Road trip · 3 parks · 6+ days · ~311 miles

Pacific Northwest Loop Road Trip

Rainforest, wild coast, a glaciated volcano and the 'American Alps', all within a few hours of Seattle.

Best time to go: July through September. Take the Bainbridge Island ferry from Seattle toward Olympic for a scenic start.

The route

Start: Seattle, WA

  1. Olympic National Park

    3 days · Best Jul–Sep

    ↓ ~141 miles · 3 hr to Mount Rainier

  2. Mount Rainier National Park

    2 days · Best Jul–Sep

    ↓ ~170 miles · 3½ hr to North Cascades

  3. North Cascades National Park

    1 day · Best Jul–Sep

End: Seattle, WA. Distances are approximate.

Best months for this trip

Average rating across all stops.

Stop by stop

Questions

What is the best time for a Pacific Northwest Loop road trip?

July through September are the best months, when every stop is rated good or better at the same time.

How many days do you need for Pacific Northwest Loop?

Plan at least 6 days in the parks, plus travel days. The park-to-park driving is roughly 311 miles.

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