Get ready for spring flowers — the upside of all these spring showers. Washington’s mild climate is ideally suited for various flowering plants, shrubs and trees, including wildflowers, daffodils, tulips, lilacs, cherry blossoms and more. From Southwest Washington to Skagit Valley, our bright flower season, dependable sunbreaks and longer daylight hours offer the perfect excuse to get on the road.
1. Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
When to go: Late March through late April
In the beautiful farm country of Mount Vernon, the Skagit Valley Tulip festival is a beloved annual day trip (or overnight stay) tradition — and popular, too. Traffic, crowds and attraction in ticketing can be challenging, particularly without planning.
In March, bright yellow and white daffodils typically burst forth. Tulips wait a bit longer but usually show their cheerful heads by mid-April. A bloom status page updates visitors on 2025’s growing season, but most farms will open their tulip fields from April 1 through the 30 in 2025.
This year, five farms and gardens offer ticketed entry to purchase in advance online. At some, you’ll score a discount for choosing specific days or making an online purchase.
You’ll see hundreds of different daffodil and tulip varieties across acres of fields. Pack waterproof shoes and boots for those dependable spring showers.
Several ancillary events brighten up even rainier spring days. On April 5, the Annual Tulip Festival Parade features a new kid zone with face painting and games. This year’s parade also features a daffodil pet parade, alongside vintage cars, horses and music. Uniquely, anyone can register to participate in the parade or even join in last minute.
Also in April, the brand-new 2025 Original Tulip Festival Art Exhibit offers free exhibits at The Local Shop in Sedro-Woolley and The Depot in Anacortes.
2. Wildflower blooms in the Columbia Gorge
When to go: Predicted blooms March through May
It’s a long drive, but it’s worthwhile. Some of Washington’s best wildflower blooms have already begun in the Columbia River Gorge. Use the Northwest Wildflowers map to pinpoint where you can see native wildflowers from March through May in the region’s multiple microclimates, ranging from near-rainforest to dry, arid plateaus.
Bursts of tiny, delicate white, yellow, orange, purple and pink flowers cheer on Gorge hikers from the sidelines. However, the most popular wildflower spring hikes may require a weekend car park reservation, such as the lushly carpeted 6.8-mile hike up Dog Mountain from April through late May.
3. Cherry blossoms at Capitol Campus
When to go: Predicted blooms at the end of March through mid-April
Cherry blossoms will soon blanket Olympia’s historic Capitol Campus, next to historic Washington state government buildings. The Capitol Campus’s new international accreditation as a horticultural arboretum reflects a longstanding commitment to its 75 tree species.
It’s by design — the landscape firm that designed New York City’s Central Park also laid out the Washington state campus in 1911.
Two varieties of Capitol Campus cherry trees are knockouts. In 1984, Japanese newspaper executive, Mitsuo Mutai, bestowed a grove of 40 Yoshino flowering cherry trees. The broad-branched trees are known for their almond-scented, pale pink blossoms resembling pompoms.
Another 23 Kwanzan cherry trees form “Cherry Lane.” Kwanzan cherry trees feature brighter pink and more intricate petal formations. Either cherry tree type provides a solid backdrop for photos.
The Capitol Campus offers guided botanical tours on weekdays by appointment if you want to learn more about the campus’ history or present gardening techniques.
4. Meerkerk Rhododendron Gardens
When to go: April through May
Meerkerk Rhododendron Gardens on Whidbey Island is home to its crown jewel and namesake — flowering bursts of rhododendrons. The showcase features flowering shrubs from around the world, ranging from dwarf rhododendrons to towering, treelike rhodies.
However, the gardens appeal on multiple levels due to serene nature trails winding through 10 acres of display gardens and 43 acres of woodlands. For example, in late March, a path through Cherry Tree Alley features Mount Fuji cherry trees blooming above plantings of white daffodils. Meerkerk also features one of the West Coast’s longest rain gardens.
5. Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens
When to go: Predicted blooms from April through May
In Woodland, about 20 miles north of Vancouver (Washington), surround yourself with the heady scent of lilacs. The Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens is a National Historic Site honoring a local 20th-century lilac aficionado Hulda Klager.
After teaching herself the science of hybridization, Klager developed more than a dozen hybrid lilac varieties. The grounds contain an 1800s house, gardens, and a newly opened museum/barn for strolling — and of course, 150 varieties of lilacs in a Victorian-era garden.
These Southwest Washington gardens also celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Site designation during Lilac Days from April 19 to May 11, 2025.
Western Washington Toyota Dealers Association is a group of 21 independent dealers formed over 35 years ago promoting Toyota vehicles and services in the greater Puget Sound region. Member dealers live and work in their home communities across Western Washington.
Five bloomin’ beautiful road trips for spring
Our bright flower season, dependable sunbreaks and longer daylight hours offer the perfect excuse to get on the road.
An arts-filled road trip to Tacoma
Art beckons from nearly every corner of the town, and indoor attractions offer a colorful, enlivening escape on even the most dreary Northwest days.
A romantic road trip to backyard beaches: Edmonds and Mukilteo
Head here for saltwater views, an underwater diving park, a spot for Mexican-American fusion and more.
On the Kitsap Peninsula, a road trip to a sweet Scandinavian spot
Known as “Little Norway,” Poulsbo’s seaside Scandifluence is felt almost everywhere — from Finn Hill Road to Viking Avenue, Fjord Drive to Lindvig Way.
Head to Seabrook for a home base within reach of the Washington coast
In spring, Washington beaches reveal glimpses of migrating gray whales — bring binoculars to the coastal bluffs for the best whale-watching views.
Winter road trip: Mountains to Sound Greenway
The corridor offers sightseeing, sports and history amid conifer forests, alpine passes and more — but you’ll have to slow down a bit.