Get to Know Your National Parks

Got National Parks fever? The new PBS / Ken Burns' documentary, "The National Parks: America's Best Idea" is now airing on a television near you, and people are talking about it everywhere, from Twitter to the water cooler.

WTA is here to help you get out and see Washington's National Parks - up close! Below is our information guide to Washington's three beautiful National Parks.

Mount Rainier National Park

Website (360) 569-2211

When "the mountain" is out, it commands your attention, and most Washingtonians are happy to oblige. Standing high above it's Cascade neighbors at 14,410 feet above sea level, the "mountain" is an active volcano encased in over 35 square miles of snow and ice. Climbers come from all over the world to reach its summit, and hikers are drawn to its network of stunning trails, including the 90-mile Wonderland Trail that circumnavigates the mountain. Surrounding this Northwest icon is ancient old-growth forest and stunning wildflower meadows.

Rainier Fast Facts

Established: 1899, America's fifth oldest National Park

Size: 235,625 acres

Visitors: 1,736,037 last year

Camping: Five developed car campgrounds with 600 campsites

Hiking: 260 miles of trail, from the 90-mile Wonderland Trail to day hikes

Winter Recreation: Snowplay and winter tips

Frequently Asked Questions: click here

Suggested Hikes

See Wildlife: Palisades Lakes. The wildflower meadows attract deer, elk, marmots, black bears and mountain goats.

Family Hike: Naches Peak Loop. Meadows offer some of the best views of Mount Rainier anywhere, and the route is relatively flat.

Waterfall: Narada Falls. These high falls pound down into a deep plunge pool.

Olympic National Park

Young hikers on Maiden Peak along the Obstruction Point Trail, Olympic National Park. By Luba Fetterman.

Website  (360) 565-3130

Olympic National Park has it all, from wild Pacific Ocean beaches, to rain forest valleys shaded by towering trees, to glacier-capped peaks. The park also is home to an amazing variety of plants and animals, from ferns to mountain goats to Northern spotted owls. Roads provide access to the outer edges of the park, but the heart of Olympic is wilderness.

Olympic Fast Facts

Established: 1938 (coastal additions in 1953)

Camping: 16 developed campgrounds with 910 campsites. Info

Hiking: Olympics trail guide

Backpacking: Wilderness trip planner

Winter Recreation: Snowshoeing at Hurricane Ridge

Frequently Asked Questions: click here

Suggested Hikes

See Wildlife: Quinault River-Pony Bridge. Find yourself among one of the largest elk herds in America, and black bears are not uncommon.

Hike in a Rainforest: Hoh River Trail. The most famous of all the Olympic rain forests, a truly spectacular place.

North Cascades National Park

Old-growth cedars on the Big Beaver Trail in North Cascades National Park. Photo by trip report poster Tortoise.

Website  (360) 854-7200

Have you experienced the jagged peaks, glaciers, long valleys, and cascading waterfalls of the North Cascades National Park? Three park units in this mountainous region are managed as one and include North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake, and Lake Chelan National Recreation Areas. Unlike Washington's other National Parks, roads are few here, and the best way to see this park is from a trail, on foot.

North Cascades Fast Facts

Established: 1968

Camping: 5 car-accessible campgrounds plus several boat-in sites on Ross Lake. Info

Hiking: 400 miles of trails for day hikes and backpacks. Trail guide

Backpacking: Wilderness trip planner

Frequently Asked Questions: click here

Suggested Hikes

Family Hike: Thunder Creek. Hike one of the deepest, wildest, and most accessible wilderness valleys in the North Cascades National Park Complex.

Fall foliage: Twisp Pass. Glorious in autumn when golden larches set the hills aglow.