top 10 things to do in
top 10 things to do in
Do you love beautiful places? If so, you should check out Seattle. Nestled between Olympic National Park and Snoqualmie National Park, there’s an endless list of gorgeous sites to visit within a short drive of Seattle.
And, of course, there are plenty of amazing sites to see in the city as well, including the incredible views from the famous Space Needle and the Seattle Japanese Garden, to name a couple. Check out this list of our top things to do in Seattle.
1. Mt Rainier
There are loads of great trails and gorgeous views atop glacier-capped Mt. Rainer. You can enjoy almost every type of outdoor activity on the mountain including swimming, skiing, hiking, kayaking, biking and more. Dress in layers because the weather conditions can change frequently on the mountain. It may be warm and sunny in the morning and turn chilly and rainy by the afternoon. From Sunrise, the highest point in the park that is reachable by vehicle, you can enjoy amazing views of Rainier as well as other nearby volcanoes including Mt. Adams.
2. Paradise/Skyline Loop Trail
Starting in the Paradise Parking Lot at the Jackson Visitor Center, which is a great place to grab a bite to eat, locate the Skyline Trailhead and follow the signs for this easy walking loop. Along the way you’ll be treated to views of colorful meadows, pretty waterfalls, glaciers and adorable marmots who burrow in the ground near the streams.
3. Grove of the Patriarchs Trail
We had a great time walking around the magnificently giant trees at Grove of the Patriarchs. The forest was so lush and alive with the sounds of nature as we meandered over dirt trails, boardwalks and really cool suspension bridges which was our favorite part.
4. Snoqualmie Falls
Any fan of the popular serial show, Twin Peaks, is sure to recognize this beautiful 268-foot high waterfall, just 30 minutes outside of Seattle. The best part of visiting Snoqualmie Falls is that it’s a really easy hike down to a viewing platform that rewards you with incredible views of the falls and the pools below – big bang for your buck!
5. Seattle Japanese Garden
We adore walking around beautiful botanic gardens and The Seattle Japanese Garden was no exception. While enjoying all the fast-paced shops and other attractions that Seattle offers, take a little break and escape to this quiet oasis in Madison Park. There’s something magical about being surrounded by the type of beauty that only nature can provide. Our favorite part of our visit to the Seattle Japanese Garden was watching the turtles basking in the sun by the pond.
6. Space Needle & Chihuly Gardens
We opted to purchase a combined ticket which included the Space Needle and the Chihuly Gardens. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Dale Chihuly’s work, Google it now. Chihuly makes gorgeous glass art which we’ve seen all over the U.S. during our travels so we were excited to learn that there is a pretty large exhibit in Seattle. Chihuly’s art, combined with the beauty of the space needle was well worth the 30 minute wait we endured to get to the top of the needle.
Once at the top, we could see so far in every direction. The views are incredible and there are these terrifying seats with clear floors that made us feel like we were falling. It was far too scary for us so we just stayed away from them. But if you love heights, you will really enjoy those chairs. Either way, the view from the top is incredible and the glass artwork at the bottom is spectacular.
7. Sky View Observatory
While the Space Needle is synonymous with Seattle, the Sky View Observatory is incredible in its own right. Offering sweeping views of the city and surrounding mountains, this observatory is a great alternative to, arguably even better than, the Space Needle because it’s taller, cheaper and gives you cool views of the Space Needle. The Sky View Observatory also tends to be quieter and less crowded than the very popular Space Needle. The views from either are unique and breathtaking. If you can, I’d suggest checking out both.
8. Hoh Rainforest
Inside Olympic National Park is the incredible Hoh Rainforest. This lush rainforest offers so many great hiking trails including the Hall of Mosses Trail which will make you feel like you’ve stepped back to prehistoric times surrounded by enormous trees. Another great trail in the rainforest is the Sitke Nature Trail which starts at the Hoh Rainforest Visitor Center and rewards you with spectacular views of the Hoh River and beyond.
9. Kalaloch Beach
On the way to the Hoh Rainforest, you should definitely stop off in Kalaloch and take a walk along Kalaloch Beach. There’s an incredible tree, called the Tree of Life, which is growing right over a divide in the land and the root system creates a really cool cave. We had a great time just walking up and down the beach, watching kids and dogs playing. The Tree of Life was just icing on the cake.
10. Sol Duc Falls
There are several ways to see the incredible Sol Duc Falls which are located in Olympic National Park. Our favorite view of the falls was from a bridge that crosses the river at the top of the falls.
This gorgeous waterfall plunges 48 feet into the canyon below. It’s an easy and pretty hike from the parking lot to the falls. This one is a must see.
Bonus: Lake Crescent
So, obviously, there’s a lot of incredible stuff to see and do in Olympic National Park. We’d be remiss not to single out the beauty of Lake Crescent. Our trip didn’t include any significant time at the lake but we did have the pleasure of driving along the lake for quite a while on our way to other points in the park. We were mesmerized by the sight of the pristine lake nestled at the bottom of the majestic mountains. I’d recommend building in some time to get out on the lake in a kayak or canoe – maybe even spend a few days at the lake.
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