Best Winter Road Trips From Seattle
Top Winter Road Trip Destinations From Seattle
🚗 140 miles ⏱️ 2 hours, 50 minutes
Bellingham is a beautiful town surrounded by stunning mountains, making it a great destination in the winter. A little further out, the Mt Baker area offers the full range of snow sports, from skiing and snowboarding to cross-country ski trails and snowshoeing through the natural forests.
🚗 180 miles ⏱️ 3 hours, 40 minutes
Mount Rainier National Park turns into a snow-covered winter wonderland from December onwards. It's a really popular place to visit in the warmer months but coming here in winter offers more peace and quiet.
🚗 140 miles ⏱️ 3 hours, 10 minutes
The holidays bring a special festive magic to Leavenworth; don't forget to visit the legendary Christmas Market and the Nutcracker Museum. Along the way to Cashmere, you'll drive through Stevens Pass, which offers ski lifts and a snow park with all winter sports and lighted night skiing.
Lake Tahoe
🚗 815 miles ⏱️ 15 hours, 50 minutes
The mountains around Lake Tahoe see an enormous amount of snow falling in the winter, making it a beautiful and action-packed location for snow sports. For something completely different, head to the South Lake Tahoe area, where you'll find casinos and colorful nightlife, along with clubs and restaurants.
🚗 140 miles ⏱️ 2 hours, 50 minutes
If you're in Vancouver during the holiday season, you can enjoy festive lights across the city - even the Capilano Suspension Bridge is covered in lights in the winter! World-renowned Whistler is “Vancouver's Mountain,” and it's an easy drive from the city for winter sports.
🚗 170 miles ⏱️ 3 hours, 15 minutes
Portland offers a southern escape from Seattle, and winter is the most affordable time to visit this amazing city. Curl up with a coffee and book at Powells City of Books, and window shop for vintage clothes or vinyl records. You can also find ski resorts, snowshoe trails, and sledding hills around the Mt Hood loop.
🚗 110 miles ⏱️ 2 hours, 15 minutes
Winter in Olympic National Park and Forest is the wet season, so the rain forests are full of deep greens. With snow on the mountains and sand on the beaches, it's a unique time to visit. Scenic and remote Hurricane Ridge is the center for all snow sports within Olympic National Park!
🚗 190 miles ⏱️ 3 hours, 30 minutes
Manson and Lake Chelan are known for their wineries and vineyards. Sip on warm wine or cider as you stroll through these winter wonderlands and shop for unique gifts. Echo Valley is the nearest downhill ski and snowboard mountain and in January, you can enjoy the magical Lake Chelan Winterfest.
🚗 420 miles ⏱️ 8 hours
For a winter outdoor adventure, you can ski, snowboard, snow tube in Kamloops and enjoy several mountain resorts, including Sun Peak Resort. For some warmer recreation, stop at the wineries on the Kamloops Wine Trail and enjoy a selection of locally produced wines.
🚗 470 miles ⏱️ 8 hours, 50 minutes
Bend is located closeby so much natural beauty! Crater Lake looks especially scenic in winter and while you cannot drive around it in winter, you can take a guided snowshoe hike. The hot springs within nearby Umpqua National Forest are especially welcome in the winter as you can soak in and warm up.
🚗 600 miles ⏱️ 11 hours
On your way to Banff, you'll pass Golden, at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. You can ski at Kicking Horse Resort or explore the area with fat tire biking and cross-country ski trails. The view of the frozen Lake Louise and snow-covered mountains is especially beautiful in Banff National Park.
🚗 595 miles ⏱️ 11 hours, 20 minutes
In the winter, Whitefish offers some fantastic skiing, with a full alpine village where you can enjoy some après ski relaxation. Don't forget to soak up at Quinn's Hot Springs and Symes Hot Springs. Glacier National Park has limited access in winter, but it the drive between Apgar and Lake McDonald is simply stunning!
🚗 845 miles ⏱️ 15 hours, 45 minutes
For an entirely different winter experience, escape the snow and rain with a visit to California's famous wine region, followed by some time in the Bay Area. Winter months bring whales to the coast of San Francisco, so jump on board a whale-watching tour boat from Fisherman's Warf to try to spot them!
🚗 975 miles ⏱️ 18 hours, 15 minutes
While vehicles are not allowed in Yellowstone in winter, you can take a guided tour to see the national park under a blanket of sparkling snow. On your way to Yellowstone, you can stop at Ketchum or Sun Valley, "America's Original Winter Playground", to enjoy a day of winter sports and skiing!
Los Angeles
🚗 1,160 miles ⏱️ 20 hours, 35 minutes
The ultimate escape from the winter cold, you can enjoy year-round sunshine on a road trip to California! Los Angeles is famous for its theme parks, and whether you seek roller coaster thrills, or Christmas festivities, there's a park for every day and every wish such as Disneyland and Harry Potter World!