27 Best Sights in Washington Cascade Mountains and Valleys, Washington

More than 250 different bird species along with a slew of reptiles, mammals, and amphibians thrive amid the marshes and grasslands of this 4,529-acre refuge—the largest estuary restoration in the Pacific Northwest—situated on the delta formed by the Nisqually River's confluence with Puget Sound. Just 8 miles east of downtown Olympia, the tranquil space feels a world away from civilization and is laced with 4 miles of trails, some of them along boardwalks. Naturalists lead guided walks and give lectures on weekends from April through September, and a visitor center contains exhibits and a nature store.

Highway 11, also known as Chuckanut Drive, was once the only highway accessing Bellingham from the south. The drive begins in Fairhaven, reaches the flat farmlands of the Samish Valley near the village of Bow, and joins up with Interstate 5 at Burlington, in Skagit County. The full loop can be made in a couple of hours, but the many notable eateries along the route, especially around Bow—home to the Bow-Edison Food Trail—may tempt you to linger. For a dozen miles this 23-mile road winds along the cliffs above beautiful Chuckanut and Samish bays. It twists its way past the sandstone face of Chuckanut Mountain and crosses creeks with waterfalls; look for lively oyster bars here,too. Turnouts are framed by madrona trees and pines and offer views of the San Juan Islands. Bald eagles cruise along the cliffs or hang out on top of tall firs. Drive carefully: the cliffs are so steep in places that closures resulting from rock slides occasionally occur in winter.

One of Washington's most vaunted producers of Bordeaux-style wines also occupies one of the most impressive tasting rooms in Woodinville, a handsome and spacious facility set inside the town's former Redhook Brewery building. There's a lovely outdoor patio and a lounge with a full dining menu, and the tasting room is also next door to the Willows Lodge and its renowned Herbfarm restaurant. If you're stopping by just to sample vino in the tasting room, you can order lighter snacks—cheese and charcuterie plates, truffle popcorn—to nosh while you sip.

Just 3 miles south of downtown Bellingham and at the beginning of Chuckanut Drive (Highway 11), this bustling historic district was an independent city until 1903 and still retains its distinct identity as an intellectual and artistic center. The beautifully restored 1890s redbrick buildings of the Old Fairhaven District, especially on Harris Avenue between 10th and 12th streets, house restaurants, galleries, and stylish boutiques. The action is centered on Fairhaven Green, the site of festivals, concerts, outdoor movies, and other fun gatherings throughout the year.

Housed within two enormous airport hangars, this spectacular gathering of unique vintage aircraft, combat armor, and tanks belongs to local tycoon Paul Allen, who began collecting and restoring rare planes in 1998. The historic aircraft represent all of 20th-century military history, including the two world wars and other international battles. A favorite plane is the P-51D Mustang from World War II. Tours are self-guided; interactive exhibits like the thoughtful multimedia presentation "Why War: The Causes of Conflict" helps visitors understand the complexities of military engagements. In summer, try to time your visit for one of the Free Fly Days, when pilots are on-site to fly some of the craft as part of monthly maintenance.

Set along the Thea Foss waterfront, this history museum in a turn-of-the-20th-century structure—with a dramatic modern glass facade—is easily reached from downtown via a walk along the promenade that flanks the harbor. Inside the enormous timber building, the museum examines the city's waterfront heritage, including the history of Tacoma's brisk shipping business, the city's role as a major ship-to-rail center, and the indigenous Puyallup people's close relationship with local waterways. Extensive exhibits cover boat-making, vintage scuba and diving gear, and fin and humpback whales. Photos and relics round out the displays, children's activities are offered regularly, and Tacoma Night Market takes place here once a month.

One of the top children's museums on the West Coast, this handsome, modern building just off Marine Drive overlooks East Bay and contains more than 150 imaginatively designed interactive exhibits—including a train depot, a cargo ship, a fire engine, an art studio, and a tree house—along with a half-acre outdoor play area. There's also a café serving healthy lunch fare. During the city's First Friday art walks, the museum is open late and offers $1 admission after 5 pm.

This impressive contemporary museum and cultural center with a stunning cedar longhouse, intricate wood carvings, hand-crafted canoes, and engaging interactive exhibits reveals the rich history of the several tribes—including Snohomish, Skykomish, and Snoqualmie—that have thrived in the Puget Sound region for centuries. The center adjoins a 50-acre nature preserve with stands of cedar and hemlock trees, salmon-rich streams, preserved estuarial wetlands, and nature trails. Just off Interstate 5 near the town of Marysville, the waterfront Tulalip Reservation has more than 2,500 tribal members and is also home to the 370-room Tulalip Resort Casino and an outlet shopping center, which are just a few miles north of the cultural center.

Of Woodinville's four main clusters of wineries, the Hollywood District, named for the historical former schoolhouse that anchors it, is by far the most picturesque and pedestrian-friendly. A good strategy is to park at one of the clusters of tasting rooms just off the traffic circle in the center of this neighborhood, and then hop out and stroll around. More than 40 tasting rooms are within a short walk of one another, along with a handful of restaurants. Some of the state's heavy hitters are here, including Alexandria Nicole, Betz, Cougar Crest, J. Bookwalter, Novelty Hill–Januik, and Pepper Bridge. 

South of Fairhaven and accessed from Chuckanut Drive, this rugged 2,683-acre park offers an 8,100-foot stretch of rocky shore with quiet, sandy coves and also has trails that climb up along the slopes of Chuckanut Mountain. Even though the mountain has been logged repeatedly, there's still plenty of lush forest. Trails lead through ferny fir and maple forests to hidden lakes, caves, and cliff-top lookouts from which you can see to the San Juan Islands—the 4½-mile round-trip Fragrance Lake loop is a particularly rewarding hike. At the shore there's a sheltered boat launch; you can go crabbing here or watch the birds—and the occasional harbor seal—that perch on the offshore rocks. The area west of Chuckanut Drive has picnic tables as well as tent and RV sites with hookups, which are open all year.

About 350 meticulously restored automobiles, from some of the world's earliest models to brassy muscle cars from the late '60s, are displayed in this sleek, striking museum on the south side of downtown. It's one of the most impressive car museums in the country, with engaging exhibits on Route 66, alternative-fuel cars, NASCAR, and other aspects of automobile culture and history. The cars here were collected by the late Harold LeMay, whose entire inventory of some 3,000 autos is recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest privately owned collection in the world. Highlights include a 1906 Cadillac Model M, a 1926 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, a 1930 Lincoln L Brougham, a 1953 Citroen 2CV, a 1963 Studebaker Avanti, and—a favorite with kids—the Flintmobile used in the 1994 Flintstones movie. The café serves diner classics, including banana splits. If you're an ardent car enthusiast, it's worth making the 20-minute drive south to the related LeMay Collections at Marymount ( www.lemaymarymount.org) in the Spanaway neighborhood of south Tacoma—an even bigger collection of cars is on display there.

The showpiece of this spectacular, 2-acre complex of delicate and creative art-glass installations is the 500-foot-long Chihuly Bridge of Glass, a tunnel of glorious color and light that stretches above Interstate 705. Cross it from downtown to reach this striking building, which rises above the Foss Waterway and next to a shallow reflecting pool dotted with modern-art sculptures. Inside, you can wander through quiet, light-filled galleries that present a fascinating array of rotating exhibits, take a seat in the conical-roofed Hot Shop amphitheater to watch glass-blowing artists, or try your own hand at arts and crafts in the studio. There's also a café and an outstanding gift shop.

Vintage railroad cars line a paved path along Railroad Avenue, with signs explaining the origin of each engine, car, and caboose, with more history and memorabilia inside several different buildings, including the former waiting room of the stunningly restored Snoqualmie depot. The Railway History Campus, located in the train shed a mile south of the depot at 9312 Stone Quarry Road, displays photographs, documents, and exhibits related to the region's rail history. Several times a day on weekends, a train made of cars built in the mid-1910s for the Spokane, Portland, and Seattle Railroad travels between Snoqualmie Depot and North Bend. The two-hour round-trip excursion passes through woods, past waterfalls, and around patchwork farmland, and it includes a stop at the History Campus. Families pack the winter Santa Train journeys and the mid-August Snoqualmie Days rides; the latter event features an annual parade.

A 67-foot-tall white concrete arch anchors this unusual park established in 1931 to commemorate the peaceful border between the United States and Canada. In fact, it's one of the only places where residents of either country can mingle and stroll together without a passport. Located beside Blaine's Interstate 5 border crossing, about 16 miles west of Lynden, this verdant park with contiguous, roughly 20-acre sections in both countries contains colorful gardens, ponds, pathways, and a playground, and it affords sweeping views of Semiahmoo Bay. 

Jutting into Commencement Bay, this 760-acre park surrounds Five Mile Drive with hilly picnicking fields and patches of forest. Hiking trails, bike paths, and numerous gardens draw crowds year-round, particularly during summer festivals such as the Taste of Tacoma, in late June. The park begins at the north end of Pearl Street as you drive toward the Point Defiance Ferry Terminal, where vehicles depart for Vashon Island just across the Sound, but you can also walk or bike here via a new pedestrian bridge that connects with the new Point Ruston waterfront development. The park's one-way road meanders past a lake and picnic area, a rose garden, a spectacular 22-acre rhododendron garden, and a Japanese garden, finally winding down to the water. Here you can explore the driftwood-strewn, pebbly sands of Owen Beach—it's a wonderful place for beachcombing and sailboat-watching. Kayak rentals and concessions are available in summer. Cruise slowly to take in the scenes—and watch out for joggers and bikers.

One of the Northwest's finest collections of regional and international animal species, this winding and hilly site includes tigers, elephants, tapirs, and gibbons in the Asian Forest Sanctuary, where paw-print trails lead between lookouts so even the smallest tots can spot animals. The impressive South Pacific and Pacific Seas aquariums are also fun to explore—they include a glass-walled, floor-to-ceiling shark tank (where eye-to-eye caged shark dives are offered). Other areas house such cold-weather creatures as beluga whales, Arctic foxes, polar bears, and penguins. Engaging zookeeper chats about different animals and up-close feedings are held throughout the day. The fantastic playground area has friendly farm animals running between the slides, and seasonal special events include a Halloween Zoo Boo trick-or-treat night and the famous nightly Zoolights holiday displays around Christmas.

This small, scenic waterfront park in the quaint village of Hansville sits at the very northeastern tip of the Kitsap Peninsula, about 13 miles northeast of Port Gamble, and is home to the oldest lighthouse (opened in 1879) on Puget Sound. Free tours of the relatively small white building with a bright-red roof are offered on Saturday afternoons from April through September. Any day of the week, however, this is a pleasing spot for a picnic, a stroll along the beach, or simply the chance to sit and admire the views north and east of Whidbey Island and—in the distance—the Cascade Range. The adjacent lighthouse keeper's quarters can be rented overnight.

The basement of the town's quaint General Store is home to the Smithsonian-designed Port Gamble Historic Museum, which takes you through the region's timber heyday. Highlights include artifacts from the Pope and Talbot Timber Company, which built the town, and realistic ship's quarters. On the second floor of the General Store (which is open year-round), the Sea and Shore Museum houses more than 25,000 shells as well as displays on natural history. Kids love the weird bug exhibit. Stop at the General Store for souvenirs or a huge ice-cream cone or hand-dipped milk shake, or stay for lunch in the store's excellent café.

The Roozen family and Washington Bulb Company established this 1,200-acre estate in Mount Vernon in 1985—it's the world's largest family-owned tulip-, daffodil-, and iris-growing business. Sixteen acres of greenhouses are filled with multicolored blossoms, and more than 200,000 bulbs are planted in the show gardens each fall. The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, held in April, is the main event, when the flowers pop up in neat, brilliant rows across the flat land, attracting thousands of sightseers. The garden and store are open year-round, and the staff is full of helpful advice for both novice and experienced gardeners. RoozenGarde is 6 miles east of La Conner. 

Winter through early summer, rain and snowmelt turn the Snoqualmie River into a thundering torrent at Snoqualmie Falls, although the view is pretty astounding even during dry periods. These sweeping cascades, which the region's indigenous residents consider sacred, provided the backdrop for the Twin Peaks opening montage. The water pours over a 268-foot rock ledge (100 feet higher than Niagara Falls) to a 65-foot-deep pool. A privately owned 2-acre park with a gift shop and observation platform affords some of the best views of the falls and the mountains beyond, as does the elegant Salish Lodge hotel. The 3-mile round-trip River Trail winds through trees and over open slopes to the base of the cascades.

Officially known as Highway 504, this winding road rises 4,000 feet from the town of Castle Rock (just off I–5, Exit 49) to within about 5 miles of the Mt. St. Helens summit. Visitor centers along the way explain the region's geology and geography, and several turnouts afford views of the destruction wrought upon the Toutle and Cowlitz river valleys.

One of the best museums focusing on the state's rich and still thriving indigenous culture, this small but beautiful LEED-certified structure a 10-minute drive from Poulsbo contains handsomely designed exhibits about the Suquamish Tribe, including a historical canoe, wood carvings, a re-created longhouse, and multimedia presentations. Outside, pathways lead through a small botanical garden and down the hill to an evergreen-shaded park with picnic tables. If you have extra time, stroll a couple of blocks up the hill to St. Peter's Mission Cemetery to view the gravesite of Chief Sealth, for whom Seattle is named—his headstone is bracketed by a pair of ornately carved totem poles. Each August, the community welcomes all to celebrate Chief Seattle Days—with a salmon bake, royal pageant, games, food, and music.

Adorned in glass and steel, this modern masterpiece by architect Antoine Predock wraps around a beautiful garden and holds paintings, ceramics, sculptures, and other creations dating from the 18th century to the present, with an emphasis on Western U.S. artists, including many indigenous talents. On view is the largest permanent collection of glass works by Dale Chihuly, and the stunning, light-filled Benaroya Wing—designed by Olson Kundig and opened in 2019—displays hundreds of new works, included pieces by artists trained at the prestigious Pilchuck Glass School.

Washington's official history museum presents interactive exhibits and multimedia installations about the exploration and settlement of the state. Exhibits are wide-ranging and artfully designed, and feature Native American, Inuit, and pioneer artifacts, and mining, logging, and railroad relics. The upstairs gallery hosts rotating exhibits, and summer programs are staged in the outdoor amphitheater. During the winter holiday season, the Model Train Festival is one of the museum's top draws.

Bellingham's art and history museum fills three buildings near one another downtown; its centerpiece is the Lightcatcher, a LEED-certified building with an 180-foot-long translucent wall. It's home to FIG, the hands-on Family Interactive Gallery, along with permanent collections of contemporary Northwest artists and spaces for rotating exhibits. Three blocks away, Bellingham's imposing redbrick former city hall dates to 1892, became a museum in 1941, and now contains historic exhibits. The third building, the Syre Education Center, contains a photographic archive. The museum's restaurant, Bar Cicotti, is in the Lightcatcher and garners raves for its creative Northern Italian lunch and dinner fare.

It's not all wine in these parts: this outstanding whiskey maker produces fine spirits from a bourbon recipe that dates back generations. You can tour the beautiful, modern distillery with its towering grain silo and tall windows, sampling the straight bourbon and rye whiskeys that have earned numerous awards. Across the parking lot in the endearingly offbeat Hollywood Tavern, you can sip whiskey cocktails, feast on well-crafted gastropub fare, and—occasionally—listen to live music on the shaded patio.