The Pacific Northwest: Seattle, Mount Rainier + Olympic National Park
And we’re off! Finally touched down in The Evergreen State for a week of adventure. Whether you’re here to hike, explore the city, or see the ocean, I’ve got some recommendations you’ll definitely want to hit on your next trip out to the Pacific Northwest.
SEATTLE
PIKE’S PLACE
We started off the day at Pikes Place 6-level public market which is filled with tons of unique vendors, fish throwing, and their famous clam chowder soup. It’s truly impossible to hit everything all in one trip, but you sure can try! The different levels provide both amazing city and oceanic views that you don’t want to miss out seeing.
SEATTLE SPACE NEEDLE
The Space Needle was at the top of our list to hit while spending the day in the city and boy am I glad we did it! It’s $35/person (depending on the time of day/slot you select) which includes a trip to the top and 2 levels to explore. At the top, there’s also a small café to grab a beverage while enjoying the 360° views. Make sure you check out the surrounding area after you hit the Needle too because it’s filled with parks, the Seattle Center, and Seattle Armory (huge food hall).
DUKE’S
For lunch, Duke’s is a must! They have a wide selection and a variety of seafood, salad, and sandwiches. If you enjoy cod and clam chowder soup as much as we do, you HAVE TO get it. As an avid Wisconsin fish fry eater, this was hands down the best cod I’ve ever tasted. What’s also great about this spot is that it’s located right on the marina for exceptional views while enjoying your meal.
DISCOVERY PARK + WEST POINT LIGHTHOUSE
If you’re looking for a nice walk, Discovery Park has tons of ocean-side trails to walk your dog or explore with family. It’s incredibly peaceful and has beautiful views of Mount Rainier. If you can, check out West Point Lighthouse - I think it’s the best view of Mount Rainier in the park.
KERRY PARK FOR SUNSET
Don’t skip out on this attraction! It’s known for the best view of Seattle and you’ll understand why when you see it. We showed up about 30 minutes before sunset and it was already packed, so make sure to get there early. After we saw the sunset, we walked a couple blocks to Molly Moon’s ice cream and walked back to see the city all lit up in the dark. Both views are worth seeing!
MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK
After spending a day in Seattle, it was time to head over to our first hiking destination, Mount Rainier National Park. It was the most breathtaking place to hike. I was in awe the entire two days we were there. We stayed in Tacoma which was about 1 hour outside of the park. NOTE: We drove on average 3-4 hrs/day (roundtrip) to specific trails. It’s important to know that it’s a long day on top of the hike itself. We typically left everyday at 8am to arrive to hike around 10am then left around 3-4pm just in time for dinner.
SKYLINE TRAIL IN PARADISE
Trail: 5.6 miles roundtrip, loop
If you don’t hike often, this trail might be a tad difficult. The loop is a steady incline for the first half, then an up/down decline until the end. Lots of hikers think the ‘top’ is at Panorama Point, but if you keep going, the loop gives fantastic views of a mountain skyline as well as Mount Rainier.
MOUNT FREEMONT TRAIL
Trail: 5.5 miles roundtrip, out & back
If you’re frightened by heights however, this might not be the trail for you. For the last 1.3 miles in, the trail is narrow and covered with loose rock right on the edge of the cliff.
Besides that, this is the MOST stunning hike I’ve ever done. This trail hands down has the best 360° views along with a hut that you’re able to climb to get a better look. I joked to Mike the entire time we sat up there while eating lunch that if you looked up ‘holy crap’ in the dictionary, you’d see a picture of the view!
After this incredible hike, we said ‘goodbye for now!’ to Mount Rainier and headed towards our next hiking spot, Olympic National Park.
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK
Hello Olympic! Unlike Rainier, we drove around the entire park (doing the South portion first, then the North) so we stayed at two different airbnb’s while we were there. First in Forks, WA and then we spent our last night in Port Townsend, WA.
QUINAULT + HOH RAINFOREST
For our first hike - more like a short walk through the woods, we drove to South Quinault Rainforest and Hoh Rainforest. We did 3 short hikes total which were all loops:
Quinault (0.5 miles)
Hoh Rainforest
Hall of Mosses (0.8 miles)
Spring Nature Trail (1.2 miles)
NOTE: If you’re looking for more of a nature walk or something the entire family can participate in, then this is the spot for you! But if you’re out here with the intention to summit some mountains, this will be a walk in the park.
After completing all 3 hikes, we hit the road towards Rialto Beach for sunset.
Rialto Beach
The beach was located about 30 minutes outside of Forks, WA. It was SO beautiful and SO windy! If you go, please be more prepared than we were and bring a blanket or heavy jacket. The rock formations, ocean, + black sand blew our expectations out of the water, literally!
HURRICANE HILL TRAIL IN HURRICANE RIDGE
Trail: 3.2 miles roundtrip, out & back
Hurricane Hill, our last hike of the trip! This beautiful trail was entirely paved and is full of beautiful views right off the bat. It does get quite steep at times, so if you have poles, it wouldn’t hurt to use them! I was truly amazed at how many older folk were hiking this trail with no huffing and puffing.
We lucked out going in the beginning of September and got to see a bit of color already blooming from the trees. It was definitely a highlight for me! As for the hike itself, it was very different than the rest for the reason that when you reach the top, you’re able to see Canada. There was a map that told you what you were looking at in the distance - Victoria (capital), specific mountain peaks, etc. 10/10 recommend this hike as it’s also the most popular hike at Olympic National Park.
ACTIVITIES NEAR OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK
After a long week of hiking, we decided to hit a couple local places to eat + drink before heading back to Wisconsin. Whether you’re looking for something on the marina or on the main strip downtown, there’s a place for you! Some of our favorites include:
DRINKS
Peninsula Taproom - a TON of beer options from IPA’s to Sours, you name it, there’s a fridge full of it to choose from.
Port Townsend Vineyards
Eaglemount Wine & Cider
EATS
Fiesta Jalisco - absolutely delicious Mexican food.
Doc’s Marina Grill
The Fountain Cafe
If there’s anything you take away from this article, it’s that the Pacific Northwest should be your next vacation spot! From the mountain-top views to the amazing sunsets, Washington has something for everyone. Just make sure you don’t go during rainy season or you won’t see any peaks. Have a great trip!