washington national parks

Vibes

Washington State during July - September is a green, watery oasis. For a good portion of the year, the state receives a decent amount of rain, so by summer everything is just buzzing and vibrant! Everyone was incredibly chill and kind, and the national park system seemed dramatically less crowded than California National Parks. We’ll definitely be back. I’ve compiled a short list of some of the memorable places and spaces we went incase you ever want to plan your own trip through WA national parks. Enjoy!

Bend, Oregon

We were only in Bend for about 15 hours on our way up north to Washington. I immediately fell in love with the community though! Kind, outdoorsy humans, with great appreciation for good food and culture.

Accommodation:

Airbnb, Hip bedroom on the Westside

Activities:

Deschutes River Trail Bend | A nice short hike/walk around the river to stretch the legs before hitting the road again

Eats:

Wild Rose Thai Eats | I’ve had a lot of different Thai food in my life, but this was hands down one of the most unique and delicious thai restaurants I’ve tried to date. Highly recommend!
Bend Brewing Company | Stop by a Bend brewing company for happy hour before dinner. It’s a super cool vibe. Picnic tables and tons of people hanging out outside by the river.
The Sparrow Bakery | Cute little bakery that a number of my friends recommended. You HAVE TO get the Ocean Roll. It’s straight magic.
Northwest Crossing Saturday Farmers Market | Tons of local vendors, veggies, and ceramics. We loved poppin’ in to this after going to the Sparrow Bakery to get a feel of the local community!

Leavenworth, WA + Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

My aunt lives relatively close to Leavenworth, so we stayed and hung out in the area for 3 days. It was the perfect amount of time. Our Airbnb was close walking distance to the downtown area of Leavenworth; however, we were unable to really enjoy the

Accommodation:

Airbnb Bright and Cozy Retreat | We loved how convenient and close our BNB was to the central of Levenworth. It was exactly what we needed.

Activities:

Icicle Gorge Trail HIke (4 mi) | Short great little hike we did pre-dinner. It relatively flat but has diverse
Colchuck Lake Hike (8 miles) | Four miles up to an EPIC lake, and four miles back. Definitely worth it, but get your buns ready to burn! We did this at sunrise and was well worth it. We missed the crowds and got to enjoy the lake to ourself. There are a few backpacking camping sites, which would be absolutely awesome to have done too.
River Picnic | Pick up Sandwiches from Parsley’s Pantry and drive along the Wetachee River for a picnic!
Wine Tasting| Head to downtown Leavenworth and spend an afternoon tasting local wines from the region!

Eats:

Parsley’s Pantry | Amazing sandwiches which were perfect for our picnic!
Muchen Haus | A spot right in the center of Leavenworth for brats and brews
Blewett Brewing Company | We ordered vegan pizza, a salad, and a bottle of wine for takeout. Super delicious! f

North Cascades National Park, WA

We absolutely LOVED North Cascades National Park. It was just far enough from the greater seattle area that it felt a bit less crowded. The lakes in the area are absolutely breathtaking too! Wish we stayed here longer than we did.

Accommodation:

Colonial Creek Campground | A central campground right along Diablo Lake. Try and get a spot right along the river if you can.

Activities:

Diablo Lake Look Out | A beautiful pul out spot with sweeping views of Diablo Lake.
Maple Pass Trail (9.8 mi) | One of the highlights of our trip. If you’re down for a good long hike, this is a MUST. The 360 views at the top of the mountain are absolutely insane. There are tons of wildflowers, and you look down at this beautiful lake the entire time. Also, there weren’t too many hikers which was a pro during COVID.
HIdden Lake (7.8 mi) | We didn’t get to do this hike but also looked epic and had great reviews on All Trails.

Eats:

Manzama Store | Super cute grocery store that supports zero waste and local shopping; There are lots of natural/organic wines too! It’s a great stop before going into the national park

Mount Rainier National Park, WA

Mount Rainier was a BEAUTIFUL. We were pretty exhausted by the time we got here though, so kept it pretty mellow and enjoyed short hikes, golden hour shoots, and our BnB. There were also a lot of mosquitos out this time of year which was a bit of a turn off to be outdoors for long periods of time. Bring bug spray!

Accommodation:

Airbnb Hera’s Chalet Hot Tub and Sauna | Magical little cabin right outside of the National Park entrance. The hosts give you fire logs for the fire pit, smores materials, and even access to a dry sauna and hot tub.

Activities:

Sunrise Rim Trail Hike | We did a portion of this trail which also has really great views!
Bench and Snow Lake Trail HIke | Short trail to enjoy two little snow melt lakes. There were a lot of bugs when we went, but the trail was perfect for a break day from long hikes. Make sure you bring bug spray!
Reflection Lakes | Go to Reflection lakes at sunset to see incredible views of Mt Rainer and the reflection of the mountain in the lake
Skyline Trail Hike | We didn’t get to this hike but looked absolutely epic and had great reviews on All Trails

Olympic National Park, WA

Olympic felt out of this world. One second you’re on a mystical beach, the next moment you’re deep in a rainforest. The terrain is insane with lots of influence from native culture in the area. We barely scratched the surface of this park, but absolutely loved what we did see!

Accommodation:

Mora Campground | Forested campground right near Rialto Beach. We wanted to stay closer to the beach! A lot of moisture in the air so make sure you have your tent fly.

Activities:

Lake Crescent | Hike in and around Lake Crescent. If you don’t have time to tromp around, it’s part of the drive from Port Angeles to Mora. Enjoy the ride!
Rialto Beach | Watch the surfers, and hike all the way down to the rocks by climbing on the rocks and washed up trees on shore. Incredibly mystical vibes
Second and Third Beach | These two beaches were closed because of COVID, but heard they were awesome too!
Hoh River Trail Hike | Olympic NPS is famous for it’s rainforest. Go to the Hoh Rainforest area and tromp around the lush, green terrain. Totally different vibe than the coast!

Eats:

Topa Soup House Deli (Port Angeles) | Before entering the park, we stopped at this little deli house, which had amazing sandwiches! It’s a great stop before going off the grid!

Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, WA

Hands down our favorite spot. Incredibly serene, sweeping views of the ocean, and you can even spot orcas! We loved it so much on San Juan, we were dreaming of buying a little vacation home, hah! This is a definite MUST!

Transit

Washington State Ferry | We took the ferry from Port Angeles to Coopville, drove to Anacortes, and then took another ferry from Anacortes to Friday Harbor. There are other routes you can take depending on where you’re coming from in the state.

Accommodation

Airbnb Windance Cottage | Absolutely magical spot. A bit more pricey but if you’re willing to splurge, do it. The property is right on the water, so the views are SO worth it.

Activities

Young Hill Loop via Horse Trial Trailhead Hike (3.9 mi) | A great trial to see Young Hill and views out to Victoira. It’s a perfect length to do after work. Make sure you download All Trails before doing the hike though because the trail isn’t THAT well marked.
Mount Findlayson Trail Hike (3.8mi) |The MOST beautiful hike through forests and through fields and views of the ocean. Do it at golden hour, it’s magic
Lime Kiln Point State Park | Visit trails and lighthouse at dusk for stunning nautical views
Picnic on the Coast | Grab sandwiches and go sit on one of the pull outs on the coast out by Lime Kiln Point State Park
Pelindaba Lavender Farms

Eats

Cafe Demeter Bakery | Absolutely insane baked goods. Go for morning tea and brekkie
Crows Nest Coffee Shoppe | Our go-to matcha spot during the trip. We don’t drink coffee :)
Salty Fox | Another coffee shop that was recommended to us which looked super cute
Spring Street Deli | Great deli shop for a quick lunch or to buy deli meat for making sandos at home
San Juan Bistro | Farm to table cutie little restaurant. We ordered take out because of COVID, but the food was incredible, and vegetables locally sourced.
Mike’s Cafe and Wine Bar | All vegetarian food and wine bar. We had the beet salad and thai noodle bowl, both were FAB.
Duck Soup | We didn’t make it here, but it was recommended to us and looked SUPER cute.