Waterfall · 41 min east
Snoqualmie Falls
A 268-foot falls with an overlook a short walk from the parking lot.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Year-round
- Free upper lot (cross the sky bridge); the lower lot charges for parking
Day Trippin' › Washington › From Seattle
Day trips from Seattle
From Seattle you can stand beside a 268-foot waterfall in 40 minutes, ride a ferry to an island village in under an hour, or walk the wildflower meadows of Mount Rainier in about three. Here are the best day trips from Seattle by drive time, from easy half days to big mountain days.
74 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
10 day trips from Seattle
- Snoqualmie and the Northwest Railway Museum 39 min east
- Snoqualmie Falls 41 min east
- Little Si 44 min east
- Point Defiance Park 1 hr 1 min southwest
- Poulsbo 1 hr 4 min northwest
- Skagit Valley tulip fields 1 hr 26 min north
- Deception Pass State Park 1 hr 46 min north
- Port Townsend and Fort Worden 2 hr 1 min northwest
- Sunrise 2 hr 33 min southeast
- Leavenworth 2 hr 42 min east
Within an hour from Seattle 11 spots
Museum · 39 min east
Snoqualmie and the Northwest Railway Museum
Ride a vintage train and see the old depot in the town from Twin Peaks.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round; trains run seasonally
- Train ride fee
Trail · 44 min east
Little Si
A shorter, kid-friendly climb past mossy boulders to a rocky top.
- 2-3 hrs · Moderate
- Year-round
- Discover Pass
Island · 56 min southwest
Vashon Island
A rural island a ferry ride away, with farm stands, beaches and a lighthouse.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Ferry fare
Museum · 45 min south
Museum of Glass
Watch glassblowers at work and walk the Chihuly Bridge of Glass in Tacoma.
- 2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Entry fee
Waterfall · 43 min east
Twin Falls
A riverside trail to a tall falls and a footbridge over the gorge.
- 2 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- Discover Pass
Forest · 54 min south
Carbon River
An inland rainforest on the park's northwest side, walked or biked on an old road.
- Half day · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- NPS entrance fee (no booth: buy online or by card at the ranger station)
Trail · 57 min east
Snoqualmie Tunnel
Walk or bike a 2.3-mile old railroad tunnel under the pass.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Summer-fall
- Discover Pass
1 to 2 hours from Seattle 23 spots
State park · 1 hr 46 min north
Deception Pass State Park
The famous bridge, swirling tide currents, beaches and forest trails.
- 2-4 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Discover Pass
Park · 1 hr 1 min southwest
Point Defiance Park
A huge Tacoma park with old forest, beaches, gardens, a zoo and an aquarium.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free park; zoo has a fee
Farm · 1 hr 26 min north
Skagit Valley tulip fields
Miles of tulip and daffodil fields in bloom.
- 2-4 hrs · Easy
- Late March-April
- Farm entry fees
Town · 1 hr 4 min northwest
Poulsbo
A Scandinavian-themed harbor town with bakeries and a waterfront park.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- No pass or fee needed
Wildlife refuge · 1 hr 10 min southwest
Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
A boardwalk out over the delta with herons, eagles and huge flocks of ducks.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round; birds best fall-spring
- Refuge entry fee or America the Beautiful pass (Discover Pass not accepted)
Waterfall · 1 hr 14 min northeast
Wallace Falls State Park
A forest trail to a string of waterfalls above Gold Bar.
- 3-4 hrs · Moderate
- Year-round
- Discover Pass
Scenic drive · 1 hr 51 min north
Chuckanut Drive and Larrabee State Park
A cliffside road over Samish Bay with tide pools and trails at the state park.
- 2-4 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Discover Pass
Pass · 1 hr 1 min east
Snoqualmie Pass
Ski area in winter, hiking and huckleberries in summer, an hour from Seattle.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Lift tickets; Sno-Park permits in winter
2 to 3 hours from Seattle 38 spots
Town · 2 hr 1 min northwest
Port Townsend and Fort Worden
A Victorian seaport town plus a fort with bunkers, beaches and a lighthouse.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round
- Discover Pass at Fort Worden
Town · 2 hr 42 min east
Leavenworth
A Bavarian-style village with river walks and mountain views.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Paid parking
Viewpoint · 2 hr 33 min southeast
Sunrise
The highest point you can drive to in the park, with huge views of the mountain.
- Half day · Easy to moderate
- July-September
- NPS entrance fee
Viewpoint · 2 hr 49 min southeast
Paradise and the Skyline Trail
Wildflower meadows and glaciers on Mount Rainier's south side, with a visitor center.
- Half day · Easy to hard
- July-Sept flowers; winter snowplay
- NPS entrance fee
Viewpoint · 2 hr 59 min northeast
Diablo Lake Overlook
Pull off Hwy 20 to see the lake's unreal turquoise water under jagged peaks.
- 30 min-1 hr · Easy
- Late spring-fall
- No pass or fee needed
Farm · 2 hr 8 min northwest
Sequim lavender farms
Purple fields, farm stands and lavender everything in the rain shadow of the Olympics.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Late June-August
- Free to visit most farms
Wildlife · 2 hr 10 min northeast
Skagit River bald eagles
Hundreds of bald eagles gather along the river to feed on salmon.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- December-February
- No pass or fee needed
Museum · 2 hr 29 min south
Mount St. Helens Visitor Center at Silver Lake
Exhibits on the eruption, plus a lakeside wetland trail.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Small admission fee (kids 6 and under free)
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 98101 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.