#1 A purple and pink streaked sky over a mountain peak and forested valley.

Mount Rainier National Park

WA · 1.6M visitors/yr

Moderate Crowds

An active volcano cloaked in more glaciers than any Lower 48 peak, Mount Rainier spawns five major rivers from ice beginning at 14,410 feet.

#2 A herd of elk crossing a river.

Olympic National Park

WA · 3.7M visitors/yr

Moderate Crowds

Olympic holds temperate rainforest, 73 miles of wild coast, and glacier-capped peaks—three ecosystems most parks never combine.

#3 boats on the water with mountains and trees surrounding

North Cascades National Park

WA · 16,485 visitors/yr

Room to Breathe

Three hundred glaciers carve through jagged peaks three hours north of Seattle, the most glaciated terrain in the Lower 48.