Washington Cascade Mountains and Valleys
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Washington Cascade Mountains and Valleys - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Bellevue Botanical Garden
Beautifully designed and lovingly tended, this 53-acre garden is one of the most beautiful in the state. Laced with peaceful paths through coniferous woodlands, open meadows, Japanese-style plantings, rock and wildflower gardens, and more, the property is anchored by a contemporary, glass-walled visitor center and gift shop. As you might expect in a tech-driven city, the garden offers a number of plantings and features with signs with QR codes that let you use your smartphone to learn more about what you're seeing. The garden adjoins Wilburton Hill Park, which offers another 105 acres of trails, ball fields, playgrounds, and picnic areas.
12001 Main St., Bellevue, Washington, 98005, USA425-452–2750Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
2. Bill Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
More than 250 different bird species along with a slew of reptiles, mammals, and amphibians thrive amid the marshes and grasslands of this 4,529-acre refuge—the largest estuary restoration in the Pacific Northwest—situated on the delta formed by the Nisqually River's confluence with Puget Sound. Just 8 miles east of downtown Olympia, the tranquil space feels a world away from civilization and is laced with 4 miles of trails, some of them along boardwalks. Naturalists lead guided walks and give lectures on weekends from April through September, and a visitor center contains exhibits and a nature store.
100 Brown Farm Rd., Olympia, Washington, 98327, USA360-753–9467Sight Details
Rate Includes: $3, Visitor center closed Sat.–Tues. -
3. Chuckanut Drive
Highway 11, also known as Chuckanut Drive, was once the only highway accessing Bellingham from the south. The drive begins in Fairhaven, reaches the flat farmlands of the Samish Valley near the village of Bow, and joins up with Interstate 5 at Burlington, in Skagit County. The full loop can be made in a couple of hours, but the many notable eateries along the route, especially around Bow—home to the Bow-Edison Food Trail—may tempt you to linger. For a dozen miles this 23-mile road winds along the cliffs above beautiful Chuckanut and Samish bays. It twists its way past the sandstone face of Chuckanut Mountain and crosses creeks with waterfalls; look for lively oyster bars here,too. Turnouts are framed by madrona trees and pines and offer views of the San Juan Islands. Bald eagles cruise along the cliffs or hang out on top of tall firs. Drive carefully: the cliffs are so steep in places that closures resulting from rock slides occasionally occur in winter.
Bellingham, Washington, USA -
4. DeLille Cellars
One of Washington's most vaunted producers of Bordeaux-style wines also occupies one of the most impressive tasting rooms in Woodinville, a handsome and spacious facility set inside the town's former Redhook Brewery building. There's a lovely outdoor patio and a lounge with a full dining menu, and the tasting room is also next door to the Willows Lodge and its renowned Herbfarm restaurant. If you're stopping by just to sample vino in the tasting room, you can order lighter snacks—cheese and charcuterie plates, truffle popcorn—to nosh while you sip.
14300 N.E. 145th St., Woodinville, Washington, 98072, USA425-489–0544Sight Details
Rate Includes: Tastings from $25 -
5. Fairhaven
Just 3 miles south of downtown Bellingham and at the beginning of Chuckanut Drive (Highway 11), this bustling historic district was an independent city until 1903 and still retains its distinct identity as an intellectual and artistic center. The beautifully restored 1890s redbrick buildings of the Old Fairhaven District, especially on Harris Avenue between 10th and 12th streets, house restaurants, galleries, and stylish boutiques. The action is centered on Fairhaven Green, the site of festivals, concerts, outdoor movies, and other fun gatherings throughout the year.
Bellingham, Washington, 98225, USA -
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6. Foss Waterway Seaport
Set along the Thea Foss waterfront, this history museum in a turn-of-the-20th-century structure—with a dramatic modern glass facade—is easily reached from downtown via a walk along the promenade that flanks the harbor. Inside the enormous timber building, the museum examines the city's waterfront heritage, including the history of Tacoma's brisk shipping business, the city's role as a major ship-to-rail center, and the indigenous Puyallup people's close relationship with local waterways. Extensive exhibits cover boat-making, vintage scuba and diving gear, and fin and humpback whales. Photos and relics round out the displays, children's activities are offered regularly, and Tacoma Night Market takes place here once a month.
705 Dock St., Tacoma, Washington, 98402, USA253-272–2750Sight Details
Rate Includes: $10, Closed Mon.–Wed. -
7. Hands On Children's Museum
One of the top children's museums on the West Coast, this handsome, modern building just off Marine Drive overlooks East Bay and contains more than 150 imaginatively designed interactive exhibits—including a train depot, a cargo ship, a fire engine, an art studio, and a tree house—along with a half-acre outdoor play area. There's also a café serving healthy lunch fare. During the city's First Friday art walks, the museum is open late and offers $1 admission after 5 pm.
414 Jefferson St. NE, Olympia, Washington, 98501, USA360-956–0818Sight Details
Rate Includes: $19 -
8. Heritage Distilling Company
Among the most acclaimed craft spirits producers in the country, Heritage Distilling is based in Gig Harbor, where it operates an inviting tasting room offering tours and a bar serving creative cocktails and a few delicious nibbles. Try a flight of samples—Dual Barrel Orange Bourbon, Elk Rider Gin, and Lavender Vodka are all popular—while taking in the views of Gig Harbor. The company has additional tasting rooms in Rolsyn, Seattle, and Tumwater.
3118 Harborview Dr., Gig Harbor, Washington, 98335, USA253-514–8120Sight Details
Rate Includes: Tastings from $10 -
9. Hibulb Cultural Center & Natural History Preserve
This impressive contemporary museum and cultural center with a stunning cedar longhouse, intricate wood carvings, hand-crafted canoes, and engaging interactive exhibits reveals the rich history of the several tribes—including Snohomish, Skykomish, and Snoqualmie—that have thrived in the Puget Sound region for centuries. The center adjoins a 50-acre nature preserve with stands of cedar and hemlock trees, salmon-rich streams, preserved estuarial wetlands, and nature trails. Just off Interstate 5 near the town of Marysville, the waterfront Tulalip Reservation has more than 2,500 tribal members and is also home to the 370-room Tulalip Resort Casino and an outlet shopping center, which are just a few miles north of the cultural center.
6410 23rd Ave. NE, Everett, Washington, 98271, USA360-716–2600Sight Details
Rate Includes: $10, Closed Mon. -
10. Hollywood District
Of Woodinville's four main clusters of wineries, the Hollywood District, named for the historical former schoolhouse that anchors it, is by far the most picturesque and pedestrian-friendly. A good strategy is to park at one of the clusters of tasting rooms just off the traffic circle in the center of this neighborhood, and then hop out and stroll around. More than 40 tasting rooms are within a short walk of one another, along with a handful of restaurants. Some of the state's heavy hitters are here, including Alexandria Nicole, Betz, Cougar Crest, J. Bookwalter, Novelty Hill–Januik, and Pepper Bridge.
148th Ave. NE and N.E. 145th St., Woodinville, Washington, 98072, USA -
11. Johnston Ridge Observatory
The visitor center closest to the summit is named for scientist David Johnston, who died in the mountain's immense lateral blast. Inside are fascinating exhibits on the mountain's geology, instruments measuring volcanic and seismic activity, and a theater that shows a riveting film recounting the 1980 eruption. Several short trails afford spectacular views of the summit.
View Tours and Activities24000 Spirit Lake Hwy., Toutle, Washington, 98649, USA360-274–2140Sight Details
Rate Includes: $8, Closed mid-May–early Nov. -
12. Larrabee State Park
South of Fairhaven and accessed from Chuckanut Drive, this rugged 2,683-acre park offers an 8,100-foot stretch of rocky shore with quiet, sandy coves and also has trails that climb up along the slopes of Chuckanut Mountain. Even though the mountain has been logged repeatedly, there's still plenty of lush forest. Trails lead through ferny fir and maple forests to hidden lakes, caves, and cliff-top lookouts from which you can see to the San Juan Islands—the 4½-mile round-trip Fragrance Lake loop is a particularly rewarding hike. At the shore there's a sheltered boat launch; you can go crabbing here or watch the birds—and the occasional harbor seal—that perch on the offshore rocks. The area west of Chuckanut Drive has picnic tables as well as tent and RV sites with hookups, which are open all year.
245 Chuckanut Dr., Bellingham, Washington, 98229, USA360-676–2093Sight Details
Rate Includes: Parking $10 -
13. LeMay—America's Car Museum
About 350 meticulously restored automobiles, from some of the world's earliest models to brassy muscle cars from the late '60s, are displayed in this sleek, striking museum on the south side of downtown. It's one of the most impressive car museums in the country, with engaging exhibits on Route 66, alternative-fuel cars, NASCAR, and other aspects of automobile culture and history. The cars here were collected by the late Harold LeMay, whose entire inventory of some 3,000 autos is recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest privately owned collection in the world. Highlights include a 1906 Cadillac Model M, a 1926 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, a 1930 Lincoln L Brougham, a 1953 Citroen 2CV, a 1963 Studebaker Avanti, and—a favorite with kids—the Flintmobile used in the 1994 Flintstones movie. The café serves diner classics, including banana splits. If you're an ardent car enthusiast, it's worth making the 20-minute drive south to the related LeMay Collections at Marymount ( www.lemaymarymount.org) in the Spanaway neighborhood of south Tacoma—an even bigger collection of cars is on display there.
2702 E. D St., Tacoma, Washington, 98421, USA253-779–8490Sight Details
Rate Includes: $18, Closed Tues. and Wed. -
14. Museum of Glass
The showpiece of this spectacular, 2-acre complex of delicate and creative art-glass installations is the 500-foot-long Chihuly Bridge of Glass, a tunnel of glorious color and light that stretches above Interstate 705. Cross it from downtown to reach this striking building, which rises above the Foss Waterway and next to a shallow reflecting pool dotted with modern-art sculptures. Inside, you can wander through quiet, light-filled galleries that present a fascinating array of rotating exhibits, take a seat in the conical-roofed Hot Shop amphitheater to watch glass-blowing artists, or try your own hand at arts and crafts in the studio. There's also a café and an outstanding gift shop.
1801 Dock St., Tacoma, Washington, 98402, USA253-284–4750Sight Details
Rate Includes: $18, Closed Mon. and Tues. -
15. Northwest Railway Museum
Vintage railroad cars line a paved path along Railroad Avenue, with signs explaining the origin of each engine, car, and caboose, with more history and memorabilia inside several different buildings, including the former waiting room of the stunningly restored Snoqualmie depot. The Railway History Campus, located in the train shed a mile south of the depot at 9312 Stone Quarry Road, displays photographs, documents, and exhibits related to the region's rail history. Several times a day on weekends, a train made of cars built in the mid-1910s for the Spokane, Portland, and Seattle Railroad travels between Snoqualmie Depot and North Bend. The two-hour round-trip excursion passes through woods, past waterfalls, and around patchwork farmland, and it includes a stop at the History Campus. Families pack the winter Santa Train journeys and the mid-August Snoqualmie Days rides; the latter event features an annual parade.
38625 S.E. King St., Snoqualmie, Washington, 98065, USA425-888–3030Sight Details
Rate Includes: Depot free; Railway History Campus $10, train rides $28, No rides Nov.–mid-Jan. (except during certain holiday periods) and weekdays mid-Jan.–Oct. Railway History Center closed Tues., Nov.–mid-Jan. -
16. Padilla Bay National Estuarine Reserve
At this serene 8,000-acre wildlife preserve adjacent to Bayview State Park, the Breazeale Interpretive Center has great birding: there are black Brant (or Brent) geese, peregrine falcons, and bald eagles. Trails lead to an observation deck, into the woods, and to a rocky beach with more good bird-watching opportunities. This is also a popular place for kayaking.
10441 Bayview–Edison Rd., Mount Vernon, Washington, 98273, USA360-428–1558Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Interpretive center closed Sun. and Mon. -
17. Point Defiance Park
Jutting into Commencement Bay, this 760-acre park surrounds Five Mile Drive with hilly picnicking fields and patches of forest. Hiking trails, bike paths, and numerous gardens draw crowds year-round, particularly during summer festivals such as the Taste of Tacoma, in late June. The park begins at the north end of Pearl Street as you drive toward the Point Defiance Ferry Terminal, where vehicles depart for Vashon Island just across the Sound, but you can also walk or bike here via a new pedestrian bridge that connects with the new Point Ruston waterfront development. The park's one-way road meanders past a lake and picnic area, a rose garden, a spectacular 22-acre rhododendron garden, and a Japanese garden, finally winding down to the water. Here you can explore the driftwood-strewn, pebbly sands of Owen Beach—it's a wonderful place for beachcombing and sailboat-watching. Kayak rentals and concessions are available in summer. Cruise slowly to take in the scenes—and watch out for joggers and bikers.
5400 N. Pearl St., Tacoma, Washington, 98407, USA -
18. Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
One of the Northwest's finest collections of regional and international animal species, this winding and hilly site includes tigers, elephants, tapirs, and gibbons in the Asian Forest Sanctuary, where paw-print trails lead between lookouts so even the smallest tots can spot animals. The impressive South Pacific and Pacific Seas aquariums are also fun to explore—they include a glass-walled, floor-to-ceiling shark tank (where eye-to-eye caged shark dives are offered). Other areas house such cold-weather creatures as beluga whales, Arctic foxes, polar bears, and penguins. Engaging zookeeper chats about different animals and up-close feedings are held throughout the day. The fantastic playground area has friendly farm animals running between the slides, and seasonal special events include a Halloween Zoo Boo trick-or-treat night and the famous nightly Zoolights holiday displays around Christmas.
5400 N. Pearl St., Tacoma, Washington, 98407, USA253-404–3800Sight Details
Rate Includes: $23, Closed Tues. and Wed. from Oct.–mid-Dec. and early Jan.–Mar. -
19. Point No Point Lighthouse Park
This small, scenic waterfront park in the quaint village of Hansville sits at the very northeastern tip of the Kitsap Peninsula, about 13 miles northeast of Port Gamble, and is home to the oldest lighthouse (opened in 1879) on Puget Sound. Free tours of the relatively small white building with a bright-red roof are offered on Saturday afternoons from April through September. Any day of the week, however, this is a pleasing spot for a picnic, a stroll along the beach, or simply the chance to sit and admire the views north and east of Whidbey Island and—in the distance—the Cascade Range. The adjacent lighthouse keeper's quarters can be rented overnight.
9009 N.E. Point No Point Rd., Port Gamble, Washington, 98340, USA360-337–5350Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
20. Port Gamble Historic Museum and General Store
The basement of the town's quaint General Store is home to the Smithsonian-designed Port Gamble Historic Museum, which takes you through the region's timber heyday. Highlights include artifacts from the Pope and Talbot Timber Company, which built the town, and realistic ship's quarters. On the second floor of the General Store (which is open year-round), the Sea and Shore Museum houses more than 25,000 shells as well as displays on natural history. Kids love the weird bug exhibit. Stop at the General Store for souvenirs or a huge ice-cream cone or hand-dipped milk shake, or stay for lunch in the store's excellent café.
32400 N. Rainier Ave., Port Gamble, Washington, 98364, USA360-297–8078Sight Details
Rate Includes: Museum closed Oct.–Apr. and Mon.–Wed.
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