I may be a bit bias about Washington National Parks since we live in Washington but I do have to say we have some amazing National Parks in Washington. There is just something special about Mount Rainier and how it looms over the state. Olympic National Park offers everything from coastal exploration to hot springs and rainforest to explore. North Cascades is a hikers paradise plus all of the historic sites to explore in our great state.
Washington state is home to three national parks: North Cascades National Park, Olympic National Park, and Mount Rainier National Park, which is on Seattle’s doorstep.
National Parks in Washington
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North Cascades National Park
This national park is the northernmost of Washington’s national parks. It consists of three separate park units, unified within the Stephen Mather Wilderness. There are no entrance fees, but there is a charge to camp at some campgrounds.
The park is open all year, although some roads, campgrounds and visitor facilities close in winter. High elevation trails above 2,000 feet, including the Pacific Crest Trail, will usually have some snow cover between October and July.
At all times of the year, hikers should be prepared for precipitation and sudden changes of weather. The western slopes of the Cascades are usually much wetter than the eastern slopes. The driest time of year is normally high summer from July to September.
Between April and November, North Cascades National Park can be reached from State Route 20 (the North Cascades Highway). State Route 20 beyond Washington Pass is closed in winter, and other parts of State Route 20 may also be closed because of weather. The Ross Lake National Recreational Area is also accessible from the north by the Silver-Skagit gravel road, which descends from Hope, British Columbia.
The Lake Chelan National Recreational Area and Stehekin Valley cannot be reached by car. It is accessible by passenger ferry, or by airplane from Chelan.
Olympic National Park
This national park is the westernmost of Washington’s national parks. The Hoh and the Quileute native peoples both have reserves within the park. Olympic National Park has been designated an International Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site.
Park fees for single visits are charged by the car, or by the individual on smaller vehicles or other modes of transportation. Additional fees apply for camping or backcountry permits.
The park is open all year, although some roads, campgrounds, and visitor facilities close in winter. High-elevation trails above 2,000 feet will usually have some snow cover between October and July. Trail sections that run along the beach are often completely covered during high tide.
At all times of the year, hikers should be prepared for precipitation and sudden changes of weather. The western mountain slopes are much wetter than the eastern slopes. For example, the temperate rain forest along the western valleys of Mount Olympus receives about 12 feet of rain each year. Even more, precipitation falls higher up, much of it as snow. The driest time of year is high summer from July to September.
Olympic National Park can be reached by U.S. 101. Several ferries also operate into Port Angeles and Port Townsend.
Mount Rainier National Park
This national park contains the active stratovolcano Mount Rainier, the tallest volcano in the continental United States and the highest point in the Cascade Range, as well as its immediate surroundings. Mount Rainier is the dominant landmark for the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metropolitan area.
Park fees for single visits are charged by the car, or by the individual on smaller vehicles or other modes of transportation. Additional fees apply for climbing permits. Back country permits are free, but limited in number. During the summer, the Wonderland Trail is so popular that back country permits are only available by lottery before May.
The park is open all year, although some roads, campgrounds, and visitor facilities close in winter. There is always some permanent snow cover near the glaciers.
Hikers in Mount Rainier National Park should be aware that the volcano is much more active than previously thought. Although no eruption is imminent as of the time of writing, Mount Rainier has erupted previously, the most recent time most recently in 1854. Even today, its ongoing geothermal heat is sufficient to keep both its craters free of ice in the midst of surrounding glaciers.
At all times of the year, hikers on the Wonderland Trail and in other parts of Mount Rainier National Park should be prepared for precipitation and sudden changes of weather. The western slopes of Mount Rainier are much wetter than its eastern slopes. In particular, Paradise is notorious for its 126 annual inches of rain and 26 annual feet of snow. The driest time of year is usually high summer from July to September.
Mount Rainier National Park can be reached from the west by State Route 706, and from the east by State Routes 123 and 410. Between April and November, the park can also be reached from the northeast by State Route 165, although car access from this direction is limited. Although public transit does not run to the park itself, some of the trails leading into the park can be reached from Seattle by public transit.
John Muir Quote at Mount Rainier National Park
National Parks in Washington
Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park – Seattle Unit
Lake Chelan National Recreation Area
Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area
Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail
Lewis and Clark National Historical Park
Manhattan Project National Historical Park
Minidoka National Historic Site
Mount Rainier National Park
Nez Perce National Historical Park
North Cascades National Park
Olympic National Park
Oregon National Historic Trail
San Juan Island National Historical Park
Whitman Mission National Historic Site
Wing Luke Museum
There are 15 National Parks in Washington that receive over 8.5 million visitors each year. These visitors produce over $526 million in economic benefits.
The National Parks in Washington include 1 National Trail and 1,541 National Register of Historic Places listings. There are 24 National Historic Landmarks and 18 National Natural Landmarks in Washington National Parks.
Washington has 1 UNESCO World Heritage Site (See this list for all of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the United States), 827 places recorded by the Heritage Documentation Program and over 5.9 million objects in the Washington National Park museum collections. There is also 1,128 archeological sites.
For an entire list of US National Parks head over to our list of US National Parks in Alphabetical Order. We also have a printable checklist of all 417 National Park properties in the United States available.
If you have dreamed of working in the National Parks make sure and check out our article on How to Become a Park Ranger. Working in the parks is one of the most amazing jobs you can find. There is just something special about waking up and knowing you are going to work in a beautiful park.
Check out the National Parks in neighboring states
