# Road trips in Washington > 11 road trips and 38 hand-picked places in Washington, with routes, stops and practical tips for driving and camping. Source: https://camping-spirit.com/roadtrips/washington/ 11 road trips and 38 hand-picked places in Washington, with routes, stops and practical tips for driving and camping. ## Road trips through Washington - [North Cascades Highway](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/north-cascades/): A turquoise lake below jagged peaks, a Wild West town and a Bavarian village in the Cascades. - [San Juan Islands by ferry](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b8-san-juan-islands/): From Seattle over Deception Pass to Anacortes, then by state ferry to San Juan and Orcas islands for orcas, lighthouses and island views. - [Mount Rainier’s east side: Sunrise and Chinook Pass](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b17-rainier-sunrise/): From Enumclaw to the highest road in Mount Rainier National Park, over Chinook Pass and along Stevens Canyon to Paradise and Ashford. - [Olympic Peninsula loop: ridges, rain forest and wild beaches](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b17-olympic-loop/): From Port Angeles up Hurricane Ridge, around Lake Crescent to Cape Flattery, then down the wild Pacific beaches to the Quinault rain forest. - [Coulee Corridor: Grand Coulee Dam to Dry Falls](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b17-coulee-corridor/): Through the dry canyons carved by Ice Age floods, from Grand Coulee Dam past Steamboat Rock and Dry Falls to the petrified wood at Vantage. - [Chuckanut Drive and the Mount Baker Highway](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b17-mount-baker/): Along the sandstone shore of Chuckanut Drive to Bellingham, then up the Mount Baker Highway to waterfalls and alpine lakes below Mount Shuksan. - [The Palouse: wheat hills and a hidden waterfall](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b8-palouse-hills/): South from Spokane into the rolling farmland of the Palouse, with a summit view from Steptoe Butte, a dramatic canyon waterfall and two college towns. - [Mount St. Helens south and east: Ape Cave to Windy Ridge](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b17-st-helens-east/): Walk a lava tube, cross a mudflow gorge and look into the crater from the east side of Mount St. Helens on quiet forest roads. - [Rainier and St. Helens volcano loop](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/volcano-loop-wa/): Wildflower meadows at Paradise and the blast zone of Mount St. Helens, between Seattle and Portland. - [The Olympic Peninsula by RV](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/olympic-rv/): Rain forest campgrounds, Pacific sea stacks and chowder at Pike Place. - [Columbia Gorge east: Crown Point to Maryhill](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b17-gorge-east/): Both sides of the Columbia River Gorge, from Vista House and Beacon Rock to the looping curves at Rowena, rock art and a concrete Stonehenge. ## Places worth the detour in Washington - [Hoh Rain Forest](https://camping-spirit.com/places/hoh-rainforest/): Moss-draped maples and 12 feet of rain a year. The Hall of Mosses loop in Olympic National Park takes under an hour. - [Diablo Lake Overlook](https://camping-spirit.com/places/diablo-lake/): Glacial flour turns this reservoir a bright milky turquoise below the North Cascades peaks. - [Paradise, Mount Rainier](https://camping-spirit.com/places/paradise-rainier/): Wildflower meadows at 5,400 feet on the flank of Mount Rainier, with trails toward the glaciers. - [Deception Pass Bridge](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b8-deception-pass/): A 1935 steel bridge high above a tidal channel where the current runs like a river. Park at the lots on either end and walk out on the narrow sidewalk. - [Lime Kiln Point State Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b8-lime-kiln/): A small lighthouse on the west shore of San Juan Island, one of the best places in the country to watch orcas from land. Bring binoculars and patience; summer is the best season. - [Steptoe Butte](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b8-steptoe-butte/): A quartzite knob rising above the rolling wheat hills of the Palouse. A narrow road spirals to the top, where photographers gather at sunrise and sunset. - [Palouse Falls](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b8-palouse-falls/): Washington’s state waterfall drops about 200 feet into a basalt bowl carved by Ice Age floods. The viewpoints are a short walk from the parking area; stay behind the fences. - [Sunrise, Mount Rainier](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b17-sunrise-rainier/): The highest point reachable by car in Mount Rainier National Park, at 6,400 feet, facing the Emmons Glacier. The road is usually open from early July to late September; trails lead to Frozen Lake and Mount Fremont Lookout. - [Hurricane Ridge](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b17-hurricane-ridge/): A ridge at 5,200 feet facing the glaciers of Mount Olympus, 17 miles up from Port Angeles. The day lodge burned in 2023, so bring food; check road hours, as winter access is limited. - [Cape Flattery](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b17-cape-flattery/): The northwesternmost point of the contiguous United States, on the Makah Reservation. A boardwalk trail of about 1.5 miles round trip leads to cliff platforms over sea caves; buy a Makah Recreation Pass in Neah Bay. - [Ape Cave](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b17-ape-cave/): A lava tube over two miles long on the south side of Mount St. Helens. The lower cave is an easy walk in the dark; bring two lights and warm clothes, and book a timed entry in summer. - [Windy Ridge Viewpoint](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b17-windy-ridge/): A viewpoint on the east side of Mount St. Helens looking into the crater and over Spirit Lake, still covered with floating logs from 1980. Forest Road 99 is usually open only from early summer to autumn. - [Grand Coulee Dam](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b17-grand-coulee-dam/): The largest hydroelectric dam in the United States, holding back Lake Roosevelt on the Columbia River. The visitor center tells the story of the dam and the Ice Age floods; parking is free. - [Dry Falls](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b17-dry-falls/): The skeleton of a waterfall 3.5 miles wide and 400 feet high, created by Ice Age floods. The overlook and visitor center are on SR-17 in Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park; the center opens in the warmer months. - [Picture Lake](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b17-picture-lake/): A small lake at Heather Meadows whose surface reflects the glaciers of Mount Shuksan. A short level loop circles the shore; it is reached by SR-542 and stays snowy until early summer. - [Pike Place Market](https://camping-spirit.com/places/pike-place/): A public market since 1907, with fishmongers tossing salmon, stalls of produce and flowers, and good chowder. - [Fremont Troll](https://camping-spirit.com/places/fremont-troll/): An 18-foot concrete troll crushing a real VW Beetle under the Aurora Bridge. - [Hoh Campground](https://camping-spirit.com/places/cg-hoh/): Mossy riverside sites in the rain forest. Bring rain gear whatever the forecast says. - [Johnston Ridge Observatory](https://camping-spirit.com/places/johnston-ridge/): A viewpoint looking straight into the crater of Mount St. Helens, five miles from the 1980 blast. - [Mount Constitution](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b8-mount-constitution/): The highest point of the San Juan Islands, in Moran State Park, topped by a stone lookout tower built by the CCC. A steep, winding road climbs to the summit parking. - [Tipsoo Lake](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b17-tipsoo-lake/): A small subalpine lake below Chinook Pass on SR-410, with Rainier reflected in calm water. Wildflowers peak in late July and August on the Naches Peak Loop, which starts here; SR-410 closes in winter. - [Box Canyon](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b17-box-canyon-wa/): A slot about 115 feet deep cut by the Muddy Fork of the Cowlitz, seen from the road bridge on Stevens Canyon Road. A short loop crosses polished glacial bedrock; parking is roadside. - [Reflection Lakes](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b17-reflection-lakes/): Roadside lakes on Stevens Canyon Road that mirror Mount Rainier on calm mornings. Parking is along the shoulder; fishing, swimming and walking on the shore meadows are not allowed. - [Marymere Falls](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b17-marymere-falls/): A 90-foot waterfall reached by an easy trail of about 1.8 miles round trip through old forest from the Storm King area on Lake Crescent. Park at the ranger station off US-101. - [Sol Duc Falls](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b17-sol-duc-falls/): A waterfall splitting into several channels as it drops into a mossy slot canyon. The trail is under a mile each way from the end of Sol Duc Road, past the hot springs resort. - [Rialto Beach](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b17-rialto-beach/): A wild beach of drift logs and sea stacks at the mouth of the Quillayute River. Walk 1.5 miles north to the Hole-in-the-Wall arch at low tide; the car park is at the end of the road from Forks. - [Ruby Beach](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b17-ruby-beach/): A beach of sea stacks, driftwood and reddish sand on the Olympic coast, a short walk down from a pull-out on US-101. Sunset is the favourite time; the lot is small and fills in summer. - [Quinault Rain Forest](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b17-quinault-rainforest/): Temperate rain forest around Lake Quinault, with record-size trees and moss-draped maples. The Quinault Loop Trail starts on South Shore Road; a 31-mile drive loops around the lake and valley. - [Lava Canyon](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b17-lava-canyon/): A gorge scoured out by the 1980 mudflows, with waterfalls and a suspension bridge. The upper loop is short and partly accessible; the lower trail is steep and exposed. At the end of Forest Road 83. - [Beacon Rock State Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b17-beacon-rock/): A volcanic plug on the Washington bank of the Columbia, climbed by a trail of about 50 switchbacks and railings to an 848-foot summit. A Discover Pass is needed to park. - [Columbia Hills Historical State Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b17-columbia-hills/): A riverside park at Horsethief Lake with Native American petroglyphs moved from lands flooded by The Dalles Dam. The famous She Who Watches image can be seen only on free guided walks booked ahead. - [Maryhill Stonehenge](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b17-maryhill-stonehenge/): A full-size concrete replica of Stonehenge built by Sam Hill as a First World War memorial, on a bluff above the Columbia. It is free and open daily, off SR-14 east of the Maryhill Museum. - [Steamboat Rock State Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b17-steamboat-rock/): A basalt butte rising 800 feet from Banks Lake, with a steep trail to a flat top covered in sagebrush. The lakeshore campgrounds are popular; a Discover Pass is needed for day use. - [Lake Lenore Caves](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b17-lake-lenore-caves/): Shallow rock shelters in a basalt coulee wall, used by prehistoric hunters. A short but rocky trail with stairs climbs from a small lot off SR-17 above Lake Lenore; bring water in summer. - [Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b17-ginkgo-forest/): An interpretive center at Vantage displaying polished petrified wood, with a view over the Columbia River. A separate trail area a few miles west shows logs still in the ground; a Discover Pass is needed. - [Larrabee State Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b17-larrabee/): Washington’s first state park, on Chuckanut Drive, with sandstone tide pools, forest trails and sunset views over the San Juan Islands. A Discover Pass is needed; the campground takes medium-size RVs. - [Nooksack Falls](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b17-nooksack-falls/): An 88-foot waterfall plunging into a gorge, a short walk from a small lot at the end of a side road off SR-542. Stay behind the fences; the rocks are slippery and the drop is sheer. - [Artist Point](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b17-artist-point/): The end of the Mount Baker Highway at about 5,100 feet, between Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan. The last section usually opens from mid-July to late September; a Northwest Forest Pass is required. ## FAQs **What are the best road trips in Washington?** Popular routes include North Cascades Highway, San Juan Islands by ferry, Mount Rainier’s east side: Sunrise and Chinook Pass and Olympic Peninsula loop: ridges, rain forest and wild beaches. CampingSpirit has 11 trip guides that pass through Washington, each with a stop-by-stop itinerary and a route map. **Which places in Washington are worth a detour?** Our editors recommend Hoh Rain Forest, Diablo Lake Overlook, Paradise, Mount Rainier, Deception Pass Bridge, Lime Kiln Point State Park and Steptoe Butte.