10 Best Road Trips near Seattle

Mount Rainier National Park is a well-maintained nature area that's home to a pristine array of natural features including mountains, forests, and waterfalls to explore. The park comprises an area of 236,381 acres and has seemingly endless hiking paths to traverse.

If you're looking for a bit more adventure, mountaineering is particularly popular here. About half of the people who try to scale the eponymous mountain make it to the peak, so be prepared for a challenge. You can get to this park by heading southeast for just over 80 miles.

Snoqualmie Falls is an iconic waterfall best known for its appearance in "Twin Peaks" that offers a spectacular view into a curtain-like waterfall towering 268 feet. The average width of the falls is an impressive 100 feet, so the sheer scale alone is enough to wow plenty of visitors.

When you visit the falls, you can take them in from the observation deck if you want the best views. You'll even find a 2-acre park area with some scenic walking paths. The falls themselves are no more than 100 yards from the car park. You can get here by heading about 30 miles east from Seattle.

Flaming Geyser State Park may have effectively lost its namesake, but it's still a popular destination for river rafting and flying remote-controlled aeroplanes. While the flaming geyser has been extinguished due to its underground methane source running dry, you can still see the spot where it used to burn brightly.

If you're looking for recreation, one of the most popular activities here is rafting on the Green River. You'll find it quite relaxing, so don't hesitate to bring the little ones along. You can get to this park by heading about an hour southeast from city centre.

The Fort Nisqually Living History Museum lets you explore what life was like centuries ago when this location was first established as a fur trading outpost. Two of the original buildings here are still standing and have been restored to their historic glory. Other buildings have been replicated with historical authenticity in mind.

When you visit, you can learn all about local history and the function of the fort from committed volunteers. This museum is easy to reach as well, as you have to travel just over 40 miles south from Seattle.

Bainbridge Island is a remarkable community that's committed to preservation while offering outdoor and cultural activities everyone can enjoy. Being located along Puget Sound, this destination offers plenty of outdoor activities including hiking and kayaking.

If you're looking for something more culturally moving, you'll find a thriving arts scene here with museums, plays, and live performances you won't want to miss out on. You'll even find exhibits and shows that are designed specifically for kids to enjoy. This island is about 10 miles west of Seattle, and you can get here with a ferry ride that takes about an hour.

Bellingham is a fun city that lets you relax away from the hustle and bustle of Seattle with easy access to outdoor recreation and a thriving cultural scene. Both the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades are easily accessible from this town, so outdoor adventurers will have plenty to do.

If you're more interested in the arts scene, you'll find music festivals and art galleries throughout town. This community also has a thriving craft beer industry with 14 breweries inside the city limits. You can get to Bellingham by heading north from Seattle for about 90 miles.

Lakewold Gardens offers several well-maintained garden experiences on a nonprofit estate where you'll find fascinating patterns and a diverse array of flora. Some of the speciality gardens include boxwood parterres and a knot garden, both of which feature plants shaped into interesting patterns.

Checking out the plants is just the beginning of what you'll find here, as this garden also offers workshops and classes on gardening, photography, and sculpting. You'll find it all for yourself just over 40 miles southwest of Seattle.

Skagit Wildlife Area is home to a wide variety of birds and other species of wildlife that you can spot from long and easily accessible paths through the protected areas. Before you go, it's best to read up a bit on the kinds of birds that frequent the refuge during certain times of year so that you know what to expect.

A visit to this wildlife area during the summer can be quite different compared with one during the winter. Try to avoid visiting from October to January, however, as that's when hunting season is in session. You'll find this refuge about an hour and a half north of Seattle.

The Hibulb Cultural Centre is a museum where you'll find exhibits showcasing the natural history of the area as well as the traditional culture of the native Tulalip Tribes. The centre is about 23,000 square feet, while the natural history preserve spans an impressive 50 acres.

Inside this cultural centre, you'll find quite a few interesting exhibits. The main exhibit is home to several artefacts and an archaeological repository. You can also explore a research library and a longhouse. This cultural centre is about an hour or so north of Seattle.

Jones Creek Farms is a modest farm that produces delicious fruits and other crops you can get a fresh taste of along with a tour of their facilities. This farm provides produce to a variety of local communities like Bellingham and Everett. You'll also find an on-farm store when you visit.

This farm grows more than 3,000 trees that produce 180 different varieties of plums, pears, and apples. You'll also find gourmet hardneck garlic here along with some more obscure species of tomatoes. The farm is located about 83 miles northeast of Seattle.