The most beautiful natural sites to discover Washington

A row of Indian totems welcomes you and reminds you that Indian tribes and pioneers handed battle to this place in 1855. You can take a look at the memorial that pays tribute to firefighters who died in the great fire of the quarter at the end of the th century. A modern music kiosk in the form of a music kiosk welcomes all summer groups. It's a pleasant place to walk!

From Neah Bay, take Cape Loop Road. A 40-minute hike allows you to reach the Cape Flattery, which marks the extreme north-west of the United States through the forest. Four views offer breathtaking views of the islands of Tatoosh and Vancouver. You can also watch whales.

The town of Dungeness is known for giving its name to a variety of crab. The Dungeness Spit, which stretches over 9 km, is the largest sand tower in the world and is part of the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge. It serves as a refuge for more than 250 species of birds, 41 species of terrestrial mammals and 8 species of marine mammals.

A small trail (600 m) crosses the forest to a superb point of view on the Spit. You can continue this trail, which goes down on the sand bench, and walk to the lighthouse (7 km).

North of Wenatchee, it is interesting to stop by the narrow lake Chelan Indian, whose name means "deep water". Fed by leaves of the chain of Cascade Mountains. A beautiful waterfall to be admired by road.

It is a rather special mini zoo which serves retreat with wild animals and school for students. You can see tigers (one avenue in Las Vegas, with Sigfried & Roy), lions, panthers, the bears... Visit to support the association that manages the zoo and which needs funds to save its animals.

This observatory has one of the largest telescopes of the United States and attracts crowds since 1973. Not to be missed!

In the east of the lake, the beautiful rainforest of Olympic National Park is discovered. Five small trails depart from the Rangers'cabin (on the US 101 Highway after the Quinault River Ridge) through this enchanting forest, including Maple Glade (800 m), which walks through the middle trees, ferns and foam mats. A guide allows you to follow the explanations on the site at every interesting point.

At the start of the Lake Crescent Lodge, the trail leading to Marymere Falls is easy and accessible to all. At the end of the road there are spectacular waterfalls 30,50 m high.

At 3,234 m high, Mount Baker dominates the sparkling waters of Puget Sound and amazes visitors with its snow-covered summit. Surrounded by glaciers, this ancient volcano has not been active since the end of the 19th century. It is one of the places on the planet where it snows the most. More than 30 m of snowfall had been recorded in 1998-99. A world record!

With its 38 slopes, it is a real paradise for ski and snowboard enthusiasts. There are also hundreds of kilometres of hiking trails. Mount Baker Hwy is a beautiful road that climbs to Artist Point, at an altitude of 1,530 m and reaches the main ski slopes. 38 ski slopes, 8 ski lifts and a 450 m wall are available for skiers.

20 km south of the Lake Crescent, along the road along the Sol Duc River, you arrive to the spa station known for its hot water basins. A lodge offers comfort for guests who wish to stay there or enjoy lunch. You can also simply enjoy thermal water ponds.

Longmire is 11 km from Nisqually, the southwest entrance of Mount Rainier National Park. After the establishment of the park in 1899, Longmire became its head office. Nowadays, there is a museum with exhibits on Mount Rainier, a service station, a grocery store and a hotel with a restaurant. Some sports equipment is rented there. There are excellent short or long walks from here. The road of Nisqually Entrance to Longmire is one of the most beautiful in the park.

From Nisqually Gate, to the southwest of the park, a road leads to Longmire and then to Paradise Valley, one of the most beautiful sites of Mount Rainier from which you discover pine forests and fields of wild flowers. Beyond Paradise, the road bypasses Reflection and Louise Lakes, two very beautiful mountain lakes in which Mount Rainier is directed, then reached Stevens Canyon dominated to the southwest by the silhouette of the Tatoosh Range.

After leaving Carillon ridge, we descend to the Chinook River, not far from the Silver Falls; these are only a few kilometres from Ohanpecosh visit Center; Then we cross the WA 123 which, northward, goes back the Chinook Valley to the Cayuse Pass (1 439 m).

From Cayuse Pass, this route joins the WA 410, also known as Mather Memorial Parkway, which flows into the White River valley, at the northeast boundary of the park towards Tacoma. On the road, there is a branch line that leads to White River Gate and Sunrise Point from a superb panorama on the Emmons glacier, the largest in the park.

The beach is very easy to access, a 2-minute walk from the parking lot.

Hiking is a little more difficult than First Beach, but your efforts will be rewarded! (about 1 hours walk). On arrival, we need to cut huge trunks of trees to reach the beach.

After 1 hours walking around the Push, we reach this superb fine sand beach stretching over 1,6 km. First Beach is a popular surf spot and a very popular site for watching grey whales (from mid-February to late March).

Surely the most beautiful beach on the peninsula, strewn with huge trunks of floating wood and very easy access (5 minutes walk). The small island of Douglas pine With Island, which rises out of the water just a few metres from the beach, surrounded by steep rocks, makes it a popular wildlife landscape for photographers.

Located in the Elwha Valley, these magnificent 30-meter waterfalls are easily accessible from Highway 101. It is also the opportunity to go through Elwha River, which has undergone great upheaval in recent years.

This centre explores the history of the fauna and flora of the Dungeness River. It may be interesting to take a tour in its small museum if you want to be able to spot animals once in nature. All species are represented, empaillées and in photo. The centre is also placed on the Olympic Discovery Trail, which crosses the entire peninsula from east to west and passes through Sequim on 40 miles. It is practicable on foot, cycling, roller, etc. Every Wednesday at a. m., a free guided tour of the centre and takes the curious to the heart of this rich nature for two hours. To see the salmon go up the river, we will build between mid-October and mid-January.