Activities Outside Seattle

Seattle lies within a couple of hours of three spectacular national parks. Mount. Rainier is just a two-hour drive south of Seattle and features the highest peak in the Northwest at an elevation of 14,411 feet. Gray Line Sightseeing offers a guided day tour to the visitor center located at Paradise. Little known fact: Mount. Rainier is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world.

Olympic National Park, on the Olympic Peninsula west of Seattle, features the only temperate rain forests in the lower 48 states; the park also features mountains and wild ocean beaches. North Cascades National Park, north of Seattle, boasts a series of turquoise glacier-fed lakes with a backdrop of jagged mountains and a scenic highway (Cascade Loop) which runs from beach to mountains to desert.

Paddle Seattle. Rent sea kayaks by the hour from the Northwest Outdoor Center on Lake Union, just north of Seattle’s downtown district. Sights include the city’s formidable houseboat communities, lakeshore restaurants and the Center for Wooden Boats. Guided tours are also available.

Orcas hold a special place in the hearts of Seattle residents. More than 80 of the elegant black-and-white mammals live in the waters of Puget Sound, gathered into three pods, or extended matriarchal families, each communicating in its own dialect of sounds. The orcas you will see in the San Juan Islands belong to pods J, K and L. Each individual whale in the three pods has both a number and a name, to help scientists track them. Generally, the lower the number, the older the whale, and some of the females are thought to be older than 80.

Discover the Puget Sound’s more than 80 islands and scenic peninsulas. Travelers can drive onto, walk onto or bike onto the nation’s largest ferry system. Offering two routes – Bainbridge Island and Bremerton, pick the path you want to take for a perfect day trip that will always start in the same place: Pier 52 on the Seattle Waterfront.

The Cascade Mountain ski slopes, including Crystal Mountain, Stevens Pass and Snoqualmie Pass offer day and night skiing November through mid-April. Snoqualmie Pass is just 90 minutes east of Seattle. The Pacific Northwest mountains offer a variety of hiking activities in the warmer months. The summer Olympic Mountain activity opportunities are endless, and we’ll be happy to help you plan your excursions.

Some of the state’s largest wineries and breweries are in Woodinville, a 35-minute drive away. These include Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery, Columbia Winery and Redhook Ale Brewery.