White Pass Scenic Byway
Places to Visit

• Morton (WA)

  Take a few minutes to explore the City of Morton and its historic main street before continuing on to Mount Rainier National Park. This a great opportunity to fill up with gas and grab a meal before heading to the park.

• Mount Rainier National Park (WA)

  Mount Rainier National Park is a first-tier destination for domestic and international travelers. The park offers endless sightseeing and hiking opportunities from old-growth forest to sub-alpine meadows and glaciated peaks. Mount Rainier is a world-famous climbing destination. Besides Mount Rainier itself, the park includes many smaller mountains to explore, glacier-fed rivers, and diverse wildlife. In winter the park is popular for back-country skiing and snowshoeing.

  Directions: The byway runs beneath the park starting about Randle.

• Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument (WA)

  Mount St. Helens is an internationally known destination. The national monument provides opportunities for hiking, sightseeing, and wildlife watching. The monument is one of the world’s best opportunities to experience a recent volcanic eruption site, whether on foot or from roadside viewpoints. Hiking trails provide closeup experiences of volcanic features and the recovering ecosystem.

  Location on Byway: From Randle travel south on State Route (SR) 131 until the road forks (1 mile). Stay to the right, traveling on SR 131 which becomes Forest Road (FR) 25 (1 mile). Travel south on FR 25 to FR 99 (19 miles). Turn right on FR 99 and drive until it terminates at Windy Ridge (16 miles).

• Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (WA)

  Picturesque beauty ranges from glacier-cut valleys to the rugged, ice-capped mountains of the North Cascades in this national forest.

  Directions: The byway is located south of the forest.

• Oak Creek Wildlife Area (WA)

  Oak Creek Wildlife area includes a range of diverse habitats for wildlife watching along with some of the state’s best rock climbing on unique volcanic columns. In the winter, Oak Creek holds regular elk feeds, attracting hundreds of elk. In the summer, enjoy miles of backroad exploration or hiking, as well as challenging rock climbing.

• Pacific Crest Trail (WA)

  Stretching from Canada to Mexico, this trail runs along Washington’s Cascade Mountains cutting through multiple mountain passes, as well as running through Mt. Rainier National Park, the North Cascades National Park and also passing many alpine lakes along its way. Enjoy an afternoon exploring part of this spectacular trail system, or gear up for days on the trail.

• Packwood (WA)

  Grab dinner and spend the night in Packwood before heading towards Mount St. Helens the next day. Be sure to wander by the historic Hotel Packwood, where Teddy Roosevelt once stayed while he was president. If you are adventurous, spend an extra day in Packwood and hike to the Tatoosh Mountain lookout. This 9-mile (round-trip hike) offers amazing views of Mount Rainier and surrounding peaks.

• Palisades Viewpoint (WA)

  Enjoy a picnic surrounded in lush Washington scenery at this viewpoint and picnic area that overlooks dramatic volcanic rock formations called "palisades."

• Riffe Lake (WA)

  This reservoir is full of fish for the taking.

  Directions: South of the byway a few miles past Mossyrock.

• Rimrock Lake (WA)

  The highest elevation large-lake along the byway, Rimrock Lake offers recreation, camping, and fantastic views of the surrounding foothills.

  Directions: Rimrock Lake is located just south of the byway a bit before Rimrock.