By: Samantha Brown
I love visiting a national park, and Washington is home to some beauties. The best thing about a national park vacation is you can pick your own itinerary and make visiting parks part of the journey–or the destination. Here’s some thoughts on natural wonders within a 2-hour drive of Seattle, Washington.
Olympic National Park is known for its rustic scenery and natural beauty that offers a little of everything. There’s over 60 miles of coastline, complete with dramatic rock formations called sea stacks. These provide a home to legions of birds, sea life and gorgeous views of the Pacific. Not only will you be completely alone on some of the country’s most gorgeous beaches, you’ll find bubbling hot springs, massive glaciers and dense forests to explore nearby.
This huge park offers many different outdoor pursuits and natural areas. If your time is limited, head north from Aberdeen on U.S. 101 to the Queets Ranger Station. This brings you to Queets River Valley, home to some of the most incredible rainforests in the park. Keep driving northwest up the 101 to the Kalaloch Station where you can photograph the most incredible views of the Pacific between Kalaloch and Ruby Beach. From Ruby Beach continue north on U.S. 101 until you reach the turnoff for the Hoh Rain Forest Center.
