8 of the best day trips from Seattle

12.12.2023 - 09:41 / lonelyplanet.com

With everything Seattle has to offer, it can be hard to imagine wanting to get out of the city for even just an hour or two.

Museums can be saved for rainy days, and it would be a shame to spend sunshine hours in craft breweries when there’s such gorgeous scenery to enjoy beyond the city limits. 

Whether you need a break from the tourist crowds and bustle of downtown, are looking for a serious hike, or have a pup threatening all the zoomies after being dragged to yet another farmers market, there are plenty of opportunities to get out of Seattle for the day.  In fact, some of the most breathtaking scenery, charming towns and picturesque back roads in Washington state lie within an easy drive or ferry ride out of the city. Here are some of our favorite day trips from Seattle.

Travel time: 2 hours

The drive – about two hours, depending on the route and traffic conditions – makes this a bit of an investment for a day trip, but you can’t be this close to one of the most impressive mountains in the United States and not go see it.

The views are spectacular, whether it's a sunny spring day with wildflowers in bloom, a moody, cloudy afternoon, or a snowy winter’s day. 

You could easily spend weeks hiking in the Mt Rainier area (permits permitting), but you can develop a healthy appreciation for the place through any of the several day hikes from Paradise, which is home to the relaxing Paradise Inn and a visitor center. 

Paradise also makes for a fun Seattle day trip during the winter because it's one of the most popular areas in the park for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and snowboarding. It's also the only area in the park that allows sledding. Bring good shoes, warm clothes and a camera. Try to visit midweek to avoid crowds.

How to get to Mt Rainier National Park from Seattle: The park has year-round access via the Nisqually Entrance, just under 90 miles and an almost two-hour drive from Seattle along SR-706. If you use GPS, use the address 39000 State Route 706 E, Ashford, WA 98304, or you’ll otherwise be taken to the park headquarters in Ashford.

From the Nisqually Entrance, it’s another 29 miles via Longmire to the Henry M Jackson Visitor Center in Paradise, where you can find parking and several trailheads. Note that in winter, the road between Longmire and Paradise is closed at night.

If your idea of a successful day trip to Mt Rainier involves hiking and biking, the Carbon River Entrance is a little over 60 miles – nearly 1½ hours – along SR-165. No cars are allowed beyond this entrance, only pedestrians and cyclists. 

You can also enter the park on its east side during the summer. It’s just under 82 miles – 1¾ hours – from Seattle to the White River Entrance via SR-167 and SR-410. From there, it’s