Washington: Wild Coast, Hiking Trails and Scenic Byways

Washington offers a wide variety of reasons to visit: hiking trails with views of wildflowers and glaciers, an extensive wild coast, scenic roads and historic coastal defense sites. To plan your trip, start by deciding whether nature experiences, a drive along a Scenic Byway or culture will be the main focus of your stay.

Hiking Trails, Glaciers and Coastline

Mount Rainier National Park offers more than 260 miles of maintained hiking trails. The trails provide views of wildflower meadows and a network of glaciers. The North Cascades National Park Service Complex is also shaped by glaciers, with more than 300 of them. While Mount Rainier brings together hiking trails and scenic views, the North Cascades complex offers another point of reference for planning nature experiences: its number of glaciers.

Olympic National Park covers nearly one million acres, and its wild coast stretches for more than 73 miles. There is an important difference in access: most of this coastline is accessible only on foot, while Rialto Beach and the beaches of Kalaloch can be reached by road. Since conditions can affect coastal access, check conditions before your visit. Wilderness Camping Permits are required year-round for all overnight hikes along the Olympic Wilderness Coast. If you are planning such a trip, factor this requirement into your plans early.

Scenic Byways and Road Routes

One specific access route in Olympic National Park climbs from Port Angeles to the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center. The winding, paved road is 17 miles long; conditions can change seasonally. So check current road conditions before driving. The road’s length, surface and route also provide practical guidance as you plan this drive.

The Whidbey Scenic Isle Way connects Deception Pass State Park in the north with the town of Clinton in the south. The route also offers opportunities for kayaking along the shoreline. This brings together a clear north-south orientation and an activity on the water. If you are interested in this route, you can take both the stated endpoints and kayaking along the shore into account when planning.

The White Pass Scenic Byway connects forested foothills near Interstate 5 with the open landscapes and vineyards of the Yakima Valley. Along the way, it passes through river valleys and forests before climbing to White Pass. In contrast to the Whidbey Scenic Isle Way, which includes a shoreline and opportunities for kayaking, this route focuses on the transitions between forests, river valleys, open landscapes and vineyards, as well as the climb to the pass.

Coastal Defense and Historic Sites

Washington’s historic sites also offer different reasons to visit. Fort Casey Historical State Park preserves an example of an early 20th-century U.S. Army defense project and provides access to the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail. Fort Columbia State Park is considered one of the best-preserved historic coastal defense sites in the United States; it also has miles of hiking trails through forested landscapes. At Fort Casey, the focus is on the connection between defense history and a named long-distance trail, while Fort Columbia brings together the historic coastal fortifications and trails through wooded terrain.

Your planned focus can be a helpful starting point when choosing a hotel: hikes, coastal access, a drive to a visitor center and visits to historic sites each raise different planning considerations.

Explore More Destinations

Explore more destinations: Stevens County, Pacific County, San Juan County, Mason County, Okanogan, Skamania, Cowlitz, Lewis, Castle Rock, Pierce, Benton, Whatcom, Walla Walla, Kittitas County, Thurston County, Grant County, Skagit County, Douglas County, Chelan County, Franklin County, Adams County, Grays Harbor County, Whitman County, Clallam County, Island County, Jefferson County, Lincoln County, Clark, Asotin, Kitsap, Spokane, Snohomish, Klickitat County, King, Yakima.

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