Touring the National Parks of the Great Northwest

The Pacific Northwest’s national parks represent some of the most stunning corners of a region shaped by volcanoes, glaciers, and the wild ocean. Campgrounds within the parks tend to have limited services but phenomenal access to nature. Bring the wide lens; the views are big.

President and avid hunter Theodore Roosevelt loved the area around Mount Olympus for its roaming elk population, but it was the next President Roosevelt, Franklin, who designated it a national park. Today it’s a place of contrasts; an alpine visitor’s area has views down to Vancouver Island, Canada, while a strip of wild beaches are shaped by crashing waves on the Pacific coast. Much quieter are the old-growth rainforests of the Hoh River, where one spot was dubbed the quietest square inch in the United States.

Where To Stay: 

In the Park: Kalaloch

Good Sam Rec: Salish Trails

In 1870, the first documented climb of the 14,410-foot Mount Rainier was logged by Hazard Stevens and Philemon B. Van Trump, guided by a Yakima man named Sluiskin; inching up the glaciers to the summit, they dined on marmot, an alpine groundhog, to mark the occasion. Today the verdant meadows around the volcano erupt in wildflowers every summer, and backpackers enjoy backcountry meals on the trail that circles the park. The aptly-named Paradise visitor area is open year-round, even when snows pile against the historic national park inn there.

Where To Stay: 

In the Park: White River Campground

Good Sam Rec: Rainier Wings/Packwood

This is the wild one. Made up of rugged mountains, some of which are unreachable even by hiking trail, it offers some of the best vistas in the West. The cross-state North Cascades Highway sits between the park’s two halves, each of which contains a giant lake flanked by peaks. In summer the topaz waters sparkle at the Diablo Lake Overlook, and in winter the snows pile so high the roads close for half the year. Further south, the gateway town of Stehekin is accessible only by boat, with trails that reach deep into bear-filled forest—and a few are even the grizzly variety.

Where To Stay:  

In the Park: Colonial Creek Campground

When a giant volcano erupted more than 7,000 years ago, it created its mirror image below where it stood—the deepest lake in the country, nearly 2,000 feet deep. The cinder cone in the middle forms a dot on the lake surface called Wizard Island. The stone Crater Lake Lodge sits on the rim, rocking chairs perched on its patio. A 33-mile road rings the entire lake, with dozens of overlooks for views.

Where To Stay:  

In the Park: Mazama Village Campground

Good Sam Rec: Bend Sisters Garden RV Resort