE a beach town, so I booked a house near Alki Beach for two nights in West Seattle. Y’all, I was not expecting to be enchanted with this town. The views of the snow-capped mountains in the distance surrounding the skyscrapers of Seattle over Puget Sound are incredible. With all the places I’ve been, it’s hard to find a more impressive view. The photos can’t capture the town.

We rented bikes to ride down the beachside boardwalk, and I saw Randie Stone’s Flower House. This is the perfect town to get lost exploring. The houses covered in flowers, the independent shopping paradise, and the restaurant’s aromas filling the streets made me wish for more time here.

Pike Place

Day two opens with our Seattle itinerary, providing a lesson in flexibility. You can’t visit Seattle without a Pike Place Market stop. Notice there’s no “s,” so don’t be a tourist and add one. The market is four city blocks and was established in 1907. While there are restaurants, eateries, specialty shops, and bazaar-type shopping, I’m here for the bakeries. We arrived at 8 a.m. to beat the crowds since the market opens 9- 10 a.m. Le Panier is a French Bakery with fresh macarons.

Pirosky Piroshky is a German Bakery with cinnamon braids. Three Girls Bakery is the oldest continually operating business in the market, established in 1912. I came for their famous Double OH Cookies with a peanut butter cup in the middle.

Flowers

I was unprepared for the most fragrant flowers in the world and the vibrant colors that filled the bouquets. These are the most beautiful flowers I’ve ever seen, filling stall after stall for flower farmers. Just leave me here on this aisle.

Pike Market has so much going on that it’s overstimulation in a positive way. You could visit every day for a week and find something new in the alleys. The Gum Wall is silly, but why not? I would stay near the market if I weren’t on a beach. The original Starbucks, established in 1971, is at Pike Place.

Gum Wall

After a couple of hours, we walked the mile to the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle’s top attraction. Chihuly’s is whimsical and unique and features art by the world’s most prominent glassblower. Tickets are timed entrance, $35, and they close for private events, which happened on our day.

The Seattle Space Needle is nearby, with sweeping city views and a glass floor. The Space Needle and Chihuly combo tickets are $70 each. It costs nearly $50 a person, and my guys voted for the zoo since we had extra time.

The options are endless, with over 40 museums in Seattle. Nearby, the Seattle Aquarium has average reviews, costs nearly $50/person, and did not make our itinerary. Olympic Sculpture Park is a pleasant stroll on our way back to the car.

Fremont Troll

Next on our list was the Fremont Troll under the Aurora Bridge, which was crazy free fun. Y’all know I’m NOT driving by without meeting the town Troll. We enjoyed walking around the cafes and shops in the Fremont area and wished I had put more time here.

Woodland Park Zoo

Next, we continued to The Woodland Park Zoo. This is a big zoo, and we enjoyed the giraffes, gorillas, and kangaroos. Then, we headed back for another afternoon exploring the town of Alki Beach. Alki Spud’s Fish & Chips is Seattle’s first fast-food restaurant. Unfortunately, the sun did set, so we must move on.

Sequim

The Purple Haze Lavender Farm

On Day 3, I debated taking the ferry across to decrease the drive, but we ended up driving the 2.5 hours to Sequim. The Lavender Farms in this area are in bloom in June and July. I was not prepared for the colors and beauty in this dreamy paradise. Our first stop was The Purple Haze Lavender Farm, and the pictures don’t do it justice. We had lavender ice cream and lavender lemonade while soaking in the peace. The Farm is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, with a $5 admission on some days. There are over 20 farms in the area, so we stopped at a few more, but this was the best.

Olympic Game Farm

After the flowers, we moved to the Olympic Game Farm, our day’s highlight. There’s nothing better than feeding Kodiak bears, elk, deer, zebra, and buffalo. This is a drive-thru while feeding the animals from your car experience.

It’s $25 a person with an extra $5 per loaf of bread. I bought five loaves, and we wished we had more bread. This massive bear waved to me to throw bread over the fence. Buddy, I’m throwing everyone ALL the bread. They would snatch it and eat it right up.

Then, more animals would come to the car, and you see how I ran out of bread. We laughed so much at these crazy animals licking our arms and trying to get into the car. It’s the perfect stop for a laugh.

Dungeness

Next, we visited Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge for an hour with a short hike to views over a beach. It’s one of the world’s longest sand spits, only $3 a family. There’s lots of driftwood on the beach, and you can hike five miles to the lighthouse.

Port Angeles

We stayed overnight at the Olympic Lodge, and I was happy with the hotel. It’s always tempting to stay in one place, but it’s over a two-hour drive to the Hoh Rainforest. Unfortunately, you can’t set a base in Port Angeles for the Olympic National Park. For days four, five, and six of this road trip, we are officially in Olympic National Park.

Olympic National Park

The Olympic National Park is massive, so plan your stops with a map. This is WHY WE CAME, Bucket List Check, with the Olympic National Park exceeding everything I dreamed it would be. The Olympic National Park covers one million acres and has a rainforest, mountains, beaches, lakes, and waterfalls.

Hurricane Ridge

On Day 4, we spent five hours in the ER with a sick child, so we omitted Hurricane Ridge from this trip. Hurricane Ridge is best in the late afternoon for stunning sunset views, so we planned it for late day three or early day four. The hikes on my list were Hurricane Hill and Sunrise Point. Hurricane Hill is a paved 3-mile trail with views over the area. It’s about an hour’s drive from Hurricane Ridge to Lake Crescent.

Lake Crescent

Finally, back on the road, our first stop was glacially created Lake Crescent for a bit of fishing. It’s a beautiful picnic, hike, or rest stop area. The lake is ICONIC and so large that it’s impossible to capture in a photo. There are two waterfalls nearby. I had planned two hours here, but we ended up staying longer.

• The Marymere Falls trail, at 1.8 miles roundtrip, was on our list for an easy family hike. Life happens, and no one hikes with a sick child.
• Madison Falls is a short 0.6-mile hike.
• After Lake Crescent is a 40-minute drive over to Forks.
• The historic Lake Crescent Lodge is an excellent option if you have an extra night to add to your itinerary.

Forks Lodging

We will spend the next two nights in a home in Forks, looking for the “Twilight” movie vampires and werewolves in the Olympic forest. The town of Forks was smaller than I expected, and there were limited lodging options. I wanted a room near Rialto Beach in the Quillayute River Resort, but they were already booked almost a year out. I had two full days here, but I prefer three with everything so spread out. Make sure to pack your lunch and snacks for the day.

“The clearest way into the universe is through a forest wilderness.” Muir

Hoh Rainforest

This is one of those places I love in the rain. The drizzling rain added a level of mystery to the captivating forest. Nothing can prepare you for the fairytale feeling that comes with the vibrant mosses covering ancient trees. We were up and moving before sunrise to stay ahead of the crowds. They limit park crowds, and I didn’t want to wait an hour for entrance by arriving at 10 am.

Hall of Moses

The rainforest is simply magical. There are ferns taller than me. The moss is a stunning green, and the trees are ancient. There are no words to describe the Hall of Moses. It’s a feeling of peace and respect. The Hall of Moses should be on everyone’s itinerary, and it’s an easy mile-round trip.

• Spruce Nature Trail is 1.2miles
• Ancient Groves is a half-mile loop trail.
• The Hoh Visitor Center mini-loop nature trail is the entrance to the other three trailheads.
• Hoh River Trail—Go as far as you want, then turn around on the 17-mile trail.

Sol Duc Falls

Sol Duc Falls is the most popular trail in the park, so arrive early. It was an easy 1.6-mile round trip. The Sol Duc Hot Springs Hotel has Mineral Hot Springs if you have time for a soak.

Let’s head an hour to the coast for unmatched ruggedness and beauty.

Rialto Beach

While all the beaches are incredible, Rialto was my favorite and worth the trip across the country. There are short hikes through the forest before arriving on the beaches in this area. The rock formations in the ocean are unbelievable. You have to see this beach at sunset for yourself. We found the hidden stairs and climbed the rock to get these epic views.

Sunset on Rialto Beach with seals in the surf was one of the best of my life, and I chase sunsets. The tidepools are fun to explore with sea stars, urchins, anemones, and crabs. Make sure to plan your beach visits around low tide with waterproof shoes. The famous “Hole in the Wall” is a two-mile hike north when the tides are out.

Rialto is 24 minutes from Forks. We made three trips to Rialto because the first trip was foggy, and I couldn’t see anything. Low tide trips to walk to “Hole in the Wall” are required, and then back again for sunset.

La Push Beaches

• 1^st Beach is a one-mile beach with sea stacks.
• 2nd Beach is the crown jewel of the rugged shore. A one-mile rainforest trail empties onto the beach with sea stacks. We had to climb over lots of tree debris to get on the beach, but we enjoyed the hike, miles of beach, and tide pools.
• 3rd beach, the trail is around three miles round trip, so we didn’t make it.

Ruby Beach

While Ruby Beach is a bit of a detour, it’s worth it. The sea stacks on Ruby Beach are impressively massive. This fog was here for the entire day, and this was as good as it got at 3 pm. The reddish granules in the sand give the beach its name. We hiked and explored the driftwood and tide pools. The water stays 40-60 degrees, so nobody swims on these beaches. It is an hour’s drive back to Forks or three hours to Seattle. If you are visiting Ruby and heading to the Hoh rainforest, remember there’s an hour’s wait to enter by 10 am.

I wished I had included another day, but day six arrived, and it was time to move down the coast to Portland. If you add more days, explore Ozette Lake, Cape Flattery, and Shi-Shi Beach.

Quinault Rainforest

• We spent a few hours exploring the Quinault Rainforest, fishing, and hiking.
• Lake Quinault Lodge is an excellent lodging option near the World’s largest spruce tree, which is 191 feet tall and over 1,000 years old.

We stopped at the Tree of Life at the Kaloch campground. The cave and hanging roots make for interesting photos on the beach during low tide.

We drove five hours to arrive at our house in Portland, with a view of the Columbia River Gorge.

Columbia River Gorge

On Day 7, we chased waterfalls and soaked in the views of the river gorge. While this area is stunning, with rolling hills, mountains, and waterfalls, my guys weren’t impressed. I would add Cannon Beach and Crater Lake in Oregon to this itinerary if I had extra days.

Chasing Waterfalls

• We started our day at the iconic Vista House. It’s the first stop on the Historic Columbia River Highway.
• Next, Latourell Falls for a two-mile round trip.

• Bridal Veil Falls was a 0.5-mile round trip and a quick stop.

• The guys refused the five-mile roundtrip walk to Wahkeena Falls.
• Multnomah Falls is world-famous and the best waterfall in Oregon. You can park and walk up or do a two-mile hike.
• You heard me say the guys are done, so I suggest traveling with people impressed by waterfalls to see them all.
• Horsetail and Ponytail Falls are easy and less than a mile round trip.
• Dry Creek Falls is a five-mile roundtrip that’s never crowded.
• Cross over to Washington’s side for more waterfall chasing.
• Spirit Falls is a mile round trip with a difficult rating and a no-children advisory.
• On an easy trail, Panther Creek Falls is a few steps (0.16).
• Lower Falls Creek Trail is the best Washington waterfall, with a 3.4-mile roundtrip moderate hike.
• There are probably four more falls, but that’s enough for me.
  

Ashford, WA

Next, we drove three hours to a house in Ashford, Washington, for Mt. Rainier. We found a cabin just a few miles from the park’s entrance.

Since we skipped half the waterfalls, we stopped at the Northwest Trek Wildlife Park outside Ashford in the late afternoon. We walked the paths to see the grizzlies and cougars. The park offers jeep tours, tram tours, and drive-through options.

Mt. Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier National Park is one of my favorite places on Earth. The park is shockingly gorgeous, from the wildflower meadows to the ancient forest, rivers, waterfalls, and snow-covered mountains. Mount Rainier stands at over 14,000 feet above sea level.

We spent days 8 and 9 exploring Mt. Rainier during a late July snowstorm. The snowstorm was the most fun and frightening part of this trip, changing all my plans. Y’all, this place is HUGE! You could spend an entire week exploring this national park. I wished I had a third day in the park. There are five different entrances to the park. At sunrise, we were in the park to beat the crowds with all our food and a map. Last year, over one million people visited the park, so it gets crowded.

We did not plan to hike and sled down the snowy mountain, but that is what happened. We focused on the park’s Sunrise and Paradise areas. Since there are many different ways to get to the park, I will list my park goals instead of an itinerary.

My Goals:

• Visit Paradise for the wildflower meadows.
• Narada Falls is 188 feet, and Christine Falls (skipped)

• Silver Falls is 95 feet.
• Reflection Lakes for the mountain views.
• We drove between Paradise and Sunrise and pulled off at all the overlooks to soak in the mountain views.
• Tipsoo Lake has wildflowers and views of Mount Rainier.
• Sunrise is the highest point in the park, with epic views.
• We enjoyed the history of the Longmire Museum.
• The Grove of the Patriarchs has ancient trees, over 300 feet tall and over 1,000 years old. It is a 1.5-mile easy roundtrip.

• We hiked to Snow Lake, which locals voted the best hike in the park. It’s 2.5 miles roundtrip with stunning alpine lake views and wildflower meadows.

There are a dozen more trails with different levels of difficulty. Arrive early and see as much of the park as possible.

Day 10. Heading an hour back to the airport and HOME

Packing

• Even in the summer, bring layers with the weather changing throughout the day.
• Waterproof layers for visiting the RAIN forest.
• I didn’t pack for SNOW on July 23rd, but it happened.
• Sweatshirts & jackets with the coast being cold
• Waterproof hiking shoes & a backpack
• My guys like wearing tennis shoes, so bring two pairs for drying time.
• Bathing suits for the hot tubs
• Buy the National Park Pass, America the Beautiful
• Headlamps for hiking a mile back to the car in the dark after beach sunsets.
• Sunscreen and bug spray
• Download maps since the National Parks have spotty cell service.
• Lunches and snacks
• I kept gallons of water to refill our bottles in the car.
• Collapsible fishing rods

Thank you for reading the Ultimate 10-Day Washington Road Trip Guide. I’ve included links to other family road trips and an itinerary breakdown. I’m a mom trying to keep boys alive on vacation, so my photos were taken with my phone.

Itinerary Recap

Day 1 – Pick up the rental car in Seattle at the Tacoma International Airport.

• Tukwila Family Fun Center
• Lodging: arrive at Alki Beach house &rent bikes

Day 2– Explore Seattle

• Pike Place, Gum Wall, Ferris Wheel
• Chihuly Garden & Space Needle-reserve tickets
• Visit the Troll under Aurora bridge – N 36 street
• Woodland Park Zoo- reserve tickets online

Day 3 -Port Angeles -overnight in Olympic Lodge

• Purple Haze Lavender Farm
• Olympic Game Farm
• Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge
• HURRICANE Ridge – Cirque Rim 1mile trail

Day 4- Arrive at FORKS house

• Lake Cresent-fishing
• Marymere Falls- 2 miles total
• Sol Duc falls 0.8miles
• Hike Ancient Groves – 0.6miles
• Hall of Moses– 1 mile
• Spruce1.2m Nature Trail
• Sunset at Rialto Beach

Day 5-FORKS

• Complete day four hikes
• Rialto-LOW TIDE 1.5 miles north to “Hole in the Wall”- cross through the hole to take pictures & visit tide pools- hidden stairs for higher views
• 2^nd beach- wear waterproof shoes and go at low tide for tide pools
• RUBY BEACH
• 1^st & 3^rd Beach with extra time

Day 6– 4 hours to Portland

• Allot 2 hours for Quinault Rainforest
• The Tree of Life at Kaloch campground- LOW tide only
• Fish in Lake Quinault
• See the Largest Sitka Spruce
• Drive Quinault Loop Road- 2hours
• International Rose Garden- skip

Day 7– Columbia River Valley

• 4 hours driving to Mt. Ranier
• Vista House for views
• Latourell Falls & Bridal Veil Falls
• Wahkeena Falls (bathrooms/ 5miles)
• Multnomah Falls
• Horsetail Falls
• Bonneville Dam locks and the Hatchery can be crossed over on the Bridge of Gods or the Hood River Bridge.
• Mt. St. Helens is a 2hrs detour
• Northwest Trek Wildlife Park -reserve online tickets

Day 8- Mt. Rainier cabin

• Grove of Patriarchs- easy 1mile- redwoods & river
• Mt.Rainier-Skyline trail –clear weather for views- 5miles so bring water
• Panama Point & Glacier Vista for best views (skipped)

Day 9– Mt.Rainier -Snow Lake 2.5miles with fishing

• Narada Falls 0.2miles
• Reflection Lake
• Sunrise is the highest point- Nature Trail 1.5mile behind the Sunrise Day Lodge
• Comet Falls- 380ft- 4.3miles (skipped)
• Tipsoo Lake & Naches Peak- NP sign doubles as a bridge
• Crystal Mountain Resort- Gondola ride with views of Rainier (didn’t make it)
• Wolf Haven International is an hour west, but there is not enough time.

Day 10- Fly Home

14 Day options:

• The top choice is to add three days for North Cascades National Park.
• Easily add an extra day in Olympic National Park and Mt. Rainier.
• Cannon Beach and Crater Lake in Oregon are excellent options.
• If I needed to cut a day from this trip, it would be the Oregon waterfalls.

Lodging Recap

• National Park Lodging is hard, and we went with VRBO houses.
• Seattle- 2nights- Alki in West Seattle or near Pike Place Market
• Port Angeles- 1 night-Olympic Lodge
• Forks- 2 nights- Quillayute River Resort, VRBO, Lake Quinault Lodge. A Quillayute River INN pulls up before the RESORT, but it’s NOT in Forks.
• Hood River, Oregon- 1-night- VRBO- or the Hampton Inn & Suites Hood River
• Ashford, WA- 3 nights in a cabin

Restaurants

We didn’t eat anywhere that was amazing or worth writing about. We tried nice restaurants, but the guys missed their sweet tea and Southern cooking.

Thanks again for reading the Ultimate 10-Day Washington Road Trip Guide. You have to see Washington for yourself, so book that trip!