Washington State is home to one of the most beautiful tulip festivals in the world. Each April, Skagit Valley celebrates Spring by opening up their fields for visitors to experience beautiful rows upon rows of endless tulips, spread across acres of land like a vibrantly painted blanket. Skagit Valley is located one hour North of the city of Seattle in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. There’s plenty to do in this area to easily make it a full day or even a weekend trip!
If you live in Washington or plan on visiting, be sure to check out my 20 Best Weekend Getaways in Washington State for inspiration on how to explore this coveted little upper left corner of the Pacific Northwest.
The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival used to be free to enter for the public, but due to Covid regulations, they have now made it a ticketing system, which I believe is a much more pleasant experience. You are able to simply walk up and purchase tickets ($15 per person for adults), but it is recommended to make a reservation online through their website. This way you can select your time and skip the queue once you arrive. Simply scan the code you’ll receive in your email confirmation. We selected the very first time slot, which is 8AM when they open, to avoid crowds and have better lighting for photos. However, because it’s April and the sun rises at 6AM, the lighting was already pretty strong and directly overhead.
Enjoy this photo journal of exquisite tulip fields with a stunning backdrop of the North Cascades and Mt. Baker. Read to the end of the post to find out what else you can do in this area to make this a day trip or a weekend trip. For more on the North Cascades, check out my other blog posts:
Fall Colors in the North Cascades
A Weekend In Bellingham
Hiking in Mount Baker, Washington
Day Trip to Whidbey Island, Deception Pass, Anacortes, and La Conner, Washington
A Photo Journal of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Washington
Fun Facts About Tulips
- Tulips are part of the lily family
- Tulips only bloom for 1 – 2 weeks in the Spring
- Tulips are native to Central Asia, but didn’t really become popular until they reached the Netherlands
- The Netherlands is the world’s largest commercial producer of tulips
- During the Dutch Golden Age in the 1600’s, there was such a frenzy over tulips, so the value skyrocketed. The cost of tulips reached such astronomically high levels, then dramatically collapsed, causing what is speculated to be the first major financial bubble
Other Things To Do in the Skagit Valley Area
Once you’re photographed and tulip-ed out, head over to Skagit Valley Food Co-Op for a tasty snack, sandwich for takeaway, or refreshing smoothie. If you’re feeling adventurous, hike to the beautiful Mt. Erie, just 4.5 miles round trip with a total elevation gain of 950′. This hike is rated moderate, but if you’re a seasoned hiker or in good shape, you’ll find it very easy. Mt. Erie is located in Anacortes, just a short 25-minute drive from the tulip fields. What’s neat is that you’ll even be able to see the blanket of colors in the tulip fields from the summit of the hike!
If you’re not up for a hike, but still want this view – no problem! You can simply drive all the way up to this viewpoint in your car, walk 15 meters and see this same view. (The secret’s out!)
It’s a great place to enjoy a picnic lunch. My favorite thing about this viewpoint is that it’s one of the unique places in Washington State where you can see both mountain ranges in the same vista! (The North Cascades to your left and the Olympics to your right, with Mt. Rainier right smack in the middle – gorgeous!)
For more ideas on where to go next, especially during Spring and Summer when the sun doesn’t set until after 8PM and you’ve got hours of daylight to play in, check out this blog post: Day Trip to Whidbey Island, Deception Pass, Anacortes, and La Conner.
Enjoy this beautiful slice of nature in the Pacific Northwest!
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20 Best Weekend Getaways in Washington State - Cultural Foodies
April 19, 2021 at 3:35 pm[…] Best Time To Visit: SummerDrive Time From Seattle: 1.5 hoursBest For: Hiking, Mountain Biking, Foodies, Nature, Jumping Off Point for Visiting Vancouver, B.C. (less than one hours’ drive from the border)Read More: A Weekend in Bellingham Skagit Valley Tulip Festival – A Splash of Spring Color […]
Day Trip to Whidbey Island, Deception Pass, Anacortes & La Conner, Washington - Cultural Foodies
April 24, 2021 at 9:04 pm[…] Located in Northern Washington just Southwest of Bellingham and North of Skagit Valley where the tulip festival happens every April (see this blog post for more: Skagit Valley Tulip Festival – A Splash of Spring Color). […]