Seattle Travel Forum

Hello! I will taking my first trip to Seattle (and the Pacific NW in general) the end of February, the 26th-29th. I have a conference I will be attending, but have one day completely open. I was hoping to rent a car for a day and drive either to Rainier NP or Olympic NP since I have never been to either. I'd just like to see some of the beautiful natural areas and take a hike or two, but I am not sure what it is like there the end of February. Are roads passable? Would one be better than the other at that time? Is there a better option?

Any help would be appreciated. I have no idea what to expect!

Thanks,

John

The majority of the roads in Mount Rainier National Park are closed in the winter up to way past February.
Olympic National Park is fairly desolate and inaccessible except for trails and a few roads, most of which are on the west side, away from Seattle, or closed in the winter. The Hurricane Ridge Road (out of Port Angeles, north side of the park) should be open at least to Heart of the Hills, although there's no guarantee on that, and, if it is open all the way to Hurricane Ridge, it will still be very snowy and cold up there.
Another option is one of the rainforests. Hoh, the more famous one, is very far from Seattle, but you could do the Quinault, which is on the southwest side of the park and close to the 101 (on a paved road, almost always open).
Check the park web site for updates on conditions and to get an idea on what's open: http://www.nps.gov/olym/
hth

1) Mt. Rainier National Park:
If you are prepared for a snow experience, and the day is clear, this can be spectacular. Most everything above about 3,000 feet in elevation in our mountains right now is packed with snow this year -- great for skiing and snowshoeing. The main road with most accessibility to Mt. Rainier is the Nisqually Entrance, which leads up to Paradise, the base area from which the mountain is both climbed, and also terrific for cross-country skiing. Nisqually is on the south side of the mountain, just past Ashford. However, check on the park's website to see conditions and if the road is in fact open up to Paradise (there was some storm damage to a portion of this road recently, and not certain if it's open again). The total driving each way from Seattle is about 2.0-2.5 hours.

2) Olympic N.P. I agree with the previous poster. Hurricane Ridge, like Rainier, is spectacular on a sunny day, which you might not get. The road should be checked on to get here, as it's a long combination ferry ride-drive across the north side of the Olympic Peninsula, but a very delightful one, passing by numerous charming small towns. The road up to the ridge is narrow and very curvy.
On the Pacific Ocean side, you will have little snow, and the Hoh River Valley is an excellent rainforest walk, and you're likely to spot a fair bit of wildlife. However, I wouldn't do this in one day, I would stay overnight somewhere, as it's just too long a distance. Lake Quinault is also another nice area, with a beautiful lodge, very nice forest walks, and it most likely won't have snow, as it is closer to sea-level. Plus, you can do "storm patrol" along the Pacific beaches, which are nearly deserted and exceptionally attractive.
Good luck and I hope you have a great time!

I suggest you stay locally and visit some of the amazing sites of Seattle-Pike Place Market, take a ferry ride, Pioneer Square, etc. Most of the passes are currently closed due to massive amounts of snow. Or if they are passable you will be required to have chains.