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Posted on 10/30/25 at 9:33 pm to ElOsoBlanco7
quote:
We did this a few years ago in the beginning of July.
We spent one night at Rainier then spent a few hours around Paradise. There was still several feet of snow so hikes were limited
quote:
3 National Parks in Washington during June of '26 with the family.
Herein lies your problem. June '26 is FAR too early to best see Mt. Rainier. We have gone to Mt. Rainier six times over the last 25 years, staying at the Paradise Lodge every time, twice in mid September, thrice in late July/early August, and once in early July. That last one was a mistake, as while MOST of the roads were open, all of the area around Paradise Lodge was buried under snow. No alpine meadows, no hiking on any trails, etc. The lower levels and trails were open, but that is mostly thick forest, with occasional views of the mountain.
I would use my time on the other parks and save Rainier for another year a bit later in the season, when you can really enjoy the best that the park offers.
This post was edited on 10/30/25 at 9:35 pm
Posted on 10/31/25 at 8:56 am to ElOsoBlanco7
Hurricane ridge in Olympics for some hiking and sightseeing is a must. It was the most beautiful part of Olympic imo. We stayed at an Airbnb just outside port angeless and it worked well for a base.
With your timeframe I’d axe rainier and split between north cascades and Olympic.
With your timeframe I’d axe rainier and split between north cascades and Olympic.
This post was edited on 10/31/25 at 8:58 am
Posted on 11/3/25 at 3:24 pm to ElOsoBlanco7
Just did this recently
8 days will be tight, we did ours in 10 days and felt rushed. The problem is the parks are spread out pretty good, especially when you want to do Olympic.
Olympic
- There are not a ton of great options to stay, VRBO or AirBnB are best bets if you can. Port Angeles is the best town option for the Hurricane Ridge (best part of park).
- Rialto Beach and Hoh Rain Forest are must do, but they are a long drive from Port Angeles. You are going to need a day for those and another day for in the mountains hiking.
- Get off the main paved hiking trails in Hurricane Ridge section to really enjoy it.
Mount Ranier
-Once again VRBO or AirBnB, if you do not stay in park at lodge. We stayed in Packwood and it was a nice little town with decent food options.
- Sunrise section is timed entry, so figure that out with your dates.
- This park now slots in at #2 on our favorite NP list, just behind Grand Tetons. It knocked Rocky Mountain NP down a spot. You could spend a few days here hiking the various trails. If just doing a couple days, spend one day a Paradise and the other at Sunrise.
- Do not over think it, just take nice long hikes here. Views are amazing.
North Cascades
- No where to stay, unless you are camping. Plan to stay in a town east or west of the park.
-This is a rough park to fully enjoy. There is one road through the park, and basically everything is a hike. The one road is a beautiful drive, but there is a reason it is one of the least visited NPs. You pretty much can only enjoy it if you want to do hike in camping.
- I suggest combining this with Mount Baker to make the most of going that far north. They are still a long drive from each other, but not bad. 1 day in North Cascades and 1 day up to Mount Baker.
Other Items
- I would begin or end with Olympic personally and not in the middle. You want to mimimize going through Seattle.
- We stopped off in Leavenworth for a couple hours, nice German town.
- You are going to see Mount St. Helens near Ranier. It is a long drive, do not be fooled. Need a whole day for that excursion.
- Going in June, be prepared for hiking in snow. It could be a lot of hiking in snow on Ranier and Mount Baker.
- You really need more than 8 days to make it relaxing or just drop off the North Cascades section.
8 days will be tight, we did ours in 10 days and felt rushed. The problem is the parks are spread out pretty good, especially when you want to do Olympic.
Olympic
- There are not a ton of great options to stay, VRBO or AirBnB are best bets if you can. Port Angeles is the best town option for the Hurricane Ridge (best part of park).
- Rialto Beach and Hoh Rain Forest are must do, but they are a long drive from Port Angeles. You are going to need a day for those and another day for in the mountains hiking.
- Get off the main paved hiking trails in Hurricane Ridge section to really enjoy it.
Mount Ranier
-Once again VRBO or AirBnB, if you do not stay in park at lodge. We stayed in Packwood and it was a nice little town with decent food options.
- Sunrise section is timed entry, so figure that out with your dates.
- This park now slots in at #2 on our favorite NP list, just behind Grand Tetons. It knocked Rocky Mountain NP down a spot. You could spend a few days here hiking the various trails. If just doing a couple days, spend one day a Paradise and the other at Sunrise.
- Do not over think it, just take nice long hikes here. Views are amazing.
North Cascades
- No where to stay, unless you are camping. Plan to stay in a town east or west of the park.
-This is a rough park to fully enjoy. There is one road through the park, and basically everything is a hike. The one road is a beautiful drive, but there is a reason it is one of the least visited NPs. You pretty much can only enjoy it if you want to do hike in camping.
- I suggest combining this with Mount Baker to make the most of going that far north. They are still a long drive from each other, but not bad. 1 day in North Cascades and 1 day up to Mount Baker.
Other Items
- I would begin or end with Olympic personally and not in the middle. You want to mimimize going through Seattle.
- We stopped off in Leavenworth for a couple hours, nice German town.
- You are going to see Mount St. Helens near Ranier. It is a long drive, do not be fooled. Need a whole day for that excursion.
- Going in June, be prepared for hiking in snow. It could be a lot of hiking in snow on Ranier and Mount Baker.
- You really need more than 8 days to make it relaxing or just drop off the North Cascades section.
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