A Road Trip Guide to the Best National Park Hikes in Washington State

How to Think About Packing for a Six Month Road Trip

Instead of providing you a complete packing list, let me give you a piece of important advice. You don’t need as much as you think. When we set off in February, we left with way more stuff than we needed. That included a bunch of stuff for super cold weather that we never actually encountered. If you're traveling from late winter through the end of the summer, like we were, you'll end up chasing lovely spring weather all the way up the coast.

Honestly, I also packed way too much of the same thing. Four pairs of shorts and three jackets was total overkill. In the end, we ended up sending a bunch of stuff back to our storage unit in Colorado before we had left California.

Pro Tips for a National Parks Road Trip Traveler

Learn how to be flexible: On any long long trip, things will go wrong. Have goals, but know that things will change. Weather will be a factor, wildfires will break out, parks and trails will close, and any number of unexpected circumstances will come up quickly. Choose some Plan B and Plan C hikes and activities in case your initial plan doesn’t go. Don’t think of these things as hindrances, just opportunities to practice adapting and problem solving.

Get travel insurance: Because so many factors are out of your control, and especially if you’re going to be gone for an extended period, it’s always a good idea to get travel insurance. We found great coverage with Faye.

Double-check everything: Always make sure you check and re-check your stuff before each stretch of travel. We once drove almost 300 miles—from northern California to southern Oregon, with our roof box unlocked. Luckily, we didn’t lose anything, but it gave us a huge scare.

Do your part: Perhaps the most unexpected and upsetting aspect of the trip was the realization that people are not respecting these wild spaces. With park staff limited and strained, now is the time for individual action. We carried trash out as often as possible, but it takes more shared responsibility to protect these places. If you visit any local, state, or national park, please be considerate of your place in the ecosystem. Leave no trace, and if possible, help out to make these lands available for generations to come.

Olympic National Park

How long do you need? 3-7 days, though the park is so big you could easily spend more than two weeks exploring its vastly different zones.

What it’s known for: Olympic National Park has a huge variety of ecosystems—temperate rainforest, rugged coastline, and glaciated mountains. In 1981, Olympic National Park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its exceptional natural beauty and ecological significance. Within the park, The Hoh Rainforest receives an average annual rainfall of 12 feet.

Vibe of the park? This park spans so many different areas and towns. Port Angeles is a decent sized town, where you can find good food and groceries. The coastal towns and reservations are also very much worth visiting and exploring, but you have less options in terms of supplies. Visit Hurricane Ridge, visit the Sol Duc hot springs, visit the Hoh Rainforest and the coastal beaches. As a side note, the Olympic Peninsula is a cyclist’s dream. If you’re bringing a gravel or mountain bike, check out the Olympic Discovery Trail, and the Adventure Route. I biked up Hurricane Ridge one day, and spent lots of time on the trails as well. Beautifully maintained.

Accommodation recommendations: We were here in mid-June, and were able to find camping in the park. We camped at the Sol Duc campground, near the hot springs.

Recommended Hikes near Olympic National Park

Deer Lake via Sol Duc Falls: We started at 6am and didn’t see a single person until we were all the way back to Sol Duc Falls, only about a mile into the hike. I suppose most people don’t go any further, but we found several alpine lakes worth checking out further afield. We had hopes of making it past Deer Lake to Lunch Lake (where there’s great backcountry camping), but there was too much snow at anything above 4,000 feet in mid-June. This is a very rocky, technical trail, but very beautiful. We clocked 11 miles and 2,600 feet of climbing (but it felt like more!)

Rialto Beach: Walk the beach to catch views of gigantic drift wood, moody skies, endless rock islands, and sea animals everywhere. It’s a much more mellow adventure than the full Deer Lake hike.

Devil’s Punchbowl: The trek along Lake Crescent includes the Spruce Railroad Trail and the Discovery Trail. Devil’s Punchbowl is a short detour, known for swimming and even scuba diving. The water is brilliant turquoise, and the whole area is great for dogs. We went 5 miles and explored the tunnels and bridges.

The Alpine Lakes Wilderness / Enchantments National Parks

How long do you need? 3-5 days

What it’s known for: Cold, crystal blue lakes. The entire area near Enchanments National Park is populated with glaciated granite cliffs, which are jagged and unforgiving. To enjoy your time here requires preparation, fitness, and patience. And luck—an overnight permit for famed Enchantments is one of the toughest permits to win.

Vibe of the area? Gorgeous and crowded. It’s worth stopping in Leavenworth for a pretzel and a beer. The entire town is Bavarian in style. Though touristy, it’s actually quite pleasant. Less on the obnoxious side, more on the cute, delicious side.

Accommodation recommendations: There are a few campgrounds between Leavenworth and the trailheads, and also tons of places for boondocking (i.e. free range camping on BLM or National Forest Land). Some boondocking areas even have porta potties. It’s easy to (legally) spend the night near the trailhead, with beautiful views and access to water.

Recommended Hikes near the Enchanments National Park

Colchuck Lake: If we could have brought our dog, we definitely would have done the entire Enchantments Traverse, which is 19 miles and 5,000 feet of climbing, and requires a shuttle. (This is the only way to legally hike the Enchantments without an overnight permit. And though once a rare feat, is now becoming too popular.) But because there are no dogs allowed on the trail, we settled for the Colchuck Lake out and back, which is one of the highlights of the traverse.

Colchuck is by far one of the most popular hikes in the area, and one that people come from Seattle to do all the time. If you are coming in the summer, be prepared for crowds. Still, we did our usual pre-dawn routine, and started by 5:30 am. We were able to park in the main lot, right next to the start of the hike. We didn’t realize what a luxury this was until we left, and found cars parked a full mile from the lot. We packed bathing suits so that we could swim at the lake, which was glorious despite the frigid temperatures. The out and back was 8.5 miles with about 3,000 feet of climbing, and fully worth every step. We finished in just under 4 hours.

Mount Rainier National Park

How long do you need? 3-7 days, though you could easily spend weeks here. The Wonderland Trail circumnavigates the entire mountain in 93 miles, and is a common summer backpacking trip. This requires permits, lottery entry, and a good weather window.

What it’s known for: The 369-square-mile Washington state reserve, with 28 major glaciers, surrounds 14,410-ft. Mount Rainier—an active volcano that last erupted about 1,000 years ago. Mount Rainier became a National Park in 1899, the fifth in the United States. The peak of the mountain is often climbed by expert mountaineers, with lots of equipment and experience, but the lower trails that circumnavigate the volcano are more welcoming.

Vibe of the park? July and August are peak months for hiking and high-country activities. Rainier takes all spring and summer before many of the trails are free from snow, so July and August can feel like an amusement park if you don’t plan right. This is the one place we visited on our entire six month trip where we noticed that people had planned to start even earlier than us—if you’re going at peak season, prepare to lose some sleep in order to have some peace on the trails. Also prepare for TikTokkers, as the app has made places like Myrtle Falls and the Fremont Fire Lookout popular for sunrise photos. You don’t want to be there at 9 am on an August Saturday.

Accommodation recommendations: There are several places just outside the park for boondocking and camping. Some are parking lots with primitive facilities, some are campgrounds, and some are mere pulloffs, but all are beautiful. I highly recommend entering the park long before timed reservations start at 7am. We were in the park before 5am on weekday hikes, and it was already abuzz with others.

Recommended Hikes near Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Fremont Lookout via Sourdough Ridge: Even though this is a popular trail, I highly recommend it for pre-dawn into dawn. Some people start as early as 3 am to be at the lookout for the first crack of sunlight. It’s less than 3 miles to the old fire lookout, so starting that early isn’t necessary unless you really want to take your time. The views of Rainier on the way up are unmatched. We started around 5:15 am, for a 6 am sunrise, and while we weren’t actually at the lookout for first light, we got great colors all the way up. The 6-mile round-trip can be done in a little over 2 hours.

Burroughs Mountain Loop: This can be tagged onto several other hikes, including the Fremont Lookout. The whole area is just stunning, and it never gets old seeing Mount Rainier from a different angle and in different light. This loops back on the Wonderland Trail, which seems to stay less-trafficked in the morning. Round-trip 10 miles and 2,600 feet of climbing.

Skyline Loop: Probably the most popular hike in the park, if you’re only doing one. That’s because you get a pretty epic bang for your buck. Only 5.6 miles for the loop, and 1,800 feet of climbing. Views of Rainier are spectacular, along with Myrtle Falls, and several look-out points.