Tapestry's Top PNW Elopement Locations
The year 2020 has just been one long elopement season. Despite the unfortunate circumstances that led to this, we are HERE for it. Elopements are our obsession. And since we have been traveling around the Pacific Northwest organizing intimate marriage celebrations, we thought we would share some of our favorite locations, hikes, and regions to host elopements for just the two of you.
Photo taken in the Snoqualmie Pass courtesy of Jessika Christine Photo. .
Mt. BAKER
Mt. Baker is the Pacific Northwest’s version of Glacier National Park. It is beautiful, alpine, and has tons of spaces to spread out for safe hiking and picnicking. We love Artist Point in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest because of the utter ABUNDANCE of trails. You don’t need permits to park or visit, but it is seasonal, which means that you can only visit during the summer (typically June through October). If you want to visit in the winter season (which is equally gorgeous), you better get your snowshoes, skis, or snowboard and check park schedules to make sure the conditions are safe. The road is typically closed at the Mount Baker Ski Area until the snow melts again in early summer, but that doesn’t mean you can’t snowshoe your way to the top on a clear day!
OUR FAVORITE ADVENTURES ON THE ROAD TO ARTIST POINT...
Huntoon Point: Easy
This trial has spectacular views and a lot of love during its short season. We recommend arriving early or late to avoid the other avid hikers that swarm the area and get the best views of Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuskan.
Table Mountain: More Difficult
This is a two and a half mile round-trip hike from the Artist Point parking lot up a steep and shale-laden rock face. We recommend sturdy shoes and carrying your outfits in a backpack so that you can scramble and sturdily make your way up and down. Once you crest the butte, the entire ridge line is yours to hike to find the perfect ceremony spot.
Austin Pass Picnic Area: Easy Access
This is a first come, first serve picnic area with breathtaking views of the Austin Pass that is easily accessible to all. We love having our couples stop here for a picnic before or after a ceremony on the Artist Point or Chain Lakes trail system. There are tables nestled in among the trees for the perfect place to stop and enjoy a post-elopement grazing board feast.
Chain Lakes Loop: More Difficult
While this trail is of moderate difficulty due to its steep climbs in the Wild Goose section and Herman Saddle, the views and wildlife are completely worth it. Just remember that Mt. Baker is a delicate ecosystem and to always stay on the trail!
Artist Ridge Trail: Easy
In the summer, we love that you can drive the forest service roads to get to the upper parking lot and skip the big inclines. It makes an epic viewpoint of Mt. Baker and its surrounding sisters easily accessible.
Heather Meadows: Easy
This hike is great to connect with a visit to Artist Point via the Artist Ridge Trail. It’s a short almost three mile trek up only 850 ft of elevation with views of lakes, waterfalls, and mountains.
OTHER ADVENTURES IN THE MT. BAKER AREA
Picture Lake: Easy
Picture Lake is a great stop on your way to Artist Point. It has one of the most photographed vistas in America with grand views of lakes under Mt. Shuksan. This path is ADA accessible and welcome to all levels of mobility.
OLYMPIC PENINSULA
Lush green lichen, stormy grey beaches, cool and rocky mountains — all of these are at arm’s reach in the Olympic Peninsula. Arguably one of the most beautiful places in the world, we love the Peninsula for multi-day road trip experiences. Couples can travel between the different topographies in just a couple of hours so they can get a whole day (or two!) worth of adventure at each location. The weather and conditions don’t change drastically year round: the beaches tend to always be moody and the rain forest is always drippy and wet.
Photos taken in the Hoh Rainforest courtesy of Zarza Photography.
OUR FAVORITE SPOTS
Hurricane Ridge
We love Hurricane Ridge for classic wildflower mountain photos. It is easily accessible from the visitor’s center in Port Angeles. One of our favorite back trails is Hurricane Hill, which is a moderate hike that passes by a river with beautiful spanning views. If you want to adventure up there, you will need specific permitting to bring multiple people or hold a ceremony. You’ll want to check in with the rangers to double check what is required at the specific time of year you want to visit. Many couples just use the area for portraits to avoid the permits.
Rialto Beach
Rialto Beach has the most gorgeous, long length of beach with lots of driftwood to make a fort or have a cozy picnic on. Due to its size, there is a lot of room to spread out from other visitors. If you adventure far enough, you can even find the hole in the wall! The hike from the parking lot is about one mile of flat terrain. We recommend visiting during the shoulder season (spring or fall) or during weekdays as the summer weekends are packed with visitors with limited parking.
Hoh Rainforest
This rainforest is what makes the Pacific Northwest so unique and special. The only temperate rainforest in the entire world, the experience, colors, and landscape of this rainforest is like none other. For overnight explorers, the Hoh Rainforest Campground is a great campsite deep in the forest that allows you to wake up to the sounds of the wind through trees and fall asleep after your elopement watching the sun disappear over the river.
MT. RAINIER
Mt. Rainier is basically the mascot for outdoor adventures in the Pacific Northwest. There’s a reason for it: It’s absolutely breathtaking. There are so many activities that can be done in the area. It is a huge draw for families and hardcore backpackers alike.
With all that in mind, Tapestry recommends choosing your elopement date and hike with care. If you are open to going to less iconic but equally beautiful trails, you can find lots of space to spread out and run into less hikers and campers during your marriage celebration.
Photos taken at the Grove of Patriarchs courtesy of Between the Pine.
REGIONS OF THE PARK
Northwest
This part of the park is closest to city infrastructure, so it tends to be the most popular. It’s an easy drive from Enumclaw, the closest region of the mountain to Seattle, and FULL of hikes of all levels of ease. This portion of the park is also the wettest, with weather patterns typically coming from the Northwest portion of the state, so lush greenery is a staple of this area in the summertime and fall colors stretch out until late into the year.
Tolmie Peak: Moderate
Tomie Peak is a heavily visited six and a half mile trail, but well known for its gorgeous vistas. We recommend visiting during the summer and fall months as the service road usually has to be closed in November due to snowfall. It’s not a trail for beginners, so prepare for a steady incline or just get ready to get a great workout!
Southwest
This area of Mt. Rainier tends to have less people and more room to roam at the stops on the way to the top. Known as the “Paradise Side”, it is full of adventures and beautiful hidden gems! Most visitors drive straight up to Paradise Visitor’s Center, which is fairly busy in the peak of summer no matter which day of the week you visit. However, there are lots of forest service roads to get deeper into the park and destinations on the road to Paradise that are equally beautiful (with less crowds).
Reflection Lakes: Easy
This drive-up lake location has stunning views of Rainier on a clear day and connects to various loop hikes. Make it a photo stop or an all-day adventure by marrying it with High Lakes Loop, Narada Falls, or Longmire.
High Lakes Loop: Easy or Moderate
We love this loop because of its versatility in its level of adventure. You can do the three mile loop around the rocky trail with views of wildlife, some blueberry picking, and gorgeous mountain and valley views. Or, you can go counterclockwise one mile into the loop to hit those mountain views for a shorter adventure with all of the bang for your buck.
Fremont Lookout: Moderate
Fremont Lookout is a quaint two-story cabin where park rangers used to keep an eye on the wilderness. The hike from the parking lot to the lookout and back again is about five and a half miles with a 1200 ft elevation gain. There are a variety of trails you can take once you get to the lookout, extending your adventure for further views of the peaks and mountains.
Northeast
This side of the park has all the classic wildflower trails that are perfect for golden hour sunrise photos. It’s nickname is fittingly the “Sunrise Side” as the region seems to glow in the morning. The northeast side of Mt. Rainier is most known for its accessibility to winter sports due to the different ski resorts in the area.
Grove of Patriarchs: Easy
This is a one and a half mile hike through the thickest trees you’ve ever seen. Absolutely gorgeous, a fairly easy stroll, and one of our all time favorite places to take photos and commune with nature.
Suntop Lookout: Easy or Difficult
We love this lookout spot because 1) it has amazing view looking at the mountain and 2) you can either do a sixteen mile hike or enter at a higher trailhead and do a two mile stroll round trip.
Of course, these are just a few of our favorite spots. All of them are also perfect for day-adventures, road trips, and backpacking extravaganza. Please always remember to respect the ecosystems, stay on the trail, and check with the park rangers if you aren’t sure what the conditions or permitting rules are. If you go on any of our recommended adventures, please let us know! Send us photos at kelleen@tapestryeventco.com. We love sharing our knowledge of and passion for outdoor adventure with you all!
— Kelleen, Tapestry Content Manager