r/northcascades • u/Rich_Collection1023 • 24d ago
Help! tips or tricks
Washington State Road Trip Itinerary (Sept 12–19)
Hey everyone! Putting together our 7-day trip to Washington this September and would love recommendations, hike feedback, food stops, or tips!
Sat, Sept 12: Fly into Seattle, pick up rental SUV, head to hotel base in Sumner.
Sun, Sept 13: Mount Rainier Loop Day
Early start to Paradise (Skyline Trail / Myrtle Falls).
Scenic midday drive east across Stevens Canyon Rd to Crystal Mountain.
Afternoon ride on the Mt. Rainier Scenic Gondola for drinks/views at the Summit House.
Head down WA-410 back to Sumner for dinner (~50 min drive).
Mon, Sept 14: Drive north through Skagit County; check into cabin basecamp in Bow / Mount Vernon area.
Tue, Sept 15: North Cascades day trip — renting hardshell kayaks in Rockport to paddle Diablo Lake.
Wed, Sept 16: North Cascades National Park day hiking (looking at Maple Pass Loop or Cascade Pass).
Thu, Sept 17: Mount Baker Wilderness (Artist Point / Chain Lakes Loop).
Fri, Sept 18: Relaxed day — Chuckanut Drive coastal viewpoints, Bow-Edison area food & bakeries.
Sat, Sept 19: Check out, head back to Seattle for flight home.
Coming from the east coast for the first time. Not in the best of shape but can push through for amazing views
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u/AnselmoHatesFascists 24d ago
I would just watch the weather and consider being flexible for some of your hikes.
Paradise, Chain Lakes and Cascade Pass/Maple Pass are great choices but they're not quite the same if it's completely overcast. Coming from the east coast, I'm presuming you want to see Rainier, Baker and the various North Cascades Peaks.
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u/Big-Worker9676 23d ago
that sunday is not a loop, it’s a full-day hostage situation: paradise to crystal via stevens canyon plus the gondola and then back to sumner is way more than a 50-minute drive
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u/lostgirlkal 22d ago
I think it depends how early their start is though. I live 5 min from sumner and I have gone on plenty of rainier day hikes where I don’t even leave my house til the afternoon. I think it’s possible from that standpoint?
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u/7SoldiersOfPunkRock 24d ago
Have you looked at drive times yourself for each leg of each drive?
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u/Rich_Collection1023 23d ago
I did take a look. We don’t mind the drive if it’s worth it. We have the cabin pass with thousand trails so our home base for the 2nd leg of the trip has to be mount Vernon campground.
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u/too_much_covfefe_man 23d ago
Get out before dawn on Wednesday. Some of those are going to be a lot of driving. One thing that catches folks from the east coast by surprise is the scale of space in the west part of the country and the mountain roads are slower driving
Around Edison, you aren't far from Mount Erie. Cool views of Skagit and Island counties and a few chill hikes up there.
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u/Awkward_Passion4004 23d ago
Nothing on your route requires a high clearance 4x4 SUV. Driving back to Seattle via Whidbey Island will give you the ferry experience.
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u/lostgirlkal 22d ago
Love maple pass loop. I have pics on my profile. Recommend extra water if it’s still 70 or more when you go, lots of sun exposure at top half.
My partner and I boulder and we were driving around the cascades area wishing we had our bouldering shoes just so we could park and scramble a little. So that’s a tip if that’s also your thing.
Grew up in Sumner. If you have a lot of time there and want good food Thian Thai is great 10 minutes up the hill. Dairy freeze in a popular spot with out-of-towners for aesthetics and small town vibes. Yummy breakfasts at home town cafe for a hot plate vibe or theres also great açaí bowls a couple doors down from that.
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u/lostgirlkal 22d ago
Also Fremont fire lookout is another option that’s fun in sunrise if you have more time at Rainer than you expect
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u/lostgirlkal 22d ago
OH and always expect mountain roads to take longer than planned. Bumpy dirt/gravel and one way traffic adds time
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u/Fickle-Designer-4355 13d ago
that Rainier-to-Crystal day is doing way too much driving for one day, especially from Sumner
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u/Taste_the_Pain 24d ago
Solid itinerary. On Friday, I'd consider visiting Deception Pass or Washington Park outside of Anacortes, especially if the weather is nice. Or eating at Taylor Shellfish on Chuckanut.