The Ultimate PNW Bucket List

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Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia are truly remarkable!

The Pacific Northwest is packed with incredible scenery, outdoor adventures, and places worth exploring for a lifetime. The experiences on this bucket list aren’t ranked or listed in any particular order—we think each one is worth adding to your PNW adventures.

Anything marked with a ✔ is something we’ve personally experienced and would genuinely recommend.

The adventures without a checkmark are still on our own bucket list, and we hope to cross them off soon.

We’ll keep adding to this list as we discover new hikes, road trips, viewpoints, towns, and unforgettable experiences. If you have a favorite PNW adventure we’re missing, let us know - we’re always looking for ideas.

And yes, this list leans a little heavily toward Washington. We are the Wandering Washingtonians, after all!

Be sure to check out our ranked and sortable tool featuring 150+ of the best hikes we've completed in the PNW to help you find your next adventure!

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Looking for more inspiration? Check out some of our most popular guides to help plan your next adventure!

Ultimate PNW Bucket List (2026)

100+ Things to do
in the Pacific Northwest

British Columbia

1. Backpack to Garibaldi lake, and push for Panorama Ridge at sunrise ✔

2. Explore Lake O'Hara

3. Take a harrowing boat ride to Hot Springs Cove on Vancouver Island ✔

4. Relax in a Floating Sauna in a Quiet Tofino Fjord ✔

5. Bike around Stanley Park in Vancouver ✔

6. Backpack to Berg Lake ✔

The Wandering Washingtonian's

7. Have a relaxing evening at Emerald Lake Lodge ✔

8. Feast on the buffet at the Riverside Cafe in Valemont ✔

9. Rejuvenate with a stay at Clayoquot Wilderness Resort

10. Walk across the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge ✔

11. Hike to Watersprite Lake and go for a swim ✔

12. Hike the Iceline Trail in Yoho ✔

13. River Safari to count the bears in Blue River, BC ✔

14. Gaze upon Mount Assiniboine with your own eyes ✔

15. Spend the night at Elfin Lakes

16. Backpack the Rockwall Trail

17. Ski the slopes at Whistler ✔

18. Dip your toes in the glacier lake above Wedgemount Lake ✔

Washington

19. Push for the summit of Mount Adams at sunrise

20. Take a dive into Colchuck Lake ✔

21. Visit the Big Four Ice Caves ✔

22. Have a nice soak in the Goldmyer Hot Springs

23. Swim in the turquoise waters of Lake Blanca ✔

24. Spend a night in a fire lookout ✔

25. Snag a permit to backpack the Enchantments

26. Snowshoe to Scenic Hot springs

27. Summit Mount St. Helens during early spring ✔

28. Spend the evening at Gothic Basin ✔

29. Relax on the Yakima River ✔

30. Camp at Spider Meadows during wildflower season ✔

31. Visit the iconic Palouse Falls ✔

32. Hike Dog Mountain during peak wildflower season ✔

33. Soak in the outdoor hot tub at Skamania Lodge ✔

34. Drive Hart's Pass and hike Grasshopper Pass ✔

35. Backpack the Wonderland Trail

36. See Mount Adams' reflection in Takhlakh Lake ✔

37. Spend a night (or more) in Stehekin

38. Test your car's limit & camp at Twin Lakes (4x4 required) ✔

39. Snowshoe to Artist Point ✔

40. Sit around a fire and eat oysters at Hamma Hamma Oyster Bar ✔

41. Larch march to Copper Glance

42. Witness sunset at Summit Lake ✔

43. Stay at Ross Lake Resort

44. View the golden larches on an autumn hike on Heather-Maple Pass Loop ✔

45. Swim in Crescent Lake ✔

46. Hear glaciers cleave on the Heliotrope Ridge Trail ✔

47. Pose with the world's largest Sitka Spruce ✔

48. Soak in the Woodland hot tub at Wellsprings Spa ✔

49. Sip wine atop the Space Needle ✔

50. Climb to Camp Muir

51. Sleep in a treehouse on Lopez Island ✔

52. Toast marshmallows on Shi Shi Beach ✔

53. Conquer the steep hike to the summit of Mount Ellinor ✔

54. Attempt to spend the night in the Park Butte Lookout ✔

55. Experience Oktober Fest in Leavenworth ✔

56. Catch Sunset at Fremont Lookout ✔

57. Snag a permit for Royal Lake or Basin ✔

58. Ride upon a Washington State Ferry ✔

59. Go fishing or crabbing on the Puget Sound ✔

60. View the Salmon Ladder at the Ballard Locks ✔

61. Camp at Deception Pass State Park ✔

62. Search for the abandon chalet in Enchanted Valley

63. Enjoy appetizers on a rooftop in Seattle ✔

64. Play wildlife bingo when backpacking Seven Lakes Basin ✔

65. Spend a quiet weekend on Lummi Island ✔

66. Go to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival ✔

67. Setup camp at a glacial site on Sahale Arm ✔

68. Enjoy the jaw-dropping drive along highway 20 ✔

69. Backpack to Jade Lake

70. Get your car sandy in Long Beach ✔

71. Eat a slice of pie at Cooper Creek Inn in Ashford ✔

72. Tide pool on the Ozette Triangle Loop Trail ✔

73. Let your four-legged friend swim in each lake on the Chain Lakes Trail ✔

74. Traverse Olympic National Park

75. Catch autumn at Yellow Aster Butte ✔

76. Spend a cozy winter night at High Hut

77. Behold peak wild flower season at Mount Rainier ✔

78. Rest for a few nights at Alderbrook Lodge ✔

79. Backpack Thornton Lakes and Trappers Peak

80. Wander in the Hoh Rainforest ✔

81. Backpack Through the Goat Rocks Wilderness ✔

82. Float through Leavenworth ✔

83. Weekend getaway in the old western town of Winthrop ✔

84. Watch eagles fly over head at Kalaloch Beach ✔

85. Backpack to Robin and Tuck ✔

86. Stay in a beach cabin at West Shore Resort on Orcas Island ✔

87. Cruise around Lake Union in a Hot Tub Boat ✔

88. Disperse camp along a forest road ✔

89. Sail to Sucia Island

90. Early spring backpack to Ancient lakes

91. Look for Orcas from Lime Kiln Point State Park ✔

92. Hike Ptarmigan Ridge and soak in sweeping views of Mount Baker and the surrounding Cascades ✔

Oregon

93. Camp at Sparks Lake ✔

94. Float through Bend, OR on the Deschutes River ✔

95. Backpack around Mount Hood on the Timberline Trail

96. Eat a Voodoo Doughnut ✔

97. Stargaze at Crater Lake Lodge ✔

98. Mountain bike around Sun River Resort ✔

99. Stay at Olallie Lake Rustic Resort

100. Snap photos with the famous Haystack at Cannon Beach ✔

101. Overlook Cape Perpetua ✔

102. Hike the Broken Top Trail

103. Make a toast in Willamette Valley

104. Avoid dying from Thirst on the Misery Ridge Trail at Smith Rock State Park ✔

105. Stroll the aisles of Powell's Books ✔

106. Summit South Sister

107. Photograph the Painted Hills

108. Gaze upon 10 gorgeous waterfalls on the Trail of Ten Falls ✔

109. Spend a romantic weekend at Five Pine Lodge

110. Trek through the Eagle Cap Wilderness

111. Drive the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway ✔

112. Walk the beaches of Bandon ✔

The Ultimate Pacific Northwest Bucket Li