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27 Best Day Trips from Seattle in 2023

27 Best Day Trips from Seattle in 2023


This Pacific Northwest metropolis is a dream for day-trippers; Seattle is ready subsequent to the Olympic Peninsula and located on Puget Sound. When visiting Seattle, you might be surrounded by water and rainforest. And whenever you enterprise out of the town limits, you’ve the Canadian border, many nationwide park decisions, and islands galore you possibly can entry by ferry. Day journeys from Seattle are adventurous by default. So outside journey lovers, put together for the intense temptation to go away Downtown Seattle.

Top Day Trips from Seattle

In this information, we’ve bought absolutely the creme de la creme of day journeys from Seattle. We’re speaking Olympic National Park classics like Hoh Rain Forest and ferry journey Seattle day journeys to locations just like the San Juan Islands. You can hop on a ship, seize climbing boots and climbing gear, e book an tour, or hire a automobile. These day journeys from Seattle are all price pushing your self.

Planning Your Trip To Seattle Right Now?

Below are a few of the prime day journey excursions from Seattle. Don’t neglect to plan forward when visiting Washington!

Top Day Trip Activities and Tours from Seattle:

Best Day Trips From Seattle Whatcom Falls Park
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This little metropolis park would possibly sound unassuming, nevertheless it is likely one of the greatest day journeys for waterfall climbing trails and ornate gardens. You stroll alongside tiny paved climbing trails by means of closely mossed forests – sometimes navigating stone bridges that seem like one thing from a fairytale.

The complete park is atmospheric, and you may’t go unsuitable for a serene climbing expertise. We added it to this information as a lesser-considered choice than the ‘major Seattle day trips’ like Mount Rainier. Whatcom Falls Park is a beautiful day journey from Seattle, involving a 1.5-hour drive or a 2.5-hour Greyhound journey. By automobile, it is a perfect distance from Seattle, and as a superb bonus, it’s free to enter.

On the best way, you possibly can incorporate stops at Samish Park, which has a delegated swimming space, and northern Seattle sights like Bad Dog Brewery and Stillaguamish Valley Pioneer Museum. Bellingham is an attractive coastal metropolis and has a lot extra to supply when you’ve visited Whatcom Falls Park. As a winter day journey detour, you would even go snowboarding on the close by Mount Baker. Whatcom Falls is simply a place to begin.

2. Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area

Best Day Trips From Seattle Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
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Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area is the place to go for a dramatic waterfall. Whatcom Falls is ideal for cutesy forest waterfalls, however Columbia River Gorge has a collection of colossal falls. The protect is ready round an 80-mile-long canyon as much as 4000 toes deep. The Columbia River crashes by means of the canyon, and you may select from numerous climbing trails to embrace the surroundings.

Visiting Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area is kind of an endeavor, almost 4 hours in distance from Seattle. But it’s positively undertakable you probably have a number of drivers to rotate between driving shifts. Besides, you possibly can even stopover in Portland en route.

For us, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area stood out for its mighty waterfalls, that are probably the most spectacular (force-wise) in the area. If you fancy some extra adventurous waterfall hikes, it’s the better of the day journeys from Seattle.

3. Point Defiance Park

Best Day Trips From Seattle Point Defiance Park
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Point Defiance Park is to not be skimmed over. This 760-acre monster of a park is ready in the close by metropolis of Tacoma and is the basic nod to an ‘urban oasis’ that many city-dwellers crave. Point Defiance Park juts into Puget Sound, with viewpoints sprinkled round its edge.

Vashon Viewpoint and Dalco Passage Viewpoint – these views all deserve a glance in, particularly if you happen to coincide your go to with dawn or sundown. Aside from the scenic strolls, Point Defiance Park has loads of main sights. While you possibly can enter the park totally free, you possibly can pay to go to sights like Fort Nisqually Living History Museum and the Point Defiance Aquarium.

Point Defiance Park is barely any distance from Seattle. You are speaking 45 minutes by automobile, and by public transport, about 2 hours. To be sincere, Point Defiance most caught our eye as a result of it includes bypassing Tacoma and getting a recent metropolis perspective. After just a few days in Seattle, shaking off one metropolis and refreshingly embracing one other for a day is sweet. This park is probably the most lovely place to take action, incorporating a little bit of inexperienced house.

4. Whale Watching

Best Day Trips From Seattle Whale Watching
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While we’re on the subject of marine life, it might be a criminal offense to go with out mentioning whale watching. Whale watching is likely one of the greatest day journeys from Seattle, and between May and October, you might be in for a deal with. Seattle’s surrounding waters have all the pieces from grey and humpback whales to the beloved orca. Book a whale-watching tour and take a look at your luck with sightings; Seattle is a whale hotspot.

Best Day Trips from Seattle Whale Watching Tour
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Your journey distance from Seattle will depend on your boat journey alternative. Many boats supply a half-day expertise, like this 4-hour afternoon zodiac cruise. It is essential to notice that what boat kind you select additionally massively impacts your day journey expertise. Zodiacs are a lot nearer to the water’s floor, so you will get a way more intimate expertise, however wrap up heat since you’ll be uncovered to all the weather.

Covered boats supply a extra comfy, heat expertise, however you might be a lot additional away from the whales. We’d suggest the zodiacs for optimum expertise, that are additionally deemed barely extra moral and fewer intrusive than the big boats, the place whales can injure themselves on big propellers.

5. Boeing Future of Flight

Best Day Trips From Seattle Boeing Future of Flight
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Boeing Future of Flight is certainly one of our shortest day journeys from Seattle. In truth, it is just a 30-minute distance from Seattle metropolis heart by automobile. Flight fanatics in search of a fast addition to your itinerary, that is it. The museum is a ridiculously informative immersion into the world of business jets. You wander by means of corridor after corridor of detailed displays. But, maybe most excitingly, additionally get up-close and private with jets-in-the-making on the business jet meeting plant. Boeing Future of Flight is the closest you will get to business aviation motion in the US – if not the world. For that cause, we simply had so as to add it to this information.

Time-wise, we’d permit just a few hours to get to the museum, go searching, seize a espresso, and return to Seattle. It actually is a bitesize day journey.

6. Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

Best Day Trips from Seattle Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
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Let’s preface this by saying that Skagit Valley is at all times an attractive day journey from Seattle. The valley is lower in half by 150 miles of river and has beautiful, sweeping inexperienced grasslands. However, it actually comes into its personal through the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival – which runs from March to May yearly. During the tulip pageant, there are seas (and we imply seas) of bobbing tulips in oranges, pinks, yellows, whites, and extra. The flowers are painstakingly organized in color-coordinated rows and are a surprising place to go to from Seattle. You can simply spend a number of hours strolling between the completely different tulip fields.

Best Day Trips From Seattle Skagit Valley Tulip Festival  flowers
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The valley is an hour and 10 minutes from Seattle metropolis heart by automobile. You may take a number of guided excursions to see the tulip shows, like this one on Viator. If you don’t drive, a guided tour is the best choice.

7. Victoria, BC

Best Day Trips From Seattle Victoria BC
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Victoria, BC, is positioned throughout the Canadian border and is a famously old-world vacation spot. Sat on the sleepy, grizzly bear and leaping salmon-filled Vancouver Island, Victoria is pleased with its early ancestry and never but able to shake off the outdated structure and even transport strategies like horse-drawn carriages. The British affect in Victoria can also be closely leaned into, with tearooms and double-decker buses all through the town. As a day journey, it’s nice enjoyable.

By land, Victoria is a substantial distance from Seattle. But by high-speed clipper ferry, the journey takes lower than 3 hours. Must-visit sights in Victoria embody visiting the brightly-colored floating pier of outlets at Fisherman’s Wharf Pier, Hatley Castle, and Craigdarroch Castle. Don’t neglect the Malahat SkyWalk both; this attraction is a 10-story tower that brings you to a 600-meter elevated walkway amidst Arbutus and Douglas Fir forests. It is likely one of the greatest outside sights the town has to supply.

8. Mount St Helens

Best Day Trips From Seattle Mount St Helen
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Mount St Helens is an lively stratovolcano simply south of Seattle. Scary? Perhaps a little bit. Its final explosion was in 1980, and this disaster marked the deadliest volcanic eruption ever in US historical past. And whereas it hasn’t erupted since, it’s nonetheless one of the adrenaline-junkie day journeys from Seattle. You can go to any of its surrounding viewpoints, together with Johnston Ridge Observatory and Windy Ridge Viewpoint. But solely superior climbers and mountaineers can sort out the climb-only path to the summit. Non-climbers get the views, whereas climbers get the problem of summiting an lively volcano.

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Mount St Helens could also be one of many longest day journeys from Seattle, taking 3.5 hours by automobile from Seattle’s metropolis heart. Don’t let that part you although, particularly you probably have drivers to rotate driving shifts between. Mount St Helens is a captivating and difficult place to your subsequent hang-out in case you are a sophisticated climber and mountaineer. You’ll go by means of Olympia in your strategy to the volcano, which makes an amazing midway stopping level. You can at all times cease for some political historical past and well-earned espresso after getting face-to-face with one of many US’ most feared volcanoes.

9. La Push Beaches

Best Day Trips From Seattle La Push Beaches
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Twilight followers will in all probability be acquainted with La Push Beach. It is that moody-aesthetic, angsty teen-style seaside with battered black sprinkled sand, crashing waves, and washed-up driftwood. The most spectacular factor about driftwood is that typically it may be nearly full tree trunks. Out of all of the day journeys from Seattle, La Push seashores actually have the ambiance all the way down to a tee. You can go to (creatively named) First Beach, Second Beach, Third Beach, or Rialto Beach.

Best Day Trips From Seattle La Push Beach2
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The distance from Seattle is fairly excessive; you’ll catch a ferry journey along with your automobile throughout Puget Sound earlier than driving by means of the Olympic National Park if you wish to go the adventurous route. Otherwise, drive by means of Tacoma and over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, throughout the highest finish of the Olympic Peninsula – passing Port Angeles. The complete drive takes below 4 hours, with an 8-hour return journey. Therefore, you’ll want a number of drivers or an in a single day keep and a few flexibility over the time period ‘day trip.’

10. Port Angeles

Best Day Trips from Seattle Port Angeles
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Port Angeles is way over a metropolis squeezed onto the shoreline by the looming presence of Olympic National Park. The tiny metropolis is correct on the prime of the Olympic Peninsula and, for many, merely a bolt-hole to discover the close by nationwide park and forest. Don’t be that particular person, although; Port Angeles is a day journey in its personal proper. The metropolis is an actual cultural hotspot – extremely celebratory of its heritage and humanities. You can go to the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center, Elwha Klallam Museum on the Carnegie, and the Port Angeles Underground & Heritage Tour.

Best Day Trips from Seattle Port Angeles Downtown
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Port Angeles is likely one of the most underrated day journeys from Seattle. The Port Angeles distance from Seattle is simply 2.5 hours; you’ll want a automobile and shall be crossing the Puget Sound by automobile ferry (which even sounds thrilling). If you’ve a day or two to spare, you would keep in a single day in Port Angeles and use it as a base to catch the ferry to Victoria the next day as a second-day journey. There’s a direct ferry line between the 2 that’s simply too tempting to not use you probably have the time.

11. Olympia

Best Day Trips From Seattle Olympia
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There’s at all times pure magnificence and a climbing path to be discovered inside simple distance from Seattle. But today journey affords one thing barely completely different. Olympia is the state capitol of Washington, DC. This title implies that the town, which is humbly positioned on the southern finish of Puget Sound, simply an hour’s drive from Seattle, homes an important buildings in Washington.

The Washington State Capitol Campus, Legislative Building, and a 1909-built Governor’s Mansion are in Olympia. Regarding political historical past and American tradition, Olympia affords way more in-depth perception than Seattle. So day journey all the way down to Olympia and get all of it found out.

It is free to enter the Washington State Capitol Building and Campus. You can simply spend an hour or two wandering round this political attraction. Then you possibly can see extra of the issues to do in Olympia. Definitely permit a complete day for the go to, particularly if you happen to attain the town by 1.5-hour practice. Olympia is understandably widespread for its political and American historical past. And if these are issues that float your boat, then Olympia has your title written throughout it.

12. North Bend

Best Day Trips From Seattle North Bend
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North Bend is a perfect day journey for railroad historical past and exquisite pure surroundings. The city has Northwest Railway Museum and its conventional practice line. Plus, the beautiful Three Forks Natural Area. It is a good place to go to for just a few hours of wandering and enjoyable. North Bend can also be the one day journey in this information that may be accomplished by a single, short-distance bus journey. You can catch the Trailhead Direct Mt. Si for 35 minutes and arrive instantly in North Bend – which positively beats navigating the Seattle metropolis heart in a rental automobile.

Best Day Trips From Seattle North Bend2 Mount Si
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North Bend is a cute allrounder, primarily suited to these with an curiosity in railway heritage or lifeless set in opposition to driving to go on a day journey from Seattle. We’ve added today journey as it’s a straightforward bus journey choice for non-drivers visiting Seattle. Oh, and we’ll drop in the enjoyable proven fact that the city was additionally used as a set for Twin Peaks, a major film; be ready to identify all of the acquainted backdrops.

13. Go Wine Tasting

Best Seattle Day Trips Wine Tasting
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Going wine tasting is a enjoyable day journey from Seattle – and you might be positively by no means wanting guided wine-tasting excursions from Seattle. Woodinville is likely one of the hotspots for wine-tasting day journeys from Seattle. Woodinville Wine Country is famed for its reds; cabernet sauvignon, syrah, and merlot are all on the tasting menus. And with over 130+ wineries in the area, visiting all of them in a day is unimaginable. Pick your tasting expertise properly. If you go for today journey, you might be in for an thrilling time.

Best day trips from Seattle Wine Tasting Tours
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Most wine-tasting excursions final roughly 7 hours and embody 4-6 wineries. Pace your self, as you’ll be attempting round 5 glasses of wine at every cease, and it’s hilariously simple to get too tipsy. Woodinville is just a 25-minute drive from Seattle metropolis heart, so most of your time shall be spent in the tasting experiences. It is simple to see why wine tasting is so prevalent in Seattle. Woodinville Wine Country is shut, well-run with a number of tour choices, and famend for tasty reds.

14. Gig Harbor

Best Day Trips from Seattle Gig Harbor
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Gig Harbor is a blink-and-you-miss-it city in measurement, however in character, it’s price a go to. The city is linked to its previous and has a powerful sense of maritime group. Gig Harbor is easy and filled with candy native sights for a healthful escape for a day. The Harbor History Museum is an absolute should, with an immersive historical past that features an 1893 schoolhouse and a 65-foot fishing vessel.

Climbing Finholm View provides you a surprising view of the city and water, and catching a Gig Harbor gondola is a should if you’d like lovely views from the water. Even simply strolling by means of Gig Harbor is worth it; recognizing the homes with overwater verandas and attempting the recent catch dishes is a deal with.

Best Day Trips from Seattle Gig Harbor Museum
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The Gig Harbor distance from Seattle is subsequent to nothing, taking simply 45 minutes by automobile or 2.5 hours by public transport. It is a well-liked day journey that additionally bypasses Tacoma – win, win.

15. Snoqualmie Falls

Best Day Trips From Seattle Snoqualmie Falls
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Snoqualmie Falls is one other lovely waterfall, this time located alongside the Snoqualmie River inside strolling distance of its namesake city Snoqualmie. That’s plenty of ‘Snoqualmies’. In extra sensible phrases, although, the waterfall is only a 30-minute drive from Seattle, making it one of many shortest Seattle day journeys. It is widespread as a sundown attraction, because the falls are fantastically illuminated presently with a pastel backdrop. Between the billowing waterfall spray and the sheer energy of the crashing water, it is likely one of the most impactful falls you possibly can go to inside a brief distance from Seattle.

For us, we love how shut this waterfall is. It is the kind of day journey you would nonetheless wrangle after a busy day in Downtown Seattle – zipping throughout to catch the sundown at Snoqualmie Falls is the right late-afternoon journey.

16. Tiger Mountain State Forest

Best Day Trips From Seattle Tiger Mountain State Forest
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Tiger Mountain State Forest spans 13,745 acres. And we’d recommend experiencing it on horseback or by bike if you wish to cowl some floor. You can hire bikes and arrange horseback path rides on-line beforehand. Otherwise, embrace the handfuls of climbing trails Tiger Mountain State Forest affords.

The most spectacular is Chirico Trail to Poo-Poo Point, which is 6.4km out and again and takes round 3 hours to finish. You can often spot grasp gliders and paragliders having fun with the valley, and this path additionally provides you lovely views of Mount Rainier in the gap. Tiger Mountain State Forest is right for limitless hours on forest tracks.

The distance from Seattle is minimal, taking solely half-hour by automobile. You can add Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park to your day journey whenever you drive to Tiger Mountain State Forest. The park has tons of climbing trails and is positioned midway alongside the precise driving route you’ll be utilizing.

17. Wallace Falls State Park

Best Day Trips From Seattle Wallace Falls State Park
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Wallace Falls State Park is jam-packed and filled with old-growth forests, spreading over an unlimited space of 1,380 acres. But its profitable issue is its 265-foot waterfall, which you’ll stand up near on the Wallace Falls Middle Falls Overlook. The waterfall plunges dramatically in opposition to a thick backdrop of coniferous timber – visually actually putting. The overlook is a 5-mile hike however price each sweaty step for the ultimate view.

Wallace Falls State Park is the right place to exhaust your self for probably the most untouched pure views. The park is someplace to go for an final waterfall hike. Of course, there are prolonged trails alongside the riverbank, too, together with the close by lovely Wallace Lake. So you’ve loads of climbing choices.

The Wallace Falls State Park distance from Seattle is an hour by automobile or 3 hours by a sketchy public transport mixture. For apparent causes, we’d recommend driving. If you’ve time to remain at Wallace Falls State Park in a single day, do, because it affords campgrounds that make for an gratifying in a single day base.

18. Portland

Best Day Trips From Seattle Portland
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When mentioning our different day journeys from Seattle, Portland has popped up just a few instances. So what precisely does this powerhouse of Oregon supply to visiting vacationers? In brief, eco-friendly recreation, microbreweries, and extra coffeehouses than you would ever depend. Portland is inherently fashionable, and Oregon’s largest metropolis is overdue a popularity makeover. Visiting Hoyt Arboretum, International Rose Test Gardens, and Witch’s Castle are all good outside issues to do in Portland to attach with nature. Then simply head to the microbreweries or seize a caffeine repair.

Top Day Trips From Seattle Portland Oregon
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You can drive to Portland in simply over 3 hours from Seattle. But we’d truly recommend catching the Amtrak Cascade. The practice takes 3.5 hours however means you keep away from driving by means of the congested metropolis heart or worrying about having to park and journey in on public transport. Catch the primary practice from Seattle to Portland in an effort to arrive at round 10 am, catching the 7 pm service again to Seattle. You’ll be again in Seattle by 11 pm and get a full day of 9 hours to sightsee Portland.

19. Diablo Lake

Best Day Trips From Seattle Diablo Lake
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Diablo Lake is a surprising alpine attraction and exquisite addition to our day journeys from Seattle. We’d recommend pinpointing the Diablo Lake Vista Point, aka the Diablo Lake Overlook, which has probably the most spectacular view of the electrical blue lake. Because Diablo Lake is full of glacial water, its waters seem nearly cloudy in colour.

And the brightness is an actual draw, too, making the lake one of the photogenic day journeys from Seattle. You can begin on the viewpoint after which embark on one of many many hikes across the lake’s perimeter; a digicam is critical.

In phrases of distance from Seattle, Diablo Lake is 2.5 hours by automobile and requires you to drive – it’s in the center of nowhere. It is sandwiched between the rest of Ross Lake National Recreation Area and North Cascades National Park. Be ready for a desolate wilderness expertise of pure magnificence.

20. Vancouver

Best Day Trips from Seattle Vancouver
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Vancouver is likely one of the most unimaginable day journeys from Seattle, and it’ll take little to persuade you to agree with us. You can zip over from Seattle to Vancouver in simply 2.5 hours by automobile. Vancouver is the darling of the Pacific Northwest coast of Canada. It has shut ties to its First Nations historical past, unmatched orca-watching alternatives, and a superb cultural scene. It truly seems like you possibly can museum-hop without end in Vancouver. Or you possibly can head simply exterior the town to hikes and outside recreation sights like Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, which snakes by means of the treetops of a 30-acre park.

Best Day Trips from Seattle Vancouver Capilano Suspension Bridge
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It doesn’t take a genius to see why Vancouver is so widespread – there are such a lot of issues to do. And for anybody desirous to sneak Canada into their US journey, it’s a good strategy to mix two international locations in a restricted time. Vancouver is so iconic that we simply needed to embody it amongst the very best Seattle day journeys. How may you miss it if you end up so shut?

21. Whidbey Island

Best Day Trips From Seattle Whidbey Island
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Whidbey Island is one other of the very best Seattle day journeys – famously appearing because the boundary for the northern finish of the Puget Sound. The island is massive, taking part in house to over 70,000 everlasting residents. It is beloved for its shoreline and small coastal communities. It is such an attractive instance of coastal dwelling that it has been used in movies reminiscent of Free Willy 2, The War of the Roses, and Top Gun: Maverick. Whidbey Island has all the pieces from seashores to lakes and farmland. You go to this kind of place since you need to discover farm-to-table eating places and have a healthful, off-the-grid weekend.

Deception Pass Bridge

Best Day Trips From Seattle Deception Pass Bridge
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With solely a day journey, although, it’s worthwhile to suppose virtually. You ought to positively drive Deception Pass Bridge, go to Deception Pass State Park, cease by arty Langley, get some historical past at Fort Casey, and, with youthful kids, go to Price Sculpture Forest for some family-tailored enjoyable.

Whidbey Island is a surprisingly brief distance from Seattle. The Whidbey Island distance varies by practice and automobile, however each choices take round 1.5 hours. The practice takes 1.5 hours whereas driving takes an hour. Its proximity to Seattle partly makes it a well-liked getaway and day journey.

22. Bainbridge Island

Best Day Trips from Seattle Bainbridge Island
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Remember Bainbridge Island from earlier? This time, we’ll deal with the entire island, not simply Fort Ward’s scuba diving alternatives. The island is reached by ferry from Seattle, taking solely an hour. You can carry a automobile (which we extremely suggest as a result of the island is a nightmare on foot or public transport), and ticket worth varies primarily based on car measurement. When it involves outside recreation, whenever you arrive, you might be spoiled for alternative, and that more money to carry a automobile shall be enormously appreciated.

Best Day Trips from Seattle Bainbridge Island Coast
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On a day journey from Seattle, you possibly can plan a little bit street journey round Bainbridge Island to hop between its completely different sights. The Bainbridge Island distance by ferry is so brief that you just barely burn up any power on the ferry part. So, just a few hours of driving is completely nothing and a possible choice. Bainbridge Island has the gorgeous Bloedel Reserve, a nature protect 150 acres in measurement. The reserve has manicured paths to go to the forests, ornate backyard, and reflection pool inside its limits. The island additionally has the Grand Forest West and Gazzam Lake reserves. While for tradition, there’s the Bainbridge Island Historical Museum and Museum of Art.

23. San Juan Island

Best Day Trips From Seattle San Juan Island
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San Juan Island is a little bit animal-watching hotspot simply off the coast of Seattle. You can meet its resident alpacas, take a kayaking tour to identify its common orca guests, or simply embrace hen watching from a scenic lavender subject. The ferry journey drops you in Friday Harbor, the place you possibly can museum hop and make the most of quite a few wildlife-themed excursions across the island.

In phrases of distance from Seattle, today journey is prolonged. While it’s best visited on a multi-day journey, probably the most formidable and rigid-scheduled of you possibly can sort out this as a day journey from Seattle. San Juan Island is reached by a 3-hour 45-minute ferry that departs from Seattle Harbor.

Treat this ferry journey as your first wildlife-watching expertise. You can see whales, orcas, dolphins, seals, and lots of sea birds. So don’t waste this ferry journey – pack binoculars and a digicam with a great lens. You may have a great few hours on the island earlier than catching a return ferry.

24. North Cascades National Park

Best Day Trips From Seattle North Cascades National Park
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Banff has everybody flashing coronary heart eyes however North Cascades National Park is your greatest guess if you’d like a Banff-style expertise with out crossing the Canadian border. And as a really perfect mid-length journey North Cascades National Park is simply 2 hours away from Seattle by automobile.

It’s most spectacular when it has snow-capped peaks in full glory, however its vibrant blue and inexperienced alpine lakes are beautiful year-round. North Cascades has that alpine attract whereas being manner much less busy than a few of the different nationwide park decisions close to Seattle. Those in the know adore it for its quieter trails and alpine surroundings – particularly these electric-colored lakes.

Best Day Trips From Seattle North Cascades National Park2
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North Cascades is an absolute given in a listing of the very best day journeys from Seattle. It has greater than 300 glaciers and dozens of mountains, primarily a photographer’s paradise. You have many trails to decide on from, and even simply driving by means of ensures lovely views. Allow a full day in North Cascades to embrace the expertise totally.

25. Olympic National Park

Best Day Trips from Seattle Olympic National Park
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Olympic National Park is an unimaginable addition to your Seattle expertise, and you might be doubtless already planning a visit or, on the very least, acquainted with it. Olympic National Park staggeringly covers a close to million acres. Predominantly, this encompasses old-growth rainforests, waterfalls, and some multi-day climbing trails that depart you in any other case lower off from the skin world.

In a really perfect world, you’d have greater than a day to go to the park, particularly with its proximity to Rialto Beach and the Twilight-famed black sand shoreline. There are simply so many issues to do in Olympic National Park. But in a day, you possibly can not less than cowl its highlights – Hoh Rain Forest and its Hall of Mosses Trail, Hurricane Ridge, and trail-lined shores of Lake Crescent.

Best Day Trips from Seattle Olympic National Park Views
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The Olympic National Park’s distance from Seattle varies relying on the place you intend to go to (it’s nearly one million acres in measurement, keep in mind). However, to get to the primary customer heart is a 2.5-hour drive. We suggest renting a automobile for this journey. You can e book guided excursions, however they’re extortionate in worth and really restricted in your itinerary. Instead, hire a automobile and get exploring independently.

26. Mount Rainier National Park

Best Day Trips From Seattle Mount Rainier National Park
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Mount Rainier National Park is clustered round an lively volcano with a glaciated peak – Mount Rainier itself. The mountain basks in each glory and a spotlight, with implausible climbing trails zig-zagging its slopes and surrounding space. And whereas it’s beautiful in spring with all of the mountain flowers, Mount Rainier National Park is unquestionably extra of a winter day journey from Seattle. You can ski or snowmobile.

While you possibly can even take guided snowshoe walks if you happen to fancy one thing with a bit extra of a sightseeing angle. If you go to Seattle in winter, Mount Rainier National Park is the place you need to be. It has a popularity for being a snow lover’s heaven.

Fun Day Trips From Seattle Mount Rainier National Park
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In phrases of distance from Seattle, the Mount Rainier National Park distance varies barely relying on the place you go to. As a common rule although, permit simply over 2 hours to succeed in the park by automobile, with further time in case of poor situations. If you e book a guided tour with transport from Seattle (you will have a automobile to entry the nationwide park), anticipate to be driving for just a few hours to permit for potential pick-ups and stop-offs.

27. Fort Ward Park

Regarding waterfront parks, Fort Ward Park isn’t one to overlook. The park is just an hour’s drive or a 1.5-hour bus and ferry journey from Seattle, nevertheless it provides you a very completely different impression of the area. But it’s most well-known for its underwater park for scuba divers. For anybody PADI certified, there are tons of corals and marine life to work together with. Hard to not love, proper? Fort Ward Park is a hidden gem for a lot of, so think about it the darkish horse of this information on the very best day journeys from Seattle.

Fort Ward Park is ready on Bainbridge Island, which we’ll cowl as a day journey attraction later. However, we wished to first spotlight Fort Ward Park as a standalone attraction – primarily on account of its large scuba diving potential. It is likely one of the greatest dive spots in miles round. And whereas a PADI is required to scuba dive at Fort Ward Park, you possibly can nonetheless benefit from the 4,300 toes of shoreline with a scenic footpath with out getting your toes moist.

Day Trips from Seattle: FAQs

Fun Day Trips From Seattle FAQ
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It is very easy to really feel impressed by these day journeys from Seattle; pure magnificence is a assure, which we love. Before you go, although, pay attention to these further snippets of information. These are our Seattle day journeys FAQs.

What to go to exterior of Seattle?

Definitely squeeze in some nationwide park visits when visiting Seattle. Olympic National Park and Mount Rainer National Park are the 2 massive ones. You must also make time to go whale watching as nicely.

What cities are one hour from Seattle?

Olympia, Bremerton, and Tacoma are all inside an hour of Seattle. With three hours, you possibly can attain cities like Portland and Vancouver.

Is Bainbridge Island price visiting?

Bainbridge Island is famend for its nature and has the forested Bloedel Reserve to go to. It additionally has some cultural sights just like the Bainbridge Island Museum. It is an effective allrounder in the case of day journeys from Seattle.

What is 5 hours away from Seattle?

Siuslaw National Forest and lots of different main Oregon sights are 5 hours away from Seattle. You may enterprise throughout the Canadian border and into the agricultural areas round Vancouver and Vancouver Island.

To Conclude

Best Seattle Day Trips San Juan Islands
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Day journeys from Seattle are thrilling – however you don’t want us to let you know that. Now the total extent of the town’s day journey potential for your self. If you fancy tradition, there’s Port Angeles, rainforest hikes, Olympic National Park, and snowboarding, Mount Rainier. Oh, and you may see humpback whales and typically even orcas from May to October. Seattle is someplace the place it’s worthwhile to permit further days simply to make use of the town as a base.

Wait, have you ever bought lodging already? If not, selecting a Seattle neighborhood is simply as essential as planning a Seattle day journey or two. Which neighborhood you select will massively influence your expertise, so be sure to tell apart your Fremont from your West Seattle. You’ll additionally need to pay shut consideration to your neighborhood of alternative and the way it impacts your distance to sure day journey sights.

Have a superb time visiting Seattle. Whether you go to Mount Rainier or Whatcom Falls, you’ll have a spectacular time embracing all its thrilling environment.

Plan Your Next Trip to Washington State With these Resources



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