The Pacific Northwest is renowned for its scenic beauty. Home to lush greenery, sweeping landscapes, and mountain ranges, it’s one of the most vibrant and green parts of the country — that is, until winter sets in. By November, you’ll find snow crowning many of the PNW’s iconic mountains and blanketing ski resorts like the Timberline Lodge. The states that make up these regions are home to a few killer national parks, too, where you’ll find plenty of snowy conditions. This includes Crater Lake, home to the deepest lake in the U.S., and there are plenty of city activities to enjoy in the mix as well.
This list covers destinations across Oregon and Washington, where you’ll find a mix of artsy cities, small resort towns, and remote destinations known for their snowy beauty and winter sports scenes. Whether you’re looking to take in some winter holiday magic or ski and hike through the powder, here are the top Pacific Northwest destinations for a winter weekend getaway.
Read more: The Best Vacation Destinations Where The US Dollar Goes Furthest
Leavenworth, Washington
Shops lining downtown Leavenworth, Washington – Victoria Ditkovsky/Shutterstock
Starting strong, Leavenworth, Washington, is a dreamy winter destination pulled right out of a postcard. With the same aesthetic charms of a small European city, this is a perfect holiday season destination for a weekend away. Located about two hours east of Seattle, it’s easy to reach from the surrounding area by car. Leavenworth was designed to look like a traditional Bavarian village. If you live in the area, a winter getaway to this small town is likely much less expensive than trying to get to Europe. Here, you can explore a German mountain town without leaving the U.S.
In addition to an adorable main street of shops that can be visited year-round, the city holds its own Oktoberfest celebration each year, and, in the winter, turns into the perfect little Christmas town. The Village of Lights Celebration sets Leavenworth aglow each year, with holiday lights, activities, and live music. The festival runs from Thanksgiving through February 28th each year. In town, you’ll also find the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum, which has one of the largest collections of nutcrackers in the world. This is the perfect addition to a visit around Christmas time. Admission to the museum is $5 for adults and free for children.
Crater Lake, Oregon
An aerial view of Crater Lake in the winter – Spondylolithesis/Getty Images
Crater Lake is one of the most stunning areas in Southern Oregon. It is also home to a striking national park with America’s cleanest air and scenic hiking trails, which transforms into a winter destination once the snow comes. A popular park in the spring and summer, Crater Lake National Park is also stunning to visit in the winter if you’re able to make the trip. While some roads may be closed in and around the park in extreme weather conditions, Crater Lake is open all year-round, 24 hours a day. Winter activities in the park include Nordic skiing, snowboarding, sledding, and snowmobiling. During the winter months, Rim Drive (which runs around the lake) is closed to cars and instead acts as a ski and snowshoe trail for visitors. The road will reopen in June or July 2026.
For those aged 8 and older, the park offers a unique winter activity in the snow, where you can trek through Crater Lake National Park on snowshoes with a park ranger. “Ranger-guided snowshoe walks are a fun way to learn about this winter wonderland,” the National Park Service says. “[the walks] last two hours, and cover 1 to 2 miles of moderate-to-strenuous terrain.” Most walks begin at Rim Village and explore the forests and meadows along the rim of Crater Lake. The ranger determines the route.
Seattle, Washington
Winter sunset view of Seattle – 400tmax/Getty Images
It’s never the wrong time of year to visit a big city like Seattle, where you’ll find holiday lights, iconic markets, ice skating rinks, and other seasonal activities come winter. Pike Place Market, the “Soul of Seattle,” is a special, vibrant market with hundreds of unique shops, which is particularly magical around the holidays. Inside, you’ll find a farmers market, specialty food booths, and unique holiday gifts. And once you begin wandering in a big city like Seattle, there are plenty of independent shops and cafes to pop into.
Seattle is also a great central location for accessing hiking, skiing, and other outdoor sports. Mount Rainer is just under a two-hour drive south of the city. Just outside the city, you can also go for a winter beach walk. In the winter months, you’ll want a thick coat and a pair of waterproof boots, but the beaches that surround this city are beautiful in any season. For a chance to warm up, you can light a beach bonfire at Golden Gardens Park.
One activity that’s perfect for warming up on a winter day in Seattle is the hot tub boat. Cruise around Lake Union, with views of the Seattle skyline, all from the warmth and comfort of a floating hot tub. Boats are controlled with a joystick for easy navigation from inside the tub, and comfortably fit up to six people. This is a great winter activity for couples and groups of friends who still want water views in the cold weather. Boats come with Bluetooth speakers and coolers.
Bend, Oregon
A snowy forest with Mount Bachelor in the distance – Erin H/Getty Images
Bend, Oregon, is a popular destination in the state year-round, but is known as a great spot for a winter weekend getaway. The proximity to ski resorts, state parks, and the Bend Ale Trail — the oldest beer trail out West — makes it perfect for a weekend of winter sports.
Snow-centric activities are abundant in this part of the state. Sledding in Bend is a popular winter activity, with Drake Park and Hollinshead Park being popular spots to bring the family for an afternoon of sledding. There are also a multitude of sledding and tubing locations outside of Bend proper, if you plan to spend the whole day out in the snow. One popular tubing spot is Autobahn Tubing at the Hoodoo Ski Area. The park has an 800-foot-high tubing hill, a shorter Snow Bunny Sled Hill, and a snack area where you can warm up between trips up and down the hills. You can go for a beautiful hike in this area, as well, but snowshoeing in Bend is more popular in the winter than hiking, given how deep the snow can get.
Portland, Oregon
The neon “Old Town” sign in Portland, Oregon on a sunny day – Brandon Olafsson/Getty Images
A more manageable city to explore in a weekend, Portland, Oregon, known as the “quietest city in America,” is the perfect destination out West for an unusually tranquil urban vacation. Furthermore, it is only a three-hour drive south of Seattle, or a quick flight away from most major cities on the West Coast. Portland is full of quirky and arty neighborhoods to explore, great gourmand hot spots, a local music scene, and dozens of independent shops and thrift stores. Dotted around the city of Portland are hiking trails, waterfalls, and beaches, and Portland’s sacred sanctuary, a serene garden with soft surroundings for peaceful reflection.
For winter sports and outdoor activities, Mount Hood is only 70 miles south of downtown Portland. According to Travel Portland, “Alpine skiers and snowboarders have their pick of five ski areas, including the mountain’s largest resort, Mt. Hood Meadows, Timberline, and Mt. Hood Skibowl, which is the biggest night skiing property in the United States.” Or, if you prefer your time outside to be less extreme-sports centered, Portland and the larger surrounding area are easy to traverse by car, with several picturesque destinations within an hour’s drive of the city center. In one day, you can easily check off museums and stunning waterfalls, while making it back in time for a concert in the evening.
Methodology
A person skiing on a mountain on a sunny day – Thinair28/Getty Images
Across the Pacific Northwest, there are dozens of small towns, cities, and remote wilderness areas where you could spend a relaxing winter weekend away from home. We compiled this list using a mix of personal experience in the region and other travelers’ rankings of the locations. We opted for a mix of big cities, smaller towns, and peaceful national parks where there was a wide variety of winter activities.
In addition, we considered what activities would be available at different destinations, and aimed to have a mix of options on our list for different kinds of travelers. You’ll find a mix of indoor experiences and city-based sightseeing, as well as classic winter activities like ice skating and snowshoeing through wintry forests and high-intensity winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding. Whether you’re a powder fanatic or looking for pretty Christmas markets, you’ll find it in the Pacific Northwest.
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Read the original article on Islands.