Overview:

Since moving to Seattle, I’ve loved the fresh flowers available everywhere from Pike Place Market to Trader Joe’s. The reason? Washington State has flower farmers growing tulips, dahlias, and daffodils. This spring, I wanted to see the fields, and I knew late April was peak tulip season. I hopped in the car with some of my friends and had the perfect day. Just an hour outside of Seattle, the Skagit Valley is the perfect springtime day trip —and I’m sharing my experience and tips so you can plan your own visit.

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My Experience

Visiting the Skagit Valley was an almost impromptu trip for me and my friends. We saw a couple of photos of the tulips online, checked the weather for the upcoming weekend (luckily it was sunny), and made a plan to leave on Saturday morning.

Honestly, this was one of the most casual day trips I’ve ever taken: we did not book tickets in advance, left two hours late because we slept in and hit peak traffic. We even stopped twice just 30 minutes in, caffeinating with iced matcha lattes from the Starbucks drive-thru and getting for gas and snacks (who doesn’t love Chex Mix on a road trip). Despite the stops and heavy traffic, we made it to the Skagit Valley in an hour and a half.

The Skagit Valley is the perfect distance — you felt like you were leaving the city and really entering nature. You could see the snow-covered peaks of Mount Baker and the Cascades in the distance. There were rolling green fields, red barns, and wildflowers on the side of the highway. Throughout the drive, our gossip session was filled with “wow, I can’t believe how beautiful these views are,” or “gosh I am so happy that we decided to do this today.” So, before you even hit the tulip fields, Washington’s scenery is breathtaking.

Once we entered the Skagit Valley, we were clearly hitting “tulip traffic.” Downtown Mount Vernon, Washington had a Tulip headquarters building and signs for various tulip farms. We picked RoozenGaarde for the Amsterdam feel. After parking in a grass field (with the county sheriff directing tourists into the correct overflow lot), we walked to the main entrance. Flanked by white picket trellises and tall hedges, the entrance had a ticket window (tickets for adults cost $25 per person), followed by a barn selling fresh-cut flowers, and a small garden of tulips surrounding evergreen trees. Leaning into the Dutch theme, the entrance also had a large, baby-blue windmill and a section for more unique varieties of tulips in neat, orderly rows.

After exploring this entrance area, we ventured farther into the property toward the fields of tulips in the distance. Beyond the flower fields were the blue, rocky outlines of the North Cascades. While most people were taking photos, the scene clearly inspired local artists, as multiple people were painting on easels in the tulip fields. Altogether, this gorgeous scene was somewhere between Oz and Twilight with yellow and red tulips framed by snow-capped peaks.

I was surprised by how sunny the tulip fields were, with the sun overheating our phone cameras as we tried to take pictures of the flowers. (Pro Tip: bring comfortable shoes to walk through the muddy paths out into the fields and don’t forget sunglasses.) Although the sun was harsh on our phone sensors, it created amazing lighting for a photoshoot. Once we had taken way too many pictures and seen every variety of tulip (I counted almost two dozen), it was time to head back toward Seattle. I recommend stopping in town for a snack/coffee/lunch before driving all the way home.

Overall, I think visiting the Skagit Valley is the perfect, casual spring drive outside of Seattle. I already know that I want to go back next year and make this an annual girls’ trip!

At-a-Glance

Main Location: RoozenGaarde, Mount Vernon, Washington

Best Time to Visit: Early morning to afternoon (peak bloom: mid-April–late April)
Time Needed: 4-6 hours round-trip

Pro Tips:

• Leave earlier to beat traffic
• Pick your tulip field in advance and research ticket prices
• Research peak tulip bloom days

Ticket Prices: $25 for adults, same-day tickets available at the entrance

What to Pack:

• Road trip snacks
• Sunglasses and sunscreen
• Camera
• Shoes that can handle muddy fields, gravel paths, grass

What to Wear: (as long as you bring shoes that won’t sink in mud)

• Cute outfits (I preferred a cute sweater and jeans)
• Fancy outfits for a new profile picture

Rough Itinerary:

• Leave from Seattle; drive 1-1.5 hours depending on traffic
• Arrive at tulip fields; walk around and take pictures for 1-2 hours
• Stop for lunch in Mount Vernon, Washington
• Drive back to Seattle, 1-1.5 hours

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