Photogenic Places
45 places · Ranked by scenic score
Index, WA
Lake Serene
Lake Serene sits at 2,521 feet beneath the sheer granite face of Mount Index, one of the most dramatic mountain walls in the Cascades. The 8-mile round trip trail gains approximately 2,000 feet and passes Bridal Veil Falls along the way. The lake's calm surface frequently mirrors the imposing north face of Mount Index.
Government Camp, OR
Trillium Lake
Trillium Lake is a 63-acre lake located south of Mount Hood that provides one of the most iconic reflection views of the volcano. The lake was created in 1960 by a dam on Mud Creek. A 1.9-mile trail loops around the shoreline through old-growth forest.
Florence, OR
Heceta Head Lighthouse
A 56-foot lighthouse built in 1894 that is often cited as the most photographed lighthouse in the United States. It sits 205 feet above the ocean on a dramatic headland between Florence and Yachats. The keeper's house has been restored as a bed and breakfast and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Hood River, OR
Rowena Crest Viewpoint
Rowena Crest sits at the eastern edge of the Columbia River Gorge and offers sweeping views of the river, Tom McCall Point, and the Historic Columbia River Highway's horseshoe curves below. The surrounding Tom McCall Nature Preserve hosts wildflower blooms in spring. The viewpoint marks the transition from the wet western gorge to the dry eastern grasslands.
Tacoma, WA
Tacoma Narrows Bridge
A pair of suspension bridges spanning the Tacoma Narrows of Puget Sound between Tacoma and the Kitsap Peninsula. The original 1940 bridge famously collapsed due to aeroelastic flutter and was replaced by the current westbound span in 1950, with an eastbound span added in 2007. The bridges are each approximately 5,400 feet long with towers rising 510 feet above the water.
Port Angeles, WA
Hurricane Ridge
Hurricane Ridge sits at 5,242 feet elevation and offers panoramic views of the Olympic Mountains, including Mount Olympus on clear days. Alpine wildflower meadows bloom from late June through August, and black-tailed deer frequently graze in the meadows near the visitor center. In winter, the road is open on weekends and holidays for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
Troutdale, OR
Crown Point Vista House
Vista House is a 1917 Art Nouveau observatory perched on Crown Point, a 733-foot basalt promontory overlooking the Columbia River Gorge. It offers 360-degree panoramic views up and down the gorge. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Leavenworth, WA
Colchuck Lake
Colchuck Lake is a stunning alpine lake at 5,570 feet elevation in the Enchantments area, surrounded by granite peaks including Dragontail Peak and Colchuck Peak. The lake's intense blue-green color is the result of glacial meltwater. The hike to the lake is approximately 8 miles round trip with 2,200 feet of elevation gain.
Leavenworth, WA
The Enchantments (Core Zone)
The Enchantments is a series of alpine lakes and granite basins in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, often considered the premier alpine destination in Washington State. The Core Enchantments zone contains iconic lakes including Perfection Lake, Inspiration Lake, and Leprechaun Lake set among polished granite. Mountain goats are frequently seen among the boulders.
Seattle, WA
Pike Place Market
One of the oldest continuously operated public farmers' markets in the United States, established in 1907 on Seattle's downtown waterfront. The market spans nine acres and houses over 200 year-round vendors, including fishmongers, flower sellers, and craftspeople. The iconic clock and neon sign at the corner of Pike Street and First Avenue are among the most recognized landmarks in the Pacific Northwest.
Winthrop, WA
Maple Pass Loop
The Maple Pass Loop is a 7.2-mile trail that climbs to a 6,850-foot ridge offering panoramic views of Lake Ann, Rainy Lake, and the surrounding North Cascades peaks. The trail traverses alpine meadows filled with wildflowers in summer and golden larch trees in October. It is widely regarded as one of the best fall hikes in Washington.
Seattle, WA
Kerry Park
A small hilltop park on Queen Anne Hill offering an iconic panoramic view of the Seattle skyline, Mount Rainier, and Elliott Bay. The park is one of the most photographed viewpoints in the city. A sculpture called "Changing Form" by Doris Totten Chase occupies the west end of the park.
Seattle, WA
Gas Works Park
A 19.1-acre public park on the north shore of Lake Union built on the site of the former Seattle Gas Light Company gasification plant. The preserved industrial machinery creates a distinctive backdrop against the Seattle skyline. The hilltop sundial provides an elevated 360-degree viewpoint.
Tacoma, WA
Point Ruston Waterfront
A redeveloped waterfront area on Commencement Bay offering unobstructed views of Mount Rainier rising above the Tacoma skyline. The 1.2-mile boardwalk and promenade connect to the Ruston Way waterfront trail. The site was formerly the ASARCO copper smelter, which was demolished in 1993.
Seattle, WA
Seattle-Bainbridge Island Ferry
The 35-minute Washington State Ferries crossing between Seattle's Coleman Dock and Bainbridge Island offers moving panoramic views of the Seattle skyline, Mount Rainier, and the Olympic Mountains. The 202-foot Jumbo Mark II class ferries carry over 2,500 passengers and 202 vehicles. The route is one of the busiest ferry crossings in the United States.
Bremerton, WA
Bremerton Boardwalk
A one-mile waterfront boardwalk along Sinclair Inlet connecting the Bremerton ferry terminal to several waterfront parks and the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard viewing area. The boardwalk passes the decommissioned destroyer USS Turner Joy, a museum ship. Views across the inlet include the Olympic Mountains rising above Bremerton's downtown skyline.
Seattle, WA
Rattlesnake Ledge
A popular 4-mile round-trip hiking trail east of North Bend leading to a rocky ledge 1,160 feet above Rattlesnake Lake. The viewpoint offers panoramic views of the upper Snoqualmie Valley, Mount Si, and Chester Morse Lake. The trail gains approximately 1,160 feet through second-growth forest on a well-maintained path.
Port Angeles, WA
Ediz Hook
Ediz Hook is a 3-mile natural sand spit extending into the Strait of Juan de Fuca that forms Port Angeles Harbor. The hook provides unobstructed views north to Vancouver Island and south to the Olympic Mountains. It is home to a Coast Guard air station and serves as a popular location for watching ship traffic and storms.
Index, WA
Index Town Wall
The Index Town Wall is a massive 500-foot granite cliff rising directly above the small town of Index along the North Fork Skykomish River. It is one of the premier rock climbing destinations in Washington and creates a dramatic backdrop visible from the town. The cliff face catches warm light in the evenings.
Leavenworth, WA
Leavenworth Waterfront Park
Leavenworth Waterfront Park sits along the Wenatchee River with views of the surrounding Cascade peaks and the Bavarian-themed village architecture. The park provides easy river access and mountain views framed by cottonwood trees. Fall foliage and Christmas lighting events create distinct seasonal photography opportunities.
Astoria, OR
Astoria Column
A 125-foot tower atop Coxcomb Hill featuring a spiral frieze depicting regional history and a 164-step interior staircase leading to an observation deck. The summit provides 360-degree views of the Columbia River, Pacific Ocean, Youngs Bay, and surrounding mountains. It was built in 1926 and modeled after Trajan's Column in Rome.
Tacoma, WA
Museum of Glass
A contemporary art museum on Tacoma's waterfront featuring a distinctive stainless steel cone housing a hot shop where glass artists perform live demonstrations. The 500-foot-long Chihuly Bridge of Glass connects the museum to downtown Tacoma across Interstate 705, displaying works by Dale Chihuly. The museum's exterior and bridge are especially photogenic when reflecting light at different times of day.
Concrete, WA
Sauk Mountain
Sauk Mountain is a 5,541-foot peak offering 360-degree views of the North Cascades, Skagit Valley, and San Juan Islands on clear days. The 4.2-mile round trip trail traverses wildflower-covered meadows in summer. The relatively easy access from a high trailhead makes it one of the most efficient viewpoints in the region.
Cascade Locks, OR
Bridge of the Gods
The Bridge of the Gods is a steel cantilever bridge crossing the Columbia River between Cascade Locks, Oregon, and the Washington shore. It is a major landmark on the Pacific Crest Trail where thru-hikers cross between states. The bridge is named after a Native American legend involving a natural land bridge at this location.
Government Camp, OR
Timberline Lodge
Timberline Lodge is a National Historic Landmark built by the Works Progress Administration in 1937, located at 6,000 feet on the south slope of Mount Hood. The lodge features handcrafted woodwork, ironwork, and textiles. It served as the exterior of the Overlook Hotel in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining.
Astoria, OR
Astoria-Megler Bridge
The longest continuous truss bridge in North America, spanning 4.1 miles across the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington. The bridge's sweeping curve and massive steel structure create compelling compositional lines. It is especially photogenic in fog or at twilight when the bridge lights illuminate.
Newport, OR
Yaquina Bay Bridge
A Conde McCullough-designed Art Deco arch bridge completed in 1936, spanning Yaquina Bay at Newport. The bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and features Gothic-inspired arches and decorative railings. It is one of the most architecturally significant bridges on the Oregon Coast.
Astoria, OR
Astoria Riverwalk (Trolley Trail)
A 6.4-mile waterfront trail along the Columbia River featuring restored cannery piers, the Astoria Riverwalk Trolley, and views of passing cargo ships and the Astoria-Megler Bridge. Historic buildings, boat docks, and sea lion haul-outs line the route. The trail follows the route of the former Astoria and Columbia River Railroad.
Winthrop, WA
Washington Pass Overlook
Washington Pass Overlook offers dramatic views of Liberty Bell Mountain and the Early Winters Spires, among the most iconic alpine formations in the North Cascades. A short paved trail leads to the viewpoint at 5,477 feet elevation. Fall larches turn golden in October, adding brilliant color to the scene.
Bend, OR
Sparks Lake
Sparks Lake is a shallow natural lake at 5,430 feet elevation along the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway. The lake provides iconic reflections of South Sister, Broken Top, and Mount Bachelor on calm mornings. Lava flows along the shoreline create dramatic foreground elements.
Klamath Falls, OR
Phantom Ship Overlook
Phantom Ship is a small rocky island in Crater Lake that resembles a ghost ship, especially in fog or low light conditions. The formation is composed of 400,000-year-old andesite, making it the oldest exposed rock in Crater Lake. It rises approximately 160 feet above the lake surface.
Seattle, WA
Chihuly Garden and Glass
An exhibition at Seattle Center showcasing the glass artwork of Tacoma-born artist Dale Chihuly in interior galleries and an outdoor garden. The Glasshouse, a 40-foot-tall steel-and-glass structure, houses a 100-foot-long suspended sculpture. The outdoor garden displays integrate glass sculptures with native Pacific Northwest plantings.
Bainbridge Island, WA
Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial
A memorial on the waterfront near the Eagledale ferry dock marking the site where 227 Japanese Americans were the first in the nation to be forcibly removed during World War II. The memorial features a 276-foot-long cedar-lined story wall along the shoreline with views across Rich Passage. The site is located within Pritchard Park on the island's western shore.
Port Angeles, WA
Lake Crescent
Lake Crescent is a deep glacially carved lake known for its striking blue-green clarity, which results from a lack of nitrogen that limits algae growth. The lake is surrounded by steep forested mountains and stretches over 8 miles in length. Historic Lake Crescent Lodge on the south shore has operated since 1916.
Kalaloch, WA
Kalaloch Tree of Life
The Kalaloch Tree of Life is a large Sitka spruce growing on the eroding edge of a coastal bluff, with its extensive root system dramatically exposed over a hollowed-out cave below. Erosion has washed away much of the soil beneath the tree, yet it continues to survive. It is located near Kalaloch Beach along the Olympic coast.
Quinault, WA
Lake Quinault Lodge Shoreline
The shoreline of Lake Quinault near the historic Lake Quinault Lodge offers calm water reflections of the surrounding rainforest-clad mountains. The lake is glacially formed and sits at 295 feet elevation. Morning mist frequently rises from the lake surface, creating atmospheric photography conditions.
Lincoln City, OR
Cape Meares Lighthouse
The shortest lighthouse on the Oregon Coast at 38 feet, perched on a 200-foot cliff in Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint. The lighthouse houses a rare first-order Fresnel lens and offers views of Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge. The nearby Octopus Tree, a uniquely shaped Sitka spruce, is another notable feature.
Newport, OR
Yaquina Bay Lighthouse
Built in 1871, this is the only existing Oregon lighthouse with attached living quarters. The wooden lighthouse sits atop a bluff at the north end of Yaquina Bay State Recreation Site with views of the bay and ocean. It is reportedly one of the most haunted lighthouses on the Pacific Coast.
Brookings, OR
Natural Bridges Viewpoint
A viewpoint within Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor overlooking a series of rock arches carved by wave erosion along the cliff face. Dense vegetation frames views of the turquoise water visible through the arches. It is one of the most photographed natural formations on the southern Oregon Coast.
Sequim, WA
Sequim Lavender Fields
The Sequim area is known as the 'Lavender Capital of North America' and hosts multiple lavender farms that bloom from mid-June through late July. The rain shadow effect of the Olympic Mountains creates unusually dry conditions ideal for lavender cultivation. The annual Sequim Lavender Weekend festival in July draws thousands of visitors.
Bend, OR
Todd Lake
Todd Lake is a small alpine lake at 6,150 feet elevation on the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway offering close-range reflections of Broken Top. The meadows surrounding the lake support wildflower blooms in July and August. The lake is accessible via a short half-mile trail from the parking area.
Marblemount, WA
Diablo Lake Overlook
This overlook provides sweeping views of Diablo Lake, whose striking turquoise color comes from glacial flour suspended in the water. The surrounding peaks of the North Cascades frame the lake on all sides. The overlook is accessible from a pullout along Highway 20.
Cascade Locks, OR
Bonneville Dam
Bonneville Dam is a major hydroelectric dam on the Columbia River completed in 1938 as a New Deal public works project. The dam complex includes fish ladders with underwater viewing windows where visitors can watch salmon and steelhead migrate. The dam's massive spillway and powerhouse are set against the steep basalt walls of the gorge.
Florence, OR
Sea Lion Caves
The largest sea cave in the United States, measuring 300 feet long by 120 feet wide with a 125-foot vaulted ceiling. Steller sea lions use the cave as a winter haul-out, with hundreds gathering inside during fall and winter months. An elevator descends 208 feet through the headland to the cave viewing area.
Cannon Beach, OR
Cannon Beach Tide Pools
The tide pools surrounding Haystack Rock and adjacent Needles rocks form one of the richest intertidal areas on the northern Oregon Coast. Species include colorful sea anemones, sea stars, mussels, hermit crabs, and nudibranchs. The area is protected as a Marine Garden and touching or removing marine life is prohibited.