Welcome to the perfect map for your Washington state summer road trip! This post will help you plan your adventures filled with stunning hikes, scenic drives, and popular stops. I also have an Oregon road trip map if you're doing both together.
Before you go, don't forget the sunscreen!
Here's the map with day-by-day driving directions
This map includes random favorite spots of mine as well as hiking trails i like and places i've gone! I love living in Washington, and i'm of course still exploring this beautiful region of the world.
where to stay and why
You can rearrange the order of these to best fit your schedule; it doesn't really matter where you go first because each area isn't that far from each other (within 4 hours) and they're all on different sides of the state. If you are adding in an Oregon trip then you should do the Mt St Helens and/or Washington coast right before heading down to Oregon and do North Cascades before that (or vice versa if you're going to do Vancouver BC).
Days 1-3 Arrive in Seattle
If you're staying in Seattle some options for stays are The Westin, Courtyard Marriott (good location for running on lake union trail), Edgewater Hotel (if you want to be on the water and near Pike Place) or StayPineapple for a little outside the downtown, but still busy area.
Seattle blog post here for all things to do here!
Days 3-7: Olympic Peninsula
Plan to stay in Port Angeles for your first night, so you can rest and get up early for exploring Hurricane Ridge. I recommend staying at Red lion hotel or Quality inn for pet-friendly and affordable stays.
If you want to be on the coast there is Kalaloch Lodge, which i've heard is wonderful for dogs, but other than that there's not much else out there in terms of accommodations. There are town conveniences in Forks if that's what you'd prefer though, so you could stay at Manitou Lodge in Forks.
Days 7-8: Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National park is a decent day trip from Seattle. You can even stay near Crystal mountain if you want to explore for a few days and not just day trip it! It's my favorite national park in terms of views because it is just so stunningly beautiful with flowers, meadows, animals, and greenery in the summertime. You can stay at this iconic a-frame or this one with a hot tub. This will place you near the entrance to Paradise (Skyline trail). If you want to be near Sunrise visitor center than you should stay at this A-frame or this one with a hot tub.
Days 8-12 North Cascades National Park
This is where you should ideally spend a few days exploring Mt Baker area. It is seriously one of the most stunning areas on the planet. Show up at golden hour at Picture Lake and you won't be disappointed. Hotels are non-existent around here unless you stay in Bellingham (still far) so some good dog-friendly options can be this vrbo, this cozy-aframe, this a-frame with a hot tub, or another charming cabin with foresty views. I dont really care that much for Diablo Lake area, but people love it, so if you want, you can camp nearby at the national park campground or just day-trip it from Leavenworth. If you want to spend the weekend in Leavenworth, then you should stay in the town. Der Ritterhof Inn is a pet-friendly stay in town, and LOGE Leavenworth allows pets to stay for free! (up to 2 dogs). Linderhof Inn is a non-dog friendly stay also in town. If you want to save a lot of money and don't mind a short commute (30 minute drive) then you can stay in Wenatchee; i've stayed at this cheap hotel here. If you're trying to do the enchantments thru hike (that i've also written about here!) then you should definitely stay in Leavenworth or Wenatchee.
my outdoor gear and camping essentials
DM me or Leave a comment if you have any other questions!
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