It’s no secret that Washington State has the most incredible abundance of outdoor attraction. From the North Cascades to the Washington Coast, you can spend a good part of your Pacific Northwest vacation exploring the scenic areas of the wilderness and forest of Washington State Parks.

With glacier capped mountains, sub-alpine meadows filled with wildflowers, and cascading waterfalls, some of the most beautiful settings in the Pacific Northwest are to be discovered on a Washington State vacation.

There are three major mountain ranges in the Pacific Northwest state of Washington. On the Olympic Peninsula, the Olympic Mountains are clearly visible from Seattle. Surrounded on three sides by water, the views of the region from the wild, remote peaks of the Olympics are unsurpassed.

With the Cascades to the east, the Straight of San Juan de Fuca to the North, and the Washington coast in the west, you will find beauty in every direction you go. Set in one of the wildest Washington State Parks, the Olympic National Park, some parts of the mountains are though to still be unexplored.

A highlight of any Pacific Northwest vacation is a visit to Hurricane Ridge. While it might sound foreboding, this is actually an incredibly beautiful place that allows you to see views of surrounding green meadows, the glacial peaks of the Olympics, and the Straight of San Juan de Fuca to the North. You can easily include a visit to Hurricane Ridge a part of your Pacific Northwest travel plans if you’re in the Western part of Washington State. Hurricane Ridge is only 17 miles from Port Angeles, which the roads in the area have to pass through.

In the east, the Cascade Mountains offer enough scenic beauty and outdoor activity that you could devote an entire week of your tour of the Pacific Northwest in this mountain range and still not see it all. A number of the peaks of the Cascade Mountains rise over 10,000 feet, and some of the most well known mountains are also in Eastern Washington.

The North Cascades is home to the most remote areas in the Pacific Northwest. It is no wonder that a Bavarian-style mountain village of Leavenworth is an attraction. Away from the tourist areas, relaxed places like Lake Chelan are great for enjoying your Pacific Northwest vacation surrounded by wildlife and a deep, sparkling glacial lake.

Giants of the Cascade Mountains are the towering Mt Rainier, which is actually a dormant volcano, rising over 14,000 feet into the air, and is visible from hundreds of miles away. The active volcano Mt St Helens is a popular destination, especially since its seismic activity increased recently in 2004. Mt Baker is in the northern part of the Cascade Mountains, and there are always climbers who are scaling its glaciers in search of challenge and adventure. One that only Pacific Northwest travel to the mountains can provide.