Best Places For A Fall Getaway Near Seattle

There are many places within a two-hour drive of Seattle that show intense color in the falls. The best viewing time for color varies from year to year, but usually falls between mid-September to the end of November. The higher elevations change first, and the lower elevations linger into November on a dry year. The brilliant yellows, oranges and reds of the deciduous trees stand out against the deep green of the evergreens.

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Whatcom Falls park is filled with trails that follow the creek (Credit, Karen Ulvestad)

Fairhaven Village Inn
1200 10th St.
Bellingham, WA 98225
(360) 733-1311
www.fairhavenvillageinn.com

The Bellingham area is a fantastic place to view fall color. The Fairhaven Village Inn is located in the historic Fairhaven district on the south end of the city. It is a great place to stay and explore the area. To the north, Whatcom Falls Park is a great place to hike, explore and see the fall foliage. This city park is located by Lake Whatcom, and is the location of four sets of waterfalls as the creek makes its way to Bellingham Bay. The park is filled with trails, picnic areas and a children's playground. Mount Baker is just north east of the city, and offers beautiful colors in the fall. Nooksak Falls is one of the many stops worth taking. To the south of Fairhaven is Chuckanut Drive (State Route 11), and is a great way to head back to Seattle. This route follows the Puget Sound shoreline, offering spectacular views and brilliant colors in the fall.

Tree House Point
6922 Preston-Fall City Road S.E.
Issaquah, WA 98027
(425) 441-8087
www.treehousepoint.com

Tree House Point is located in a forested area on the Preston-Fall City Road. This area is near Snoqualmie Falls, the Snohomish River Valley and Snoqualmie Pass. Snoqualmie Falls is spectacular in the fall with all of the big-leaf maples turning brilliant yellow on the hillsides surrounding the waterfall. The trail to the base of the falls is open, and offers an opportunity to see the falls from below with the fall colors surrounding it. Snoqualmie Pass is just to the east, and worth the drive to Cle Elum or Ellensburg. The colors cover the mountainsides at the higher elevations, and there are many trails to alpine lake throughout the area. To the west is the Snohomish River Valley. This area is farmland with hillsides of deciduous trees that turn color in the fall. It is a great route to return to I-5 and Seattle.

Mountain Loop Bed and Breakfast
30528 Mountain Loop Highway
Granite Falls, WA 98252
(360) 691-4760
www.bedandbreakfast.com

The Mountain Loop Highway starts at Granite Falls and ends in Darrington. The road is paved to Barlow Pass, then is gravel most of the way to Darrington. The main road can be driven in a passenger car, though some of the logging roads need a higher-clearance vehicle. The Mountain Loop Bed and Breakfast is eight miles outside of Granite Falls on the highway. It is the perfect place to stay while exploring the area. The area is filled with hiking trails, logging roads, alpine lakes, waterfalls, the Sauk River and the Stilliquamish River. One of the most popular and easiest trails is to the Big 4 Ice Caves at the base of Big 4 Mountain. 

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The drive to Leavenworth goes through Tumwater Canyon (Credit, Karen Ulvestad)

Run of the River
9308 E. Leavenworth Road
Leavenworth, WA 98826
(509) 548-7171
www.runoftheriver.com

On the east side of the Cascade Mountains is a jewel of a town named Leavenworth. The Run of the River is located here, and it is the perfect place to stay while exploring the area's fall foliage. The fall colors start with travel through Stevens Pass and Tumwater Canyon. Highway 2 follows the Wenatchee River through Tumwater Canyon, and the leaves turn red, yellow and orange. The slow-moving river reflects these colors, creating beautiful viewing opportunities. Just before Tumwater Canyon is Lake Wenatchee. This glacier-fed lake is the perfect place to see the eastern foothills of the Cascades in fall colors. Other places to visit in the area are Icicle Creek and Blewett Pass. A perfect return trip to Seattle would be Blewett Pass to Snoqualmie Pass. The rough is a bit longer than Highway 2, but the scenery is breathtaking.

Paradise Inn
98368 Paradise-Longmire Road
Ashford, WA 98304
(360) 569-2275
www.mtrainierguestservices.com

Paradise Inn is located inside Mount Rainier National Park. The area is known of its intense fall colors, especially in the meadows above the Inn. The view is spectacular, with the meadows clothed in reds, oranges and golds and the mountain in the background. Towards the southeast part of the park resides Box Canyon which offers beautiful scenic views too. Continuing to the east side of the park, there is Cayuse Pass, White Pass and Chinook Pass. Each of these mountain passes offers spectacular views of the Cascade Mountains, waterfalls, meadows and fall colors. Paradise Inn offers a great location to explore all of these areas.

Karen Ulvestad is a mother and professional writer/photographer, who lives in the greater Seattle area. She graduated from the University of Washington with a BA in English Composition. Her background is in fitness, travel, photography and writing. She continually researches locations to visit, and/or entertainment opportunities for family outings and/or photo shoots. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.