9-10 day trip to WA
 

Looking for advice planning a 9-10 day trip to WA in late May/early June, flying in and out of Seattle. We have already been to Seattle so this trip is about scenery, hiking, national parks, than city tourings. We’re just north of 50, are day hikers (we tend to prefer several shorter hikes, rather than one long hike -- e.g., ideal day might include one 5 mile hike and two or three much shorter ones), and prefer B&Bs and Inns over large hotels/resorts (we’re also fine with Comfort Inn type places where B&Bs/Inns are not available).

Our preliminary game plan looks something like this:
Day 1: Fly into SeaTac (arrive around noon), pick up rental car, and head toward Port Angeles area (maybe staying in Sequim to avoid the crowds?)
Days 2 and 3: Olympic Peninsula – Hurricane Ridge, La Push area coastline, Hoh River Rain Forest, maybe Lake Quinault R.F. too. (suggestions for lodging on night 2?)
Days 4 and 5: Mount Saint Helens and Mount Rainier (suggestions for lodging in those two areas?)
Days 6 and 7: Cascade Loop, starting in southern portion (probably pick up Rte 2 from Rte 97?), heading north thru Twisp and Winthrop, then going east-to-west on Route 20 thru North Cascades N.P.
Days 8 and 9: Anacortes and San Juan Islands. Need some help here-- Should we do a day trip to
SJI or spend the night? Orcas vs. other islands? biking/hiking/scenic locations? do we need our car or should we leave it in Anacortes?
Day 10: Back to SeaTac for our flight home.

I’d appreciate any advice on our itinerary, including suggestions re lodging (towns, B&Bs/Inns), favorite hikes and scenery (we love mountains, waterfalls, rugged coastline), and also any heads-ups re potential weather-related or construction-related closures. Finally, we’re contemplating starting the trip on the Sunday or Monday of Memorial Day weekend – any thoughts on how big a problem that might be crowds-wise or traffic-wise on our 1st couple days?

I know I’ve asked a lot of questions (sorry about that!), but any suggestions on any of those topics would be great.

Memorial Day Weekend will be jam packed no matter where you go. If you can start your trip on that Monday, there will be a lot of traffic but at least you would be able to secure lodging. Otherwise most places will most likely already be booked for that weekend.

I personally would not stay in Sequim. Keep going to Port Angeles. It isn't that far, but it puts you much closer to the sights for the next few days. In PA, whatever you do, do NOT stay at the Red Lion. To be blunt, it is a total dump. The Olympic Lodge is where we stay, with the mistake of doing the Red Lion once last year, lol. The Olympic Lodge is a hotel, but locally owned and with a wonderful ONP feel to it. We were just there again about two months ago. Very nice rooms, great staff, etc. No complaints at all.

At Hurricane Ridge, the hike up Hurricane Hill is great, but the trail will definitely still have snow on it. Who knows how much, but in past years at this time, there has been snow when we have hiked it, but this year it has seen way more snow than usual and when we were snowshoeing there on our last trip, the snow was up to street sign level. Our photos showed street speed limit signs etc and they were barely visible as the snow was that high. It should be doable though as long as you are not careless. Great hike and great views!

Definitely do the short Marymere Falls hike at Lake Crescent.

If you want to go further out, the Cape Alava/Sand Point loop is wonderful. It is 9 miles and a triangle, so you go out 3 miles on a boardwalk, then 3 miles on the beach then 3 miles back on another boardwalk. You need to time it with the tides, but it is beautiful and the petroglyphs are fascinating!

The Hall of Mosses is a really nice super short trail not to be missed.

As for Quinault, we like staying at Lake Quinault Lodge. Beautiful lodge, rustic but well kept. No tv's in the rooms etc, but super relaxing. Get a room with a view of the lake. The dining room is very good, so definitely plan a meal there.

Assertain that the roads to or from places you want to visit will be open during the time you want to travel.

Assuming roads are open, a better routing would be Seattle, Mt. Rainier, (skip Mt. Saint Helens), the Olympic Peninsula, SJI or Orcas Island, the Cascade loop, and back to Seattle.

The Coupevdlle ferry at Port Townsend connects the Olympic Peninsula and Whidbey Island. Roads on Whidbey Island lead to Anacortes, where you will take a ferry to the islands.

Anacortes is on Highway 20--also known as the North Cascade Highway.

HTtY

PS Orcas Island is one of my favorite places: https://issuu.com/orcaschamber/docs/..._guide_for_web

Confirm locally that the road is open all the way into Mt. St. Helens. http://www.mountsthelens.com/visitorcenters.html
The one time I drove out, the road was closed by snow.

The road closure issues are going to play havoc with your plans. This has been an especially snowy winter in the Cascades and Sierras, and winter closures are probably going to last considerably longer this year than usual.

For example, the State is forecasting that SR 20 through the North Cascades isn't likely to be open until sometime in June, anywhere between 30 and 45 days later than normal. The road to the Sunrise visitor center at Mt. Rainier will probably still be closed, and at the Paradise visitor center (which will be open and the roads probably clear) there will still be many feet of snow on the ground, including most if not all of the higher elevation trails.

Over on the Olympic Peninsula, Hurricane Ridge will likely be in okay shape, but again, probably still a lot of snow on the ground.

It's common to say around here that summer in Seattle begins on the fifth of July; in the mountains it's usually later, and the odds are very high that even if the roads are open, the mountains will be socked in by clouds, rain, or even rain/snow mixes when you're coming.

So bottom line, I wonder if your plans might not benefit from some revision, or at the very least I'd suggest you develop some fail-safe contingency plans. Things to consider in those plans:

- More time in the Puget Sound/lowland areas. Add some days to the San Juans, add Whidbey Island, maybe consider heading up into Canada at some point - Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands between Vancouver Island and the mainland, things like that.

- Mt. Hood and the Columbia Gorge. Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood is usually accessible without chains (not allowed by rental car companies) and while they'll still be skiing up there, the views and the old lodge are fantastic. The waterfalls in the Gorge will be full of water from melting snow and the Hood River Valley will be in bloom. To the east of Hood River the landscape turns to sagebrush; the marvelous Maryhill Museum and nearby Stonehenge replica are fantastic surprises, well worth the detour.

You'll want to take your car to the San Juan Islands as there's very few options to get around the islands otherwise. The town of Friday Harbor on SJI is the only place I'd stay if you opt to go carless but even then, you'll want to see the rest of the island. We've stayed on both SJI and Orcas and prefer Orcas for it's more laid back feel, scenery and hiking (Turtleback Mountain and Moran State Park). I can highly recommend North Beach Inn there.

In Winthrop we stayed at Methow River Lodge which is just a short walk across the foot bridge from town.

This has been a big snow year. Not sure how much of Rainier will be accessible.

OMG! We are coming from the East Coast where we had a crazy, warm winter so snow was not on our radar. Glad we checked.

Now we are rethinking our schedule a bit. Will we be past the snow closings if we push our plans until the 3rd/4th week in June or are we better off waiting until early-mid Sept?

Thanks for all the help.

I know. I was born in Seattle, but I lived in New York City for thirty years. One June while living on the East Coast I made a trip to Seattle and was bewildered that summer hadn't arrived.

We typically have summer weather after the 4th of July through August, and the days in September and October are usually quite pleasant.

I retired in Seattle. I love it here even though this year we had one of the wettest winters on record.

HTtY

<i>Will we be past the snow closings if we push our plans until the 3rd/4th week in June or are we better off waiting until early-mid Sept?</i>

Well, my crystal ball is in the shop, but in late June the roads will be open but there will still be lots and lots of snow on the ground. Here's an old picture I took of Chinook Pass (near Mt. Rainier) that illustrates what conditions <i>might</i> be like by then on some roads - http://gardyloo.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/053as.jpg . As you can see, the road is open, but the roadside, well, not so much. At the Paradise visitor center on Mt. Rainier, there's usually 4-6 feet of snow on the trails on July 1; nobody will be surprised if this year it's more like 8 feet, maybe more.

So if you want to get off the roads and into the woods, I'd say the September option works better. Conditions are usually very good both in the Cascades and in Olympic NP in September, plus the roads are clear, the crowds smaller, and prices start trending down.

September :-)

Thanks to everyone for your help a few months ago. We decided to delay our trip until the fall and are now back in planning mode.

Our itinerary is still the same (though we may add a day or two) and are looking at either the first two weeks of Sept or the first two weeks of Oct. October works better for our schedule but we weren't sure when the rainy season typically kicks in or if we need to be concerned about road closures, etc. We are ok with cooler weather and some rain but would like to avoid rain all day, every day. However, we know there are no guarantees on weather.

Any thoughts on advantages/disadvantages of a Sept vs an Oct trip?

September will offer better weather, especially on the Olympic Peninsula, but in October the other areas ought to be okay. Obviously the higher elevation areas will be starting to show fall color, and rain is certainly a possibility everywhere. As in the spring, you'll run the risk of clouds obscuring views in the mountains; on the other hand you'd have an easier time of things regarding hotel space, uncrowded ferries, etc.

I'd definitely start on the Olympic NP Pacific side before the rain forest really starts living up to its name. You might also think about amending your Cascade loop itinerary by crossing the mountains via US 2 to Leavenworth, then north on US 97 to Chelan, followed by a ride up Lake Chelan on the Lady of the Lake ferry to Stehekin - http://ladyofthelake.com/ - then back by US 97 south to I-90 and back to Seattle. In October both US 2 and US 97 over Blewett Pass are quite lovely with fall color and roadside apple orchards in full harvest mode.

You might still have a time management problem if you want to include the San Juans; I'd look at substituting a day on Whidbey Island which would simplify logistics bigly.

September weather should be quite a bit nicer than October. August and September are typically our very best months here.

suze, in seattle

Thanks all. Sounds like September weather is a better bet than October but at the moment early October fits better into our lives. We’ll continue to wrestle with that, but in the meantime, here are a few more itinerary questions:

Mt. St. Helens to Mt. Rainier – When I Google-mapped this part of the drive, it seemed like we could get from MSH to MR via Rte 131 to Rte 12. But on closer inspection, our directions assume we enter MSH on Rte 503, not on Rte 504 as we currently plan to do. So the two questions re this are: (1) if we enter MSH on Rte 504 to the Johnston Ridge Observatory, will we need to backtrack on 504 west and then head north on I-5 and east on Rte 12 to get to MR or is there away to get from the JRO to Rte 131 and avoid backtracking to I-5?; and (2) Is the best way to see MSH via Rte 504 to the JRO, rather than entering on Rte 503?

Cascade loop – Gardyloo’s suggestion re Rtes 2 and 97 would seem to leave out the drive thru North Cascades NP on Rte 20. Do I have that right, and if so, isn’t that a very nice road to skip? (We realize we can’t do everything, and we appreciate the suggested alternatives – just making sure we understand that suggested alternative and what we’d be missing.)

ONP to Mt. St. Helens – looks like the shortest route would be to head east from Aberdeen back to I-5. But our map suggests it’d be a lot more scenic to head south from Aberdeen on Rtes 105 and 101, then east on Rte 4 back toward I-5 and Rte 504. Google maps suggests that’d only add about an 1½ hours of driving time, which would seem to be worth it for the added scenery. Am I right about that? (We have no problem with long drives, especially if scenic.)

Northwestern Olympic Peninsula – Our maps suggest a potentially scenic detour on Rte 112 up to Neah Bay. But our guidebooks suggest there might not be much to see on that route, so probably not worth the extra time that detour would require. Any thoughts on that?

Thanks again for all the help and for any additional thoughts. We know that we can’t do everything so while we hope to make it to the San Juan Islands (probably Orcas) if time permits, we’ll be OK skipping that, and heading back to the airport after North Cascades NP, if we end up moving at a slower pace. We tend to leave our route flexible and adjust as we go.

I don't want to dominate things, but a couple of answers...

Mt. St. Helens: Going from Johnston Ridge to the other side of the mountain requires going out to the freeway then doubling back over US 12 to Randall, then south on SR 131 (NF 25) to Windy Ridge, or, if you're coming from Portland and willing to forego Johnston Ridge, you can head east off I-5 on WA 503 then north on NF 25 to Windy Ridge, then exit north to US 12 (then into Mt. Rainier via Packwood and up to Sunrise, or over to Paradise via Stevens Canyon.) Any way you cut it, combining Mt. St. Helens with Mt. Rainier takes a long time, possibly with lots of backtracking.

Cascade loop: There are several loops possible of course. My own view (which is not universally shared) is that WA 20 through the North Cascades is very scenic in one or two places, but it's very long and not conducive to a high-speed trip like you're planning. North Cascades NP has next to no visitor facilities, and the vast majority of its scenery requires extensive off-road hiking and backpacking to experience. Just driving through on SR 20 gives you a couple of viewpoints, but that's it, and the price is some VERY long drives. But it's a tradeoff.

ONP to Mt. St. Helens: US 101 south from Lake Quinault through Aberdeen/Hoquiam to the Columbia is for the most part quite boring. I like WA 4 along the Columbia from Cape Disappointment to Longview, and if you were planning to do the SR 503/NF25 eastern loop around MSH up to US 12, then it might be time-competitive with the straight shot out to I-5. But it's important that <i>you shouldn't believe Google's time estimates.</i> I have found them to be extremely optimistic, and remember they don't include traffic or construction stops, time for sightseeing, potty breaks etc.

Neah Bay: Not worth the time. It's a long drive through forest, and if you're traveling in October, probably a wet one.

General, unasked for advice: Too much. Your itinerary would have you driving great distances at a time of year that might or might not be ideal for those itineraries.

My recommendation, take it for what it's worth, would be to exclude Mt. St. Helens altogether. Make Mt. Rainier a day trip from Seattle. Skip the Cascade Loop but instead visit Artist Point and Picture Lake on the Mt. Baker Highway for stunning views and possible autumn color - http://www.johnsongphoto.com/wp-cont...0/IMG_7408.jpg

Spend more time in the San Juans and on the Olympic Peninsula. In October the San Juans will likely have drier weather as they're in the Olympic mountains' rain shadow.

Anyway, just my two bits.

<i>I don't want to dominate things</i>

No need to worry. HTtY

Thanks Gardyloo, lots of food for thought! (And no worries about a portion of your advice being “unasked for” – oftentimes that turns out to be the best advice!) Here are a few comments:

1. We’re still hoping to make September work, so to the extent itinerary recommendations are different for early Sept vs. early Oct., know that both of those timeframes are still on the table.

2. Artist Point/Picture Lake look beautiful, but our maps suggest it’d be tough to get there from Mt. Rainier or anywhere near there. Looks like not toooo long a drive on I-5, but we’re hoping to avoid the interstate as much as possible. In addition to being scenery hounds, we also like road trips through small towns, quiet areas, etc. so for us it not just about the “destinations” but also the drives in between. That is why we were looking at the Cascade loop and are concerned re the I-5 trip to reach the Mt. Baker area. Our concern is less about the amount of time that’d be spent on I-5, but more about the quality of the time that’d be spent on I-5. We are city folks by trade and hope to avoid the cities on vacation, so we’d rather not use Seattle as a base for a day trip to Rainier. (Nothing against Seattle – we’ve both been there and like it! Just not the plan for this trip.)

3. Minor clarification re Mt. Saint Helens – we’re not looking to see both sides of the mountain. Our initial idea of cutting through the park from 504 to 131 (which we now understand cannot be done) was just to get from MSH to MR. So the amount of backtracking wouldn’t be quite as bad as Gardyloo describes though we now do understand that if we want to see JRO, we’d need to backtrack in and out via 504. We’ll continue to weigh whether to skip MSH entirely (reluctant – it sounds scenic and unique), or whether to retain that with the understanding that we might not make it to the San Juans if we’ve bit off more than we can chew.

Anyway, this has been really helpful and we welcome any other thoughts/suggestions with the above comments/clarifications in mind.

How does route like this look? https://goo.gl/maps/W3XKpgg2v6v

This would start on the Olympic Peninsula, then hit the San Juans (via Port Townsend and Deception Pass) then across SR 20 through North Cascades NP.

You'd then follow US 97 all the way down to Yakima, and finish the "Cascade Loop" via US 12 over White Pass, with a spur down to Windy Ridge for Mt. St. Helens views, and finishing with a transit of Mt. Rainier via th Stevens Canyon Road and Paradise.

This is still quite a lot of driving, but it would give you tons of variety and plenty of interesting small towns en route.

Thanks, Gardyloo. Great to have these options.