Every time we plan a road trip I get excited. Some roads I have traveled so much I know them like the back of my hand, but others are still an adventure. Washington has so much to offer the traveler that deciding which way to travel and what to do is a challenge.
Since scenic routes are always my favorite I was pleased to find a "Washington State Scenic Byways" map of our state last time I was out and about. Printed by the Washington State Department of Transportation; it's a must have if you're into seeing the many beautiful sights our state has to offer.
There are two dozen scenic byways in Washington State. They are:
(1) Mt. Baker Scenic Byway,
(2) Chuckanut Drive,
(3) Cascade Valleys,
(4) Spirit Lake Memorial Highway,
(5) Chinook Pass Scenic Byway,
(6) Mountains to Sound Greenway,
(7) Strait of Juan de Fuca Highway,
(8) Cascade Loop,
(9) North Cascades Scenic Highway,
(10) Stevens Pass Greenway,
(11) Lewis and Clark Trail,
(12) Pacific Coast Scenic Byway,
(13) Swift Water Corridor,
(14) White Pass Scenic Byway,
(15) Columbia River Gorge,
(16) Coulee Corridor,
(17) Yakima River Canyon,
(18) Sherman Pass Scenic Byway,
(19) North Pend Oreille Scenic Byway,
(20) Cape Flattery Tribal Scenic Byway,
(21) Palouse Scenic Byway,
(22) Okanogan Scenic Byway,
(23) Yakima Scenic Byway and
(24) Cranberry Coast Scenic Byway.
The shortest byway, 12 miles, is the Cape Flattery Tribal Scenic Byway through the home of the Makah Indians and on to Cape Flattery where you can view Tatoosh Island and the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary amidst surrounding abundant wildlife.
Take more time to enjoy the longest byway, 572 miles, the Lewis and Clark Trail. It begins in the southeast corner of the state at Clarkston and winds west to the tip of the Long Beach Peninsula.
If you don't have too much time, then you may want to take the Highway 101 loop from Olympia to Aberdeen, the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway to see the sea and forested area in the northwest corner of the state. It's a nice day drive. The entire byway to Chinook on the way to Astoria, Oregon, is longer, 350 miles.
Though the byway is varied and full of wonderful sights, you may want to continue traveling on down the Oregon Coast. I have to admit it outdoes Washington roadside scenery in the Pacific coastal area. Highway 101 in Washington does not border the Pacific ocean as close.
It would be difficult for me to recommend one scenic travel route over the other; the state is so rich in culture and terrain from the history of explorers along the southern boundary to the Mt. St. Helens sights farther north beginning at Castle Rock and ending at the mountain.
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