Washington Road Trip

If you’re looking for the perfect week-long road trip through Washington, visiting Mount Rainier, Mount Baker-Snoqulamie National Forest, and North Cascades National Park, this itinerary is for you!

Cozy cabins, foggy pine forests, and crystal clear lakes reflecting snow capped peaks, await you on a trip to the PNW!

The Details:

• Days 1-2: Mount Rainier National Park
• Day 3: Seattle
• Day 4-5: Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

Travel Day

Owen and I were visiting Washington for the wedding of some very close friends! We decided to stay an extra week since at trip to the PNW has been on my bucket list for a very long time.

We flew into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in the evening, and stayed with our friend the first two nights. After the wedding, Owen and I had a whole 6 days of hiking to look forward to! That brings us to the first day of our trip.

Day 1: Mount Rainier National Park – Sunrise

• Tipsoo Lake
• Sunrise Visitor Center
• Fremont Tower Lookout
• Dalles Campground

We had about a two hour drive from our hotel near Snoqulamie, WA to Mt. Rainier (and if you’re coming from Seattle, it’s about 2 hours). We had a timed entry for the Sunrise area of Mt Rainier (from 7 to 9 am) which we didn’t end up using because we were tired out after the wedding! 

When we woke up at 6 am in our cozy hotel beds, nothing sounded nicer than more sleep and a leisurely free breakfast before heading out into the wilderness. This was a perfect lesson for me in going with the flow and changing plans on the go (Owen is gifted with a lot more flexibility than I am). Our first stop was Tipsoo Lake.

This area of the park does not require a timed entry pass. There is a large parking lot with restrooms and picnic tables at the Tipsoo Lake Comfort Station. We arrived at the comfort station at noon and had no trouble finding a parking spot, although it was pretty crowded. Take the path at the end of the parking lot to loop around the lake, where you can soak in a perfect view of Mt. Rainier on a clear day. 

You can also start the Naches Peak Loop Trail here, which starts through a beautiful meadow of wildflowers until meeting the Pacific Crest Trail. We hiked as far as the the bridge before turning around.

We continued on to our next stop, Sunrise Lookout. You’ll feel like you’re in the clouds here! At the end of the road is  Sunrise Visitor Center area, which has a snack shop, a ranger station, and a large gift shop. We picked up a trail map, checked the weather report in the visitors center, bought some small souvenirs and an ice cream sandwich before starting the hike up to the Fremont Tower Lookout.

The trail for Fremont Fire Lookout begins right behind the visitor center. We started a little before 5 pm and were back down at the parking lot at 8:15. We had our head lamps with us but decided not to wait at the top for sunset since it was very chilly and clouds rolled in soon after we arrived.

We drove about 40 min to the Dalles Campground to set up camp and eat dinner in the dark, for some well deserved rest.

Day 2: Mt Rainier National Park – Paradise

We woke up early, had a camp breakfast, and started our 1 hour drive to the Paradise area of Mt Rainier. The drive was beautiful, with glimpses of Mt Rainier peeking through the clouds! When you arrive, make sure to park in the Overnight/Long Term parking lot, since parking at the visitor center has a time limit of 2 hours.