Leaving shortly, hope we've come up with the best places to see/do on the Westcoast!

3 days Seattle
2 days Mt. Olympic staying at Lake Quinault with tour of quinault rain forest. Hopefully will get to most all area has to offer.
1 day Mt. Rainier & Mt. St. Helens

From Mt. St. Helens plan on heading to Portland area to stay (or coast) overnight? Next am traveling east up the Columbia River Gorge, across to WA to Stevenson (Interpretive Ctr) and back toward Seattle. We think trip around Gorge will be a day trip.

Have one day left and wonder if we would have time to do Rt 20 across the northern Cascades and back to SEA-Tac by @ 9pm?

Seems the last 2 days (planned for Columbia Gorge and maybe Northern Cascades to too much) might not be best solution for seeing the sites. Seems like a lot of driving and maybe not enough time?

That sounds like a WAY lot of driving in only one week's time. I'm here in Seattle but don't know the region that well... hopefully someone with driving expertise will see your question.

I know I definitely wouldn't want to be out in the North Cascades on the same day I had a flight out of SeaTac in the evening!

I would add your extra day to ONP and/or stay somewhere else (Port Angeles area or maybe Forks if you just want to have one base) to see more of the park. Lake Quinault works best IMO as a 2nd base in conjunction with another base on the northern side (i.e., Port Angeles).

Also, trying to visit BOTH Mt Rainier and Mt St Helens in one day will be tough.

And no, you don't have time to get all the way up to the North Cascades and see anything with just one day.

I would not miss a trip to Lake Crescent. Spectacular scenery.

i would concentrate on Seattle,the ONP, and either Mt Rainier or Mt. St. Helens. Both would be too much. Forget the Cascades for this trip.

I second the Lake Cresent statement.

The rainforest is wonderful as is Hurricane ridge.

I too agree with "danj" B een to all those placesbut on dsifferent trips...Also the traffic all around Sea-Tac can be horrendous..allow plenty of time..
Good luck..

Maybe try this:

Day 1: Mt. Rainier

Day 2: Mt St Helens then over to Quinault

Day 3: Quinault, Beaches, Lake Crescent, Marymere Falls, overnight in Port Angeles

Day 4: Hurricane Ridge, then on to Anacortes via Port Townsend ferry & Whidbey Island

Day 5: North Cascades (up and back on Hwy 20), back to Seattle

Day 6 & 7: Seattle

Now that I've said all that, I wouldn't recommend it. It's a LOT of driving and you won't have much time to do anything other than drive.

Good luck!

I like John's itinerary, skipping the Gorge.

I'd stay at Lake Quinault and not Port Angeles. If the weather sucks, you might take a trip up to Victoria....Will you have any flexibility? We've had a lot of overcast days this summer, though we have had periods of clearing most days. It's been particularly wet, though.

One small tweak I would recommend is to flip around your time in Seattle to the END of the trip. That way you will be here already, to head to the airport.

At the beginning you could immediately head south (since SeaTac is alreaady 1/2 hour south of the city) to Rainier or the Olympic Peninsula areas.

You have received good advice here, but it isn't possible to be too precise because you don't state what time you arrive, what time you depart, and exactly how many complete days you will spend in the Northwest.

That said, I agree with those who suggest you concentrate on the north end of Olympic National Park: Hurricane Ridge

Oops--I didn't intend to post yet.

...Hurricane Ridge, Lake Crescent (including easy hike to Marymere Falls, and, perhaps, Ruby Beach).

Also, you might visit Mt. Rainier as a day trip from Seattle or on your way south and, if you have time, Mt. Saint Helens on your way back to Seattle.

The Columbia River Gorge can be visited as a day trip from Portland.

I would spend at least one night on the Oregon Coast--two if possible.