Washington Cascade Mountains and Valleys
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Washington Cascade Mountains and Valleys - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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21. RoozenGaarde
The Roozen family and Washington Bulb Company established this 1,200-acre estate in Mount Vernon in 1985—it's the world's largest family-owned tulip-, daffodil-, and iris-growing business. Sixteen acres of greenhouses are filled with multicolored blossoms, and more than 200,000 bulbs are planted in the show gardens each fall. The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, held in April, is the main event, when the flowers pop up in neat, brilliant rows across the flat land, attracting thousands of sightseers. The garden and store are open year-round, and the staff is full of helpful advice for both novice and experienced gardeners. RoozenGarde is 6 miles east of La Conner.
15867 Beaver Marsh Rd., La Conner, Washington, 98273, USA360-424–8531Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
22. Snoqualmie Falls
Winter through early summer, rain and snowmelt turn the Snoqualmie River into a thundering torrent at Snoqualmie Falls, although the view is pretty astounding even during dry periods. These sweeping cascades, which the region's indigenous residents consider sacred, provided the backdrop for the Twin Peaks opening montage. The water pours over a 268-foot rock ledge (100 feet higher than Niagara Falls) to a 65-foot-deep pool. A privately owned 2-acre park with a gift shop and observation platform affords some of the best views of the falls and the mountains beyond, as does the elegant Salish Lodge hotel. The 3-mile round-trip River Trail winds through trees and over open slopes to the base of the cascades.
View Tours and Activities6351 S.E. Railroad Ave., Snoqualmie, Washington, 98024, USA425-831–6525Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
23. Spirit Lake Highway
Officially known as Highway 504, this winding road rises 4,000 feet from the town of Castle Rock (just off I–5, Exit 49) to within about 5 miles of the Mt. St. Helens summit. Several visitor centers explain the region's geology and geography, and several turnouts afford views of the destruction wrought upon the Toutle and Cowlitz river valleys.
Castle Rock, Washington, USA -
24. Suquamish Museum
One of the best museums focusing on the state's rich and still thriving indigenous culture, this small but beautiful LEED-certified structure a 10-minute drive from Poulsbo contains handsomely designed exhibits about the Suquamish Tribe, including a historical canoe, wood carvings, a re-created longhouse, and multimedia presentations. Outside, pathways lead through a small botanical garden and down the hill to an evergreen-shaded park with picnic tables. If you have extra time, stroll a couple of blocks up the hill to St. Peter's Mission Cemetery to view the gravesite of Chief Sealth, for whom Seattle is named—his headstone is bracketed by a pair of ornately carved totem poles. Each August, the community welcomes all to celebrate Chief Seattle Days—with a salmon bake, royal pageant, games, food, and music.
6861 N.E. South St., Poulsbo, Washington, 98392, USA394–8499Sight Details
Rate Includes: $5, Closed Mon. and Tues. in winter -
25. Tacoma Art Museum
Adorned in glass and steel, this modern masterpiece by architect Antoine Predock wraps around a beautiful garden and holds paintings, ceramics, sculptures, and other creations dating from the 18th century to the present, with an emphasis on Western U.S. artists, including many indigenous talents. On view is the largest permanent collection of glass works by Dale Chihuly, and the stunning, light-filled Benaroya Wing—designed by Olson Kundig and opened in 2019—displays hundreds of new works, included pieces by artists trained at the prestigious Pilchuck Glass School.
1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, Washington, 98402, USA253-272–4258Sight Details
Rate Includes: $18, Closed Mon. and Tues. -
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26. Washington State History Museum
Washington's official history museum presents interactive exhibits and multimedia installations about the exploration and settlement of the state. Exhibits are wide-ranging and artfully designed, and feature Native American, Inuit, and pioneer artifacts, and mining, logging, and railroad relics. The upstairs gallery hosts rotating exhibits, and summer programs are staged in the outdoor amphitheater. During the winter holiday season, the Model Train Festival is one of the museum's top draws.
1911 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, Washington, 98402, USA253-272–3500Sight Details
Rate Includes: $14, Closed Mon. -
27. Whatcom Museum
Bellingham's art and history museum fills three buildings near one another downtown; its centerpiece is the Lightcatcher, a LEED-certified building with an 180-foot-long translucent wall. It's home to FIG, the hands-on Family Interactive Gallery, along with permanent collections of contemporary Northwest artists and spaces for rotating exhibits. Three blocks away, Bellingham's imposing redbrick former city hall dates to 1892, became a museum in 1941, and now contains historic exhibits. The third building, the Syre Education Center, contains a photographic archive. The museum's restaurant, Bar Cicotti, is in the Lightcatcher and garners raves for its creative Northern Italian lunch and dinner fare.
250 Flora St., Bellingham, Washington, 98225, USA360-778–8930Sight Details
Rate Includes: $10, Closed Mon. and Tues. -
28. Woodinville Whiskey Co.
It's not all wine in these parts: this outstanding whiskey maker produces fine spirits from a bourbon recipe that dates back generations. You can tour the beautiful, modern distillery with its towering grain silo and tall windows, sampling the straight bourbon and rye whiskeys that have earned numerous awards. Across the parking lot in the endearingly offbeat Hollywood Tavern, you can sip whiskey cocktails, feast on well-crafted gastropub fare, and—occasionally—listen to live music on the shaded patio.
14509 Woodinville Redmond Rd. NE, Woodinville, Washington, 98072, USA425-486–1199Sight Details
Rate Includes: Tastings $10 -
29. 222 Market
Market/BazaarOlympia's foodie cred received a boost in 2015 with the opening of this artisanal marketplace just a couple of blocks east of Percival Landing and a short walk south of the city's renowned Farmers Market. The warren of boutique restaurants and food purveyors includes the long-running Bread Peddler bakery along with about 10 newer outlets specializing in everything from sustainable shellfish and bone broths to small-batch whiskey and premium gelato. There's also a florist and gourmet market.
222 Capitol Way N, Olympia, Washington, 98501, USA -
30. Ape Cave
Measuring nearly 2½ miles in mapped length, Ape Cave is the longest continuous lava tube in the continental United States. Two routes traverse the tube: the lower route is an easy hour-long hike, while the upper route is more challenging and takes about three hours. Bring at least two light sources (you can rent lanterns from the headquarters for $5 in summer) and warm clothing. In high season ranger-led walks are sometimes available; inquire at the Apes' Headquarters, off Forest Service Road 8303, three miles north of the junction of Forest Roads 83 and 90. Although Ape Cave is open year-round, the headquarters closes November through April. A Northwest Forest Pass ($5 daily) is required for parking (or a Sno-Park permit during winter).
Cougar, Washington, 98616, USA360-449–7800-headquartersSight Details
Rate Includes: Parking $5 -
31. Bay View State Park
Adjoining the small waterfront community of the same name, this scenic 25-acre park has a campground with cabins in the woods and picnic tables on the low grassy bluff above Padilla Bay, a national estaurine sanctuary. Canoers and kayakers take note: Padilla Bay runs almost dry at low tide, when water is restricted to a few creeklike tidal channels.
10905 Bay View–Edison Rd., Mount Vernon, Washington, 98274, USA360-757–0227Sight Details
Rate Includes: $10 parking, Daily 8 am–dusk -
32. Bloedel Donovan Park
The only public access in Bellingham to rippling, 14-mile-long Lake Whatcom is at its north end, in this park about a 10-minute drive east of downtown. Locals swim in the sheltered, if rather brisk, waters of a cove. Keep an eye out for beavers, river otters, ducks, great blue herons, and yellow pond lilies at Scudder Pond, which is another 100 feet west (reached by trail from the parking area at Northshore and Alabama).
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33. Boeing Future of Flight
The vast 98-acre campus where the Boeing Everett line (767, 777, and 787 Dreamliner) is produced holds the world's largest building—so big that it often creates its own weather system inside. At the start of the pandemic, factory tours were halted, and as of this writing, there's no timeframe regarding their return. Visitors can still visit an enormous gallery with cutaways of airplane fuselages, up-close looks at the inner workings of navigation and hydraulic systems, and interactive exhibits on satellites, submarines, and space travel. You can even walk inside a space station module that was launched on an actual space shuttle mission. There's also a café, a kid-oriented family zone, and the Sky Deck atop the building, where you're treated to views of jets taking off and landing at adjacent Paine Field and impressive views of the surrounding mountains and Puget Sound.
8415 Paine Field Blvd., Everett, Washington, 98275, USA800-464–1476Sight Details
Rate Includes: $12, Closed Tues. and Wed. -
34. Boulevard Park
With a long pier, a boardwalk over an old rail trestle, and a paved trail that skirts the waterfront overlooking the islands of Bellingham Bay, this leafy community park between downtown and Fairhaven is one of the loveliest spots in the area to stroll, jog, read a book, or watch the sailboats. At the center of the park is a branch of the popular local café Woods, which offers sweeping water views. Other amenities include a playground, a small beach, barbecue grills, and picnic tables.
470 Bayview Dr., Bellingham, Washington, 98225, USA -
35. Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls
This 15-acre swatch of towering evergreen trees is bisected by the roaring Deschutes River and set around the late Victorian buildings that once housed Olympia Brewery. At the south end of the park, you can visit a small salmon fish hatchery and then follow wooded paths and cross foot bridges as your make your way north alongside the rushing cascades. The path leads to Tumwater Historical Park and then under Interstate 5 to downtown Olympia's Capitol Park. Owned by the nonprofit Olympia Tumwater Foundation, this stretch of greenery offers an interesting mix of historical industrial architecture and nature, including local birdlife.
110 Deschutes Way SW, Olympia, Washington, 98501, USA360-943–2550Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
36. Browne Family Vineyards
At this large, modern tasting room in the center of downtown Bellevue, sample the exceptional wines of this acclaimed Walla Walla–based vintner, which routinely scores high marks for its Cabernet Sauvignons, Malbecs, and other typically French oak–aged Bordeaux-style vintages, including blends. In this clubby, warmly lighted space, you can also sample the Browne Family's bourbons and ryes.
10245 Main St., Bellevue, Washington, 98004, USA425-400–5505Sight Details
Rate Includes: Tastings from $20 -
37. Cascadia Art Museum
One of the more imaginative adaptations you'll ever see of a mid-century modern grocery store, this sustainably designed regional art museum sits on the edge of downtown Edmonds, steps from the ferry terminal. The museum presents rotating exhibits that focus heavily on Pacific Northwest art from the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries, and the curators make it an important part of their mission to include female, minority, and LGBTQ artists. Classical music performances are held here monthly.
190 Sunset Ave. S, Edmonds, Washington, 98020, USA425-336–4809Sight Details
Rate Includes: $12, Closed Mon. and Tues. -
38. Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery
The state's oldest and largest—it owns several other prominent Washington producers—winemaker is set on a gracious, 118-acre former lumber baron's estate laced with manicured lawns and gardens and anchored by a grandiose, chateau-inspired winery. Guests can book a variety of tastings and tours and sup on light bistro fare such as cured-meat boards and shrimp and grits. In summer, nationally known pop and jazz stars perform in the winery's amphitheater.
14111 NE 145th St., Woodinville, Washington, 98072, USA425-488–1133Sight Details
Rate Includes: Tastings from $25 -
39. Chehalis–Centralia Railroad & Museum
Transportation Site (Airport, Bus, Ferry, Train)Through scenic landscapes and over covered bridges, the authentic engines of the Chehalis–Centralia Steam Train will carry you on rails originally laid for logging. The line runs through farmland and rolling hills, and crosses several wooden bridges. There's a 13-mile round-trip ride and an 18-mile ride, plus dinner trains and special events.
1101 S.W. Sylvenus St., Chehalis, Washington, 98532, USA360-748–9593Sight Details
Rate Includes: $14–$17; dinner train $44, Memorial Day–Labor Day, weekends 1 and 3; call for dinner train and events schedule, $14–$17; dinner train $50, Closed weekdays and mid-Sept.–late May -
40. Chuckanut Bay Distillery
Informative tours and tastings are offered at this celebrated downtown distillery that's garnered dozens of awards for its botanical-infused gin, sweet whiskey, and Krampus herbal liqueur. The distillery's bi-level Penny Farthing Bar & Restaurant is open from mid-afternoon through dinner and serves well-crafted cocktails and Spanish-inspired tapas.
1311 Cornwall Ave., Bellingham, Washington, 98225, USA360-738–7179Sight Details
Rate Includes: Tastings $7, tours $20, Closed Mon.
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