Nothing says January in Seattle like the snow-covered mountains of the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges bookending the area east and west. Views are gorgeous from many places within the city, with exceptional vistas from Victor Steinbrueck Park (on the NW edge of Pike Place Market), the Olympic Sculpture Park, Golden Gardens Park or Alki Beach in West Seattle.
The road through Mount Rainier’s Nisqually entrance is open year-round to Paradise
Looking to take a deeper dive? Crystal Mountain Resort sits just a 2 hour drive south of downtown within a stone’s throw of majestic Mount Rainier National Park. The drive through small towns and windy, tree-lined roadways is awe-worthy, but a stop at the ski area at Crystal Mountain just might blow your socks off! Even if you’re not a skier, a trip up their gondola for views or lunch just might be the apex of your Pacific Northwest journey. Mount Rainier’s southwestern entrance remains open year-round, and offers free ($5 donation suggested) ranger-led snowshoeing excursions on weekends through March.
Don’t want to drive? Customized Tours of Seattle offers year-round trips to the southwestern corner of Mount Rainier National Park as a day trip from downtown. With small groups, and exceptional customer service, Customized Tours’ team will spin mountain lore, as well as getting you set up for a leisurely snowshoe trip into this vast, snowy wonderland.
Ranger-led snowshoeing trips are available weekends through March at Mt Rainier Nat’l Pk
However you choose to enjoy your trip to Seattle, you’ll undoubtedly see why we’ve chosen to make the Northwest our home.