Top 10 Weekend Trips From Seattle, Washington

weekend getaways from seattle
Sharadha
Sharadha 
Updated
| 4 min read

Seattle is the largest city in Washington and one of the most beautiful places in the Pacific Northwest. This city’s vibrant landscapes, mountains, parks, western Pacific coast, evergreen forests, and lakes attract tourists from across the country. Although a lot less is known about the hidden gems around this major city, there are several unique destinations that serve as the perfect weekend getaway. These attractions are located at an easy commuting distance from Seattle. Escape the humdrum of monotonous city life by visiting these amazing spots during the weekends to simply refresh your mind. Check out this list of top weekend trips from Seattle, Washington.

1. Leavenworth

Leavenworth, WA — Front Street
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user senapa used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Leavenworth is a Bavarian-style village located at just 61 miles (97.5 km) from Seattle, Washington. This village is filled with amazing Alpine-style buildings—making for a perfect weekend getaway from busy city life. There are many restaurants in this village that serve delicious German beer and local food. You can also explore Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum, Waterfront Park, Icicle Creek, Front Street Park, and Enchantment Park.

Visited this place?

2. Spokane

SpokaneWA FromSouthHill
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user [Unknown] used under PUBLIC DOMAIN

Spokane is situated 279 miles (449 km) from Seattle, Washington. This city is popularly known as the birthplace of International Father’s Day and is home to many 1900s homes and buildings. Check out Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture that showcases art and cultural exhibits representing Native American heritage. You can also explore Campbell House that is built in Tudor-style architecture. Go on a cable-car ride and check out the stunning views of Spokane Falls. Other notable spots include Riverfront Park, Manito Park, and River Side State Park.

Visited this place?

3. Fairhaven

B'ham Fairhaven 03
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Joe Mabel used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Fairhaven is located 82 miles (140 km) from Seattle, Washington, which is a settlement area that is home to a historic district registered under the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. This location is a part of the city of Bellingham, featuring a scenic Marine Park with waterfront beach views. You can also check out Larrabee State Park, Whatcom Falls Park, Chuckanut Mountains, and many other amazing sights in this fabulous town. Unwind away from busy cities in a beautiful and calm hideaway.

Visited this place?

4. Portland

Portland Night panorama edit
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Fcb981 used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Portland in the U.S. city of Oregon is a place known for its quirky culture, beautiful gardens, and fun-filled parks. This place is an amazing weekend getaway that is famous for its Lan Su Chinese Garden, Forest Park, Portland Japanese Garden, McCall Waterfront Park, Oaks Amusement Park, Grotto, and many other amazing sights. This city is known for its extremely liberal and friendly culture. Explore the wondrous highlights of this unique town for a perfect weekend getaway from Seattle—and it’s only 175 miles (282 km) away!

Visited this place?

5. Bellingham

Aerial View of Bellingham, Washington
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Nick Kelly / Fait... used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Bellingham is a beautiful coastal city located on the Canadian border, and it features many resorts and spectacular beaches. You can even take ferries to Alaska from the Bellingham port. Hike and ski on the snow-capped trails of Mount Baker located east of Bellingham. This scenic city is just 89 miles (143 km) away from Seattle. The notable sights to explore here include Lummi Island, Whatcom Museum, Whatcom Falls Park, and many other beautiful places. This city also has many picnic and camping spots for you to get away during the weekends.

Visited this place?

6. Mount St. Helens

MSH82 st helens plume from harrys ridge 05-19-82
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Lyn Topinka used under PUBLIC DOMAIN

Mount St. Helens is an active volcano that is located 185 miles (297 km) from Seattle. This 3,000-foot (914 m) volcanic mountain witnesses more than hundreds of tremors every year and is a breathtaking natural phenomenon to witness. This place offers beginner- to advanced-level hiking opportunities for you to experience. Indeed Mount St. Helens is an amazing getaway to visit for adventure junkies.

Visited this place?

7. Langley City

Cascadescasino-langley
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Arnold C

Langley is an unincorporated township in British Columbia, Canada, located 113 miles (181 km) from Seattle. You can explore Cascades Casino, The Great Escape amusement park, Langley City Park, Fort Langley National Historic Site, Penzer Action Park, Greater Vancouver Zoo, and many other amazing attractions of this town. It is notable that Fort Langley is the historic birthplace of British Columbia.

Visited this place?

8. San Juan Island

San Juan Island NHP Eng Camp
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Chris Light used under CC BY-SA 3.0

San Juan Island is just a couple of hours away from Seattle—approximately 107 miles (172km). You can reach this island through Washington State Ferries System. This is the second-largest island in the archipelago of San Juan Islands. It makes for an amazing escapade from the busy technology-filled world—it gets just weekly newspapers and two online sites for daily news updates. The place has two amazing marinas featuring the harbors Friday and Roche. Some of the sites to explore here are Lime Kiln Point State Park, San Juan Island National Historic Park, Shaw Island, Whale Museum, and English Camp.

Visited this place?

9. Bainbridge Island

Scenic 101 (14411944480)
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user USEPA Environment... used under PUBLIC DOMAIN

Bainbridge Island is located 10.3 miles (16 km) on the water away from the Seattle port. This island is accessible via ferry rides and is an amazing place to visit for a weekend trip. Its forested Bloedel Reserve has beautifully landscaped gardens, trails, and campgrounds. You can also check out the campgrounds on the coastal Bainbridge Park with fabulous views of Cascade Mountains and Puget Sound. Check out Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, Tillicum Village, and Blake Island from this stunning spot.

Visited this place?

10. Port Ludlow

Port Ludlow, Washington, Marina
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Akerr used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Port Ludlow is just 40.8 miles (65 km) away from the city of Seattle, and you can reach it with a ferry ride. This port is an unincorporated community consisting of no more than 2,000 inhabitants—which is perfect if you’re planning to avoid the big-city crowds. The interesting attractions to explore in this port town are Ludlow Falls, Hood Canal Floating Bridge, Shine Tidelands State Park, Kitsap Memorial State Park, Mats Mats Bay, Sandy Shore Lake, Gibbs Lake, and Ludlow Lake.

Visited this place?

Travel to historic towns and beach getaways near Seattle

A weekend trip from Seattle is just a ferry ride away, and you can explore the nearest islands in less than an hour. There are also many historic cities nearby that you can explore during the weekends. Whether its palatial Victorian homes or cozy beach houses, the attractions in and around Seattle come with nearby stunning accommodations that will make your weekend trip the best one yet.

Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

History


Get Trip101 in your inbox

Unsubscribe in one click. See our Privacy Policy for more information on how we use your data

Sharadha is a happy 'paw'rent to beautiful GSDs - Max n Tuffey. At times, when she is not too busy pampering her furry kids, she is trying her best to stay fit, write and travel. She loves...Read more

 Want to contribute as a Local Expert?
Explore Seattle
Looking for accommodation?
x
Good things are meant to be shared!
Back to top
Visited any of these places? Click this button to activate our "Add a Tip" feature to share your experience.