How did we choose these twenty out of the hundreds of incredible trails? Views across the river and into Oregon from atop Cape Horn. > Plan your visit to Rialto and Hole-in-the-Wall using WTA's Hiking Guide, Location: Olympic Peninsula Northern CoastLength:6.25 miles, roundtripElevation Gain: 1,254 feetHighest Point: 6,454 feetBest Season: July - August. The 13 Best Scenic Drives In Washington State Picked By Local Experts Eastern Washington Mount Rainier National Park North Cascades National Park olympic national park road trip washington Washington coast Post Summary: The Best Scenic Drives In Washington State, What To See, And How To Get There for some spectacular views. But dont let the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial be the end of your journey around the Tidal Basin. The Eight Best Places to Take Pictures in Washington State. Thanks for the support of Western Washington Honda Dealers and our other corporate sponsors. The trail to this looking is on a flat, 3.4-mile hike across the beach. One of the few places to see DC's skyline is from the Netherlands Carillon in Virginia. Avid hiker. If youre looking to do hiking in higher elevations (in most of the mountain ranges), youll need to wait until it warms up. But once youve made it to the top, none of that matters anymore, because youll have a unique view of Crescent Lake and fjord-like mountains. Phlox, penstemon, lupine, bistort, larkspur and more greet hikers here. Because its not always as glamorous as you think. Look up the sunrise or sunset time. A classic Mount St. Helens hike, leaving from the Johnston Ridge Observatory. Timpanogos' 11,752 summit during the . to my monthly newsletter with insider info, free calendar wallpapers and fun exclusives just for you! The Martin Luther King Jr Memorial is good starting location for the Tidal Basin to photograph the sunrise. If youre metroing it, get off at the Rosslyn stop and walk about 15 minutes to get here. Its the center of 4 great landmarks all within a central area. Its in Arlington, Virginia, just outside of the capital city but the views here are fabulous. It's near impossible to choose just one or two essential Mount Rainier hikes, but make this hike is so well-rounded, it makes the cut. The worst that will happen is that someone will ask you to put it away. A cloud inversion below Mount St. Helens. My first suggestion is to stand at the Capitol reflecting pool facing east, you can get some great reflections. This is a popular place for Berty to shoot engagementscheck out more posts on PNW Engagements in part 1 and 2 here! If you are up for a road trip, you may want to check out our scenic road trip that takes you to 7 Wonders Of Washington. Sunrise Point offers nearly 360-degree views of the surrounding valleys, Mount Rainier, and other volcanoes in the Cascade Range such as Mount Adams. A small dirt-covered parking lot marks the beginning of the hike & you can park overnight and camp here. Hiking the Narrows For Beginners: A Full Guide, 23 Day Hike Lunch Ideas (Easy and Filling), 9 Best Budget Trekking Poles (+ How to Choose the Best Set), Best Sunrise Hikes in Washington: 7 Places to Catch an Epic Sunrise, Hiking For Beginners on a Budget: The Ultimate Guide. What are the most scenic hikes in Washington? These hot springs are reservation-only, and they are tucked away in the mountains, so they take some work to get to, but the results are so worth it. Popular destinations within the San Juan Islands include Friday Harbor, Eastsound, and Moran State Park, where visitors will find one of the best campgrounds in Washington. In this short window of time, hikers will rejoice by frolicking along the trail surrounded by fields of wildflowers and soaking in one of the classic views of The Mountain. Hiking Trails in Washington: The best hiking trails of Washington traverse the state's many environments, including three esteemed national parks. Here are ten sunsets throughout the state that were captured beautifully: This sunset emerges through the Simpson Ave Bridge, over the Hoquiam River. Plan to arrive at your viewpoint at least 15 minutes prior to find a nice viewing spot, set up your blanket or tripod, crack open a thermos of hot tea, and put your layers on. Hotels in Seattle, Car Rentals in Seattle- 5 Rentals To Consider When Renting a Car in Seattle, Sunset in Seattle: 8 Most Breathtaking Views of Seattle Sunset, Beer in Seattle: 25 Best Breweries, Taprooms and Craft Beer in Seattle, Seattle In March: Top 10 Things to Explore, Weather and Tourist Friendly Tips, Seattle in February: Top 5 Places to Go, 10 Things to Do, Weather and More, Currency Exchange in Seattle: 4 Places and 7 Tips for Foreign Currency Exchange in Seattle, Top 17 Souvenirs from Seattle : Take Little Pieces of your Seattle Experience Back Home, Surfing in Seattle: Top 6 Spots to Ride a Wave in Seattle. Talk about an incredible view. From massive sand dunes to river vistas and excellent shrub-steppe, this unique are is a delight for hikers' looking to switch up their usual forested treks. An invaluable resource is the Washington Trails Association, which gives plenty of information on trail statuses, conditions, etc. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. For the most part they are not allowed. After youve made the 1.5-mile hike to the top, youll find High Rock Lookout atop a large rock. To reach this area and photograph other amazing Washington sight sightseeing locations, click here to find directions for where to park and take a short hike. In my opinion, the Reflecting Pool is the ultimate sunrise location in Washington DC. They may just go to the reflecting pool and call it the end of the day but dont be those people. Many people come to climb its adventurous rockface, but its just as exhilarating seeing it from the Washington Pass Observation Site parking lot! Its surprisingly quiet! We all know how gorgeous The Evergreen State is. Just a short drive west of the quaint German town of Leavenworth is the glacial-fed lake with its iconic island. Food of Seattle: 15 Dishes of Seattle that You Must Try! (Map under maintenance, it will be up soon! What are some natural wonders in Washington? The miners who originally constructed it had little time for switchback or nicely graded trails. If youre in the lower half of Washington, then a sunrise hike to the top of Silver Star Mountain is a must-do for you. Second Beach is the most iconic! It's the most iconic and it is the place that I tell everyone they must go to if they have never been to the national mall and especially at sunrise. Go on a weekday for fewer crowds (it gets very busy on the weekends). It also brings unique challengestiming your hike for sunrise or sunset, hiking in dim light, and watching the show in cooler twilight temperatures. Out of all the times Ive been out for sunrise (trust me its way more than I can count), I have been asked to put it away once while I was at the Lincoln Memorial. If a sunrise hike is a tall order, don't worry. Palouse Falls is one of those rare places that you don't have to go to at sunrise or sunset to get the best light. Flickr / ajstarks This fiery sunset lit up Seattle's sky perfectly. So heres my little wild card sunrise photo suggestion because technically this is not in Washington DC. Read More: 5 Essential Things You Need For The Washington Coast. Population: A little over 7.6 million people call Washington home. 1. Bring a hot drink and a snack to stay warm and savor the experience. This moderately challenging hike starts at the large parking lot for the Rattlesnake Lake Recreation Area. Sometimes, extremely talented photographers will capture this incredible, overlooked phenomena and share their photos with us online! > Plan your visit to Steamboat Rock using WTA's Hiking Guide, Location:Central Washington -- Tri-CitiesLength:variesElevation Gain:variesHighest Point:900 feetBest Season:spring and fall. It gives off this amazing warm glow on the memorials thats hard to get at sunset. If youre up for it, continue a bit further up the trail to see Middle and Upper Rattlesnake Ledges. One activity we suggest doing is walking across the bridge. The trails at Mount Rainier National Park can get very busy in the summertime, so we suggest visiting early in the morning or in the shoulder season for pictures without crowds! Heres my little secret to photographing the Lincoln Memorial. Weve got a guide for that too! Learn more about Quinault Rainforest in our, With numerous overlooks in Washington, the views you'll find in this wilderness area in the central part of the state will leave you breathless. Jutting 5892 feet into the air above the forested slopes of the surrounding hillsides, Sunrise Peak's rocky summit offers enterprising hikers some of the best early morning views of Mount Adams you can get in the state. Explore the Tree of Life at Kalaloch Beach! This one is waterproof! Bear Spray: Because animals are most active as the sun is coming up. GPS System: All Trails and Cairn are great options for a phone GPS. Storm King and visit Marymere Falls on a half-day hike. If you need to go, Id highly suggest waiting to go to this one . Below, Ill tell you the top 7 hikes in the state that are worth crawling out of bed early and trekking up a mountain for, just to see those epic colors. Youll have mountain views in all directions, as you can see 5 major peaks from the viewpoint. Scenic Hot Springs is a hidden gem of Washington state. Mount Fremont Lookout Distance: 5.7 miles Difficulty: Moderate Elevation Gain: 1,100 feet Estimated Time: 3 hours Location: Mount Rainier National Park Pass Required: National Parks Pass Get more stories delivered right to your email. Its a great spot for sunrise with even less people than the rest of the National Mall. Yes there is Capitol police everywhere (you can even see one on the second balcony of this image) but they wont bother you unless youre doing something that youre not supposed to be doing. However since then Ive heard of photographer friends being asked to put it away. 7. Other breathtaking beaches to explore in the region include South Beach and Kalaloch Beach. Even as locals, we continue to discover more beautiful photo spots in Washington we want to add to this list. Theres not too many people, so you can relax and enjoy the peace and quiet of the hot springs. One of the first places youll pass is a lake called Picture Lake. From the top, youll have views of Mount Rainier, Sawtooth Ridge, and everything else over the steep drop-off in front of the tower. Peaceful lakes, snow-capped mountain views, flower-filled ridgelines and more await you here. Snap DC: Your Guide to taking Extraordinary Photos of the National Mall and Beyond and it is available on Amazon. You can even spot Mt. Ive watched the video a few times now, and Im reminded each time of what a beautiful place we live in (Yes, even during the rainy days). Liberty Bell Mountain is located on Highway 20 in the North Cascades National Park. Technically, its not the National Mall so the same rules dont apply as they do at the memorials. If youve been in Seattle only a little bit, SOMEONE is bound to have recommended you hike Rattlesnake Ledge, of of the most iconic hikes near Seattle. 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