Inspiration

The Most Beautiful Places in the Pacific Northwest

All the misty beaches and wooded mountains you could ever want.

June 21, 2023

Pacific Northwest The Most Beautiful Places in the Region

There's no shortage of naturally beautiful regions in the United States, from the dreamy desert landscapes of the Southwest to the charming small towns of New England. But when it comes to natural diversity, few areas can compete with the Pacific Northwest—we’re talking misty beaches, wooded mountains, wildlife-filled islands, endless fields of flowers, and some of the best stargazing spots in the entire country.

The Pacific Northwest—which includes Washington, Oregon, and Idaho in the contiguous United States—is perfect for epic road trips or national park sojourns, as well as long weekends in some of the country’s coolest big cities (which also happen to be filled with green spaces). So whether you’re looking to explore Olympic National Park or sip coffee with a view in Portland, you’re sure to find travel inspiration in this list of the most beautiful places in the Pacific Northwest.

All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This article has been updated since its original publish date.

Washington
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San Juan Islands
Hawaii isn’t the only place to have an epic island vacation in the United States: Some of the country’s best islands happen to be located off the coast of Washington. The San Juan archipelago consists of about 175 named islets, the three largest of which—Orcas, San Juan, and Lopez—are easily accessible from the mainland by ferry. You’ll find laidback locals and splendid nature galore throughout the area, but we’re particular fans of Orcas Island, with its spectacular views over Puget Sound, forested hiking paths, and pilgrimage-worthy restaurants.
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Leavenworth
Can’t swing a trip to Europe right now? Fear not—there are plenty of US cities that are full of the same charm and culture you’d expect to find overseas. Case in point: Leavenworth, a town deep in Washington’s Cascade Mountains that looks exactly like a Bavarian village. Visitors will find Alpine architecture, a nutcracker museum, and plenty of German-style food halls serving up brats and beer. The city even holds its own annual Oktoberfest celebration.
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Ruby Beach
Olympic National Park has so many different landscapes, we have to break it up into multiple entries. First up is Ruby Beach, a stretch of coast on the Olympic Peninsula (and one of the best beaches in the US) known for its rock formations and sun-bleached driftwood. You can appreciate the moody shores from one of the many viewpoints along Highway 101, but if you want to truly immerse yourself, set up camp in the nearby Kalaloch Lodge—the views here are some of the best in the entire park.

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Hoh Rain Forest
Next up is the Hoh Rain Forest, an Olympic National Park site that is completely different from Ruby Beach (though equally stunning). Replete with lichen-covered trees and bright yellow banana slugs, the forest is like the quiet eye in the often tourist-heavy storm. (And we mean that literally: The forest is reportedly the quietest spot in the lower 48.) Venture through the Hall of Mosses Trail (just under a mile long) for some of the best views of maple trees draped in bright green moss.
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Skagit Valley
You think tulips, you think Holland, right? These beautiful spring flowers can be found closer to home: Washington’s Skagit Valley has sprawling fields of tulips much like Lisse’s Keukenhof (the largest bulb garden in the world), with a festival offering guided bike tours and photo contests every April.
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Whidbey Island
Often overshadowed by the more prolific San Juan Islands, Whidbey Island refuses to be ignored. Located just north of Seattle, the 55-mile-long island is a mecca for outdoorsy folks, with enough watersports and hiking trails to plan an entire trip around. Make sure to pay a visit to Deception Pass State Park for some incredible cliff-top views, then set up camp at the Captain Whidbey, a historic inn originally built in 1907 that was rebooted in 2019.
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Puget Sound
So many of Washington’s best sites are in and around Puget Sound, we thought the body of water deserved its own spot on this list. The Pacific Ocean inlet encompasses Whidbey and the San Juan islands, and it’s the main reason Seattle is so appealing to outdoor enthusiasts (and seafood lovers, while we’re at it). And then there’s the fact that the sound is just plain beautiful, with mountainous backdrops and whale sightings galore.

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Discovery Park, Seattle
Speaking of outdoor activities in Seattle, there happens to be a fairly epic 534-acre park right in the city. Discovery Park is perched on the shores of Puget Sound in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood, drawing both residents and tourists with its hiking trails, coastal bluffs, lighthouses, peaceful meadows, and Indigenous cultural centers.
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Columbia River Gorge
One of our favorite day trips from Portland, Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge is the birthplace of the nation’s first ever scenic highway. That means it’s an obvious road trip destination, but the site also has plenty of hidden treasures worth getting out of your car to find. Make sure to hike to the Multnomah Falls, which look like something straight out of a fairy tale.
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Crater Lake National Park
Sitting at 1,943 feet deep, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States, made entirely out of glacial runoff and precipitation—hence its clarity and intense blue color. To best enjoy the lake and its surroundings, book a few nights at Crater Lake Lodge—the only accommodation within the National Park borders.
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Silver Falls State Park
While most travelers flock to America’s national parks, Oregon makes a great case for adding state parks to your road trip itinerary. The state has hundreds of protected areas, but few capture the PNW brand of beauty quite as well as Silver Falls State Park. There’s no shortage of things to do here—at 9,000+ acres, it’s the largest state park in Oregon—but we recommend prioritizing the iconic Trail of Ten Falls, which stretches along a moss-drenched canyon and passes by the 177-foot South Falls waterfall.

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Cannon Beach
Cannon Beach may just be the most beautiful place in all of Oregon—and one of the most beautiful places in the entire United States. The boulder-studded beach is an essential pit stop off Highway 101 (a road trip that rivals even California’s Highway 1), and seeing the 235-foot Haystack Rock protruding out of the water is worth the drive alone.
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St. Johns Bridge, Portland
Portland is another example of a big city filled with (and surrounded by) natural beauty. And although it’s a manmade structure, the St. Johns Bridge is an excellent place to soak up some of the best views in town—especially if you can swing a visit during leaf-peeping season. While walking across the bridge is well worth your time, you can also get jaw-dropping views from the balcony at Occidental Brewing Co., best paired with sausages and pilsners.
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Painted Hills
Oregon’s natural sites are as diverse as they are beautiful, as proven by the Painted Hills in the north-central region of the state, which couldn’t be more different than the forests and rocky beaches found on the western coast. The NPS-protected spot is made up of varied stripes of red, tan, orange, and black (hence the art-inspired name), plus an array of leaf fossils aging up to 39 million years old.
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Yaquina Head
Jutting into the Pacific Ocean on Oregon’s central coast, Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area definitely lives up to its name. The region’s tidal pools are indeed outstanding with starfish, anemones, and sea urchins in the waters below, and seals and sea lions sunbathing up top. But the real draw here has to be the panoramic coastline view from the 1870 Yaquina Head Lighthouse.

Idaho
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Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve
There are only about 20 International Dark Sky Association-recognized reserves in the entire world, so it was a pretty big deal when Idaho was inducted into the prestigious list back in 2017. The Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve is a sprawling, 1,400-acre chunk of land free from light pollution—which means visitors can view the Milky Way, planets, meteors, and even interstellar dust clouds. If you can brave the cold weather, consider a winter visit for clearer weather conditions, fewer crowds, and the opportunity to snowshoe under the stars.
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Coeur d’Alene
Located in northwest Idaho, Coeur d’Alene is the lakeside retreat you’ve probably never visited—but we’re here to change that. Located on the natural lake of the same name, Coeur d’Alene has the perfect mix of natural and manmade attractions, with swimming and camping opportunities near the water, and tons of golf courses and restaurants closer to the city. The town is also home to our readers’ favorite hotel in the entire state: The Coeur d’Alene Resort, complete with a private beach and a whopping ten restaurants.
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Bruneau Dunes State Park
Covering some 4,800 acres an hour south of Boise, Bruneau Dunes State Park feels a world away from civilization. The park is filled with small lakes and big dunes, including the tallest single-structured sand dune in North America (at 470 feet). Make a day and night out of your visit, starting with fishing and horseback riding and ending with some stargazing at the Bruneau Dunes Observatory.

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Shoshone Falls
Dubbed the “Niagara Falls of the West,” the terraced Shoshone Falls drop 212 feet along the Snake River in southern Idaho. If you’re planning to visit, aim for the spring or summer when water levels are typically at their highest.