Photo by Kedar Gadge on Unsplash
Route Overview
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
A Pacific Northwest loop built around alpine sunrises, rainforest mornings, and long scenic drives. Plan for early starts and flexible weather windows.
Itinerary
10:00
60 min10:00
☕
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport - arrival + supplies
60 min
19:00
45 min19:00
👀
Kerry Park sunset (Seattle)
45 min
05:30
120 min05:30
👀
Mount Rainier - Sunrise/Paradise area
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
120 min
08:00
180 min08:00
🥾
Skyline Trail (Paradise loop)
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
180 min
18:30
60 min18:30
👀
Reflection Lakes sunset
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
60 min
11:00
60 min11:00
☕
Drive to North Cascades (Diablo Lake)
North Cascades National Park
60 min
12:00
45 min12:00
👀
Diablo Lake Overlook
North Cascades National Park
45 min
15:30
60 min15:30
👀
Washington Pass Overlook
Baltimore-Washington Parkway
60 min
19:00
60 min19:00
👀
Olympic National Park - Hurricane Ridge sunset
Olympic National Park
60 min
08:00
120 min08:00
🥾
Hoh Rain Forest morning loop
120 min
18:30
60 min18:30
👀
Ruby Beach sunset
60 min
19:00
60 min19:00
🏨
Drive to Crater Lake (Rim Village)
Crater Lake National Park
60 min
06:00
60 min06:00
👀
Crater Lake sunrise (Rim Village)
Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve
60 min
14:00
60 min14:00
☕
Portland International Airport - departure
60 min
07:30
150 min07:30
🚗
Rim Drive viewpoints
Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve
150 min
Creates a copy you can customize
7
Days
15
Stops
moderate
Difficulty
Best Season
July-September for the best chance of clear skies and high-elevation access.
Tags
#pacific-northwest#roadtrip#multi-park#rainier#olympic#north-cascades#crater-lake