Sightseeing Part V

The Natural World Part I

Seattle is fortunate to be located within three hours of four national parks and monuments. In fact, most of the area between Seattle and Eastern Washington is some type of federal land.

Mount Rainier National Park is probably one of the more well know national parks in our country. It is the 5th oldest national park (110 years old this year) and covers a size of 368 square miles. The main attraction in the park is Mount Rainier, the fifth tallest peak in the lower 48 states and an active volcano. There is plenty to see and do in the park including mild hikes of old growth Pacific Northwest forest. Many visitors just drive to one of the visitor's centers and go on a short walk in alpine meadows. (Paradise seems preferred over Sunrise by tourists.) Camping is another possibility. It takes about 2.5 hours to drive there from Seattle and perhaps a little longer depending on park traffic.

Speaking of volcanoes, possibly the most famous mountain in Washington State is Mount Saint Helens. It is located about three hours from Seattle in Mount Saint Helens National Monument. There is some hiking that can be done there, but it is limited due to the active nature of the mountain. There are plenty of sightseeing opportunities and it is still fairly obvious the devastation that came from the 1980 blast. Climbing the mountain (really a dusty volcanic rock/ash hike) requires a permit and a long day. There are still weekday permits available around the time of our wedding if anyone is interested and feels up to the 12 mile, 6800' elevation gain day. Otherwise, the best views of the mountain are from the north side.

Olympic National Park is across the Puget Sound from Seattle and boasts the highest annual rainfall in the contiguous United States. It has extremely varied terrain from the rugged Pacific Coast, to the glaciated 7965' Mount Olympus. (You know, where Zeus lives.) One of the main tourist attractions of the park is the Hoh Rain Forest where around twelve feet of rain fall a year. Many old growth trees exist in the park as well including some of the largest known of certain varieties. The eastern entrances of the park can be reached within a few hours of driving and ferry from Seattle, while the Hoh Rain Forest requires a ferry trip and driving that totals closer to 3.5 hours. Of course, there is a high probability of rain there if you visit.


North Cascades National Park, is the fourth major park located within a few hours drive of Seattle. Unlike the other parks, it is less developed and more rugged. There is no fee to enter the park, and one can just take in the views while driving Highway 20 through the park. The road closes due to snowfall from November to May and generally leaves little access to the park. (And it could temporarily close during September if we have a big snowfall although that is rare.) Non car activities include hiking and camping, plenty of which can be done right off the highway. Other roads in or around the park tend to be dirt, and not well maintained. Unfortunately, Cascade River Road will be closed during our wedding which is the road that takes visitors to the popular Cascade Pass area. To drive through the park and back to Seattle is likely a 5-6 hour drive depending on how far through one goes. ( We recommend not turning around before Washington Pass at the eastern end of the park.)