Washington's National Parks

Washington is home to three national parks, multiple national monuments and historical sites, three national recreation areas, and of course, Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument. Go Washington Travel provides extensive, accurate coverage with lots of photos, maps and coverage of hiking, mountain biking, scenic drives, camping, and more.

Presented below are summary descriptions of each of Washington's national parks and other treasures with links for more information.

Mount Rainier National Park centers on Mount Rainier, a 14,410 ft volcano that dominates the landscape. Across the park there are valleys, wildflower meadows, waterfalls, old-growth forests, and the most extensive system of glaciers in the lower-48 states.

North Cascades National Park rugged mountains are nearly all protected as a wilderness area, so there are few maintained buildings and almost no roads. Hikers and backpackers that make it are rewarded with pristine glacial peaks, alpine meadows, and technical rock climbing.

Olympic National Park dominates the northern end of the Olympic peninsula, including the Olympic Mountains and the surrounding temperate rainforest, and over 70 miles of diverse beaches.

Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument is most famous for the eruption in 1980 that changed the landscape forever. The area has been set aside for education and research, and hikes to the summit are sometimes possible.

Lake Chelan National Recreation Area is accessible only via floatplane and ferry, and via the Pacific Crest Trail during the summer. Backcountry camping and scenic fishing spots await those that make it.

Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area was created by the Grand Coulee dam, and offers a wide variety of boating, fishing, and other recreational opportunities in this unique landscape carved by ancient glacial floods.

Ross Lake National Recreation Area is managed as part of North Cascades National Park, and is the most accessible attraction of the region. Hundreds of miles of hiking trails connect with streams and rivers for fishing, canoeing, and kayaking.