Scenic Road Trips In
WASHINGTON STATE

Get our insiders' guide to Washington State Scenic Drives and Road Trips. Visit the Olympic Peninsula and Pacific Ocean. Follow the winding roads over Chinook Pass and around Mount Rainier. Consider road trips to Eastern Washington and the rolling hills of the Palouse Scenic Byway. Trace the footsteps of the Lewis & Clark journey through Washington State. Take suggested tours through Washington Wine Country... and way, way more!

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REGION 1

Ocean beaches, seaport villages, rain forests and secluded islands can all be found in Northwest Washington’s peninsulas, Pacific coast and islands.

Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Cape Flattery

Cape Flattery Tribal Byway

Located entirely within the traditional home of the Makah Tribal Nation, this is the first tribal road in the nation to be awarded scenic status.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Olympic Peninsula

Pacific Coast Scenic Byway

This road trip epitomizes the Evergreen State. Circling the Olympic Peninsula, it winds through a national park, rain forests and along the Pacific coastline.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | San Juan Islands

San Juan Islands

Board a Washington State Ferry to the San Juan Islands which includes a marine highway and driving tours on both Orcas and San Juan Island.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Whidbey Island

Whidbey Scenic Isle Way

Arrive via Deception Pass Bridge, which offers a simply unforgettable view, or aboard a Washington State ferry; both calmly welcome you to “island time.”

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Lewis and Clark Trail

Lewis & Clark Trail

Retrace the Lewis & Clark journey from Hells Canyon to the Pacific Ocean and see the landscape as it would have looked 200+ years ago.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Cascade Loop

Cascade Loop National Scenic Byway

This 440-mile byway is so grand it contains three of our other road trips, Stevens Pass, Whidbey Island and the North Cascades Highway.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Pacific Coast Scenic Waterfalls

Pacific Coast Scenic Waterfalls

The Olympic Peninsula receives hundreds of inches of rain each year and is home to three temperate rainforests that are full of magical, misty waterfalls to explore!

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Cranberry Coast

Cranberry Coast Scenic Byway

Fly a kite, dig a clam, hook a salmon or catch a wave. Following the coastline from Westport to South Bend, this route epitomizes life by the ocean.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Hidden Coast

Hidden Coast Scenic Byway

Roll up the cuffs of your pants and walk along the beach or light a fire in the fireplace and relax. This is a place of tales, long naps and sunsets that last forever.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Strait of Juan de Fuca Hwy 112

Strait of Juan de Fuca Scenic Byway

The remote Strait of Juan de Fuca Highway 112 winds along the magnificent shoreline of the narrow body of water that connects Puget Sound to the Pacific Ocean.

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REGION 2

Accessible from the I-5 corridor, these road trips include routes up, over and through the towering Cascade range that separates the "wet" and "dry" sides of Washington State.

Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Chinook Pass | Mount Rainier

Chinook Scenic Byway

From the rolling fields of Enumclaw west of the Cascades to Naches on the eastside this road trip wraps around the northeastern flank of iconic Mount Rainier.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Chuckanut Drive

Chuckanut Drive Scenic Byway

This 24-mile trip hugs sheer sandstone cliffs and provides spectacular views of the San Juan Islands, ending in Bellingham's Fairhaven District.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Mount Baker Highway

Mount Baker Highway

Winding past waterfalls and old-growth forest groves, this 58-mile trek ends at the base of the 10,781-foot volcano Mount Baker.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | North Cascades Highway

North Cascades Highway

With its hairpin turns and jaw-dropping vistas, many argue that the North Cascades Highway is the most scenic road trip in Washington State.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Stevens Pass

Stevens Pass Greenway

This road trip starts on the shores of Puget Sound, climbs over Stevens Pass then drops through Leavenworth to Wenatchee on the Columbia River.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Cascade Loop

Cascade Loop National Scenic Byway

This 440-mile byway is so grand it contains three of our other road trips, Stevens Pass, Whidbey Island and the North Cascades Highway.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | White Pass | Mount Rainier

White Pass Scenic Byway

A magnificent driving tour from the lush evergreen forests of western Washington, over the Cascades into the sage-covered hills on the state’s east side.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Cascade Valley Heritage Corridor

Cascade Valley Heritage Corridor

This convenient ramble along SR-202 from Woodinville along the fertile Snoqualmie River Valley to Snoqualmie Falls and North Bend.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Mountains to Sound Greenwaye

Mountains to Sound Greenway

Journey from the vibrant Puget Sound area, through thick forests, into historic towns, over a mountain pass, and onto the farms and sagebrush hills of eastern Washington.

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REGION 3

This region includes access to the Mount St. Helens volcanic crater and the Columbia River Gorge—a geologically stunning place created by the mighty Columbia River cutting a massive gap through the towering Cascade Mountain Range.

Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Mount St. Helens

Spirit Lake Memorial Highway

The only scenic byway in the country that penetrates a volcanic blast zone. See remnants of the massive destruction and Mother Nature's healing powers.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Columbia River Gorge

Columbia River Gorge

The Columbia River cut this dramatic and awe-inspiring gap through the Cascades Mountains on its way to the Pacific Ocean.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Lewis and Clark Trail

Lewis & Clark Trail

Retrace the Lewis & Clark journey from Hells Canyon to the Pacific Ocean and see the landscape as it would have looked 200+ years ago.

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REGION 4

North central Washington is a geologic marvel of coulees and potholes created by the cataclysmic glacial Lake Missoula floods that gouged, scraped and shaped this wondrous landscape and event caused the Columbia River to jump its banks between 14-16,000 years ago.

Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Grand Coulee Dam

Coulee Corridor

Explore the dry canyons gouged out by the Glacial Lake Missoula floods that roared through here several times up until around 13,000 years ago.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | North Cascades Highway

North Cascades Highway

With its hairpin turns and jaw-dropping vistas, many argue that the North Cascades Highway is the most scenic road trip in Washington State.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Okanogan

Okanogan Trails

The byway follows the Okanogan River with stunning valleys and rugged hillsides from the point where it flows into the Columbia River.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Stevens Pass

Stevens Pass Greenway

This road trip starts on the shores of Puget Sound, climbs over Stevens Pass then drops through Leavenworth to Wenatchee on the Columbia River.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Snoqalmie Pass

Swiftwater Corridor

This byway rambles through back roads from Roslyn east of Snoqualmie Pass to Vantage on the Columbia River and reminds travelers of a bygone era.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Cascade Loop

Cascade Loop National Scenic Byway

This 440-mile byway is so grand it contains three of our other road trips, Stevens Pass, Whidbey Island and the North Cascades Highway.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Mountains to Sound Greenwaye

Mountains to Sound Greenway

Journey from the vibrant Puget Sound area, through thick forests, into historic towns, over a mountain pass, and onto the farms and sagebrush hills of eastern Washington.

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REGION 5

From Yakima and the Tri-Cities to Walla Walla, this is “Washington Wine Country.” Rich volcanic soil, 300 days of sunshine and an extensive irrigation system have made it among the most productive agricultural regions in the nation.

Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Chinook Pass | Mount Rainier

Chinook Scenic Byway

From the foothills of Enumclaw west of the Cascades to Naches on the eastside this road trip wraps around the northeastern flank of Mount Rainier.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Yakama | Columbia River Gorge

Yakama Scenic Byway

This south central Washington road trip runs south from Union Gap to the city of Toppenish, across Satus Pass to Maryhill Museum and our own Stonehenge.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Lewis and Clark Trail

Lewis & Clark Trail

Retrace the Lewis & Clark journey from Hells Canyon to the Pacific Ocean and see the landscape as it would have looked 200+ years ago.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | White Pass | Mount Rainier

White Pass Scenic Byway

A magnificent driving tour from the lush evergreen forests of western Washington, over the Cascades into the sage-covered hills on the state’s east side.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Yakama | Columbia River Gorge

Yakima River Canyon

The gentle Yakima River winds through rolling desert hills is popular for hiking, fly fishing and tubing.

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REGION 6

The northeast corner of Washington is perhaps our state’s best-kept secret. Beautiful mountain passes filled with rivers, lakes and wildlife are accented by tiny logging and historic gold mining communities. 

Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Sherman Pass

Sherman Pass Scenic Byway

This northeast Washington trip begins near Republic and crosses Sherman Pass through Colville National Forest to the Pend Oreille National Wildlife Reserve.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Pend Oreille | Selkirk Loop

North Pend Oreille Scenic Byway

This drive through Colville National Forest is a favorite of outdoor adventurers, wildlife enthusiasts who appreciate natural and human history.

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Pend Oreille Valley Byway

Washington’s southernmost leg of the International Selkirk Loop includes a Water Trail and follows the Pend Oreille River on our eastern border with Idaho from Newport to Tiger.

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International Selkirk Loop

Discover awesome beauty at every turn of the International Selkirk Loop, a 450 km / 280-mile scenic drive encircling the spectacular Selkirk Mountains of Washington, Idaho and British Columbia.

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REGION 7

Our southeast corner is home to the rolling wheat fields of the Palouse and the Snake River—cutting through rugged Hells Canyon where Lewis & Clark first entered present day Washington State.

Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Lewis and Clark Trail

Lewis & Clark Trail

Retrace the Lewis & Clark journey from Hells Canyon to the Pacific Ocean and see the landscape as it would have looked 200+ years ago.

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Scenic Washington State | Best Road Trips in Washington State | Palouse

Palouse Scenic Byway

Discover the bucolic communities and mesmerizing rolling wheat fields of the Palouse, some of the most productive dry farmland in the nation.

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