Washington has 3 national parks. Together they recorded 5,266,454 recreation visits in 2025.
The parks
| Park | Established | Area (acres) | Visits in 2025 | Entrance fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic | 1938 | 922,649 | 3,584,187 | $30 per vehicle |
| Mount Rainier | 1899 | 236,382 | 1,635,342 | $30 per vehicle |
| North Cascades | 1968 | 504,781 | 46,925 | No entrance fee |
At a glance
- Busiest: Olympic, with 3,584,187 visits in 2025.
- Quietest: North Cascades, with 46,925.
- Largest: Olympic, at 922,649 acres.
- Oldest: Mount Rainier, a national park since 1899.
- No entrance fee: North Cascades.
Driving between the parks
Drive times and road miles between the closest visitor centers of each pair (OSRM estimates on OpenStreetMap roads), with straight-line miles for comparison.
| From | To | Drive | Straight line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic | Mount Rainier | 4 h 10 min (167 mi) | 113 mi |
| Olympic | North Cascades | 3 h 15 min (101 mi) | 117 mi |
| Mount Rainier | North Cascades | 3 h 50 min (160 mi) | 130 mi |
Link them into one trip with the road trip planner.
Is the annual pass worth it here?
Driving into all 2 fee-charging parks in Washington once would cost $60 in vehicle entrance fees. That is less than the $80 America the Beautiful pass, so the pass only makes sense if you will visit other fee areas within 12 months. Run your own numbers in the pass calculator.
Other National Park Service sites in Washington (14)
Beyond its national parks, Washington has these Park Service sites:
- Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve: no entrance fee
- Fort Vancouver National Historic Site: $10 per person
- Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail: no entrance fee
- Klondike Gold Rush - Seattle Unit National Historical Park: no entrance fee
- Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area: no entrance fee
- Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail: no entrance fee
- Lewis and Clark National Historical Park: $10 per person
- Manhattan Project National Historical Park: no entrance fee
- Minidoka National Historic Site: no entrance fee
- Nez Perce National Historical Park: no entrance fee
- Oregon National Historic Trail: no entrance fee
- San Juan Island National Historical Park: no entrance fee
- Whitman Mission National Historic Site: no entrance fee
- Wing Luke Museum Affiliated Area: no entrance fee
Sources
- Wikipedia: List of national parks of the United States (area from NPS land resource data, 2025 recreation visits from NPS visitor statistics)
- National Park Service: Entrance Fees by Park
Sources last checked 1 November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How many national parks are in Washington?
3: Mount Rainier, North Cascades, Olympic.
What is the most visited national park in Washington?
Olympic, with 3,584,187 recreation visits in 2025.
Which is the oldest national park in Washington?
Mount Rainier, established March 2, 1899.