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If you’ve been looking for the perfect place to elope in the PNW but CANNOT narrow it down, you’ve come to the right place!! There are endless incredible places to explore in Washington & Oregon, from forests to deserts to waterfalls to beaches and MORE. It can be hard to choose what’s right for you – and that’s why I’ve narrowed it down to a list of the top 25 best Pacific Northwest elopement locations, 10 in WA and 15 in OR!! Enjoy going through this list of some of the most beautiful places in the country and finding which one(s) are right for your dream PNW elopement!
Top 10 Washington Elopement Locations
1. Rialto Beach | Olympic National Park
First up we’ve got one of the PRETTIEST beaches along the entire Olympic Peninsula! Rialto Beach is a gorg beach inside of Olympic National Park, south of La Push Beach. It’s famous for its moody PNW vibes, driftwood, massive sea stacks, and golden sunsets over the water. It’s a must-visit for any couples visiting ONP!
Nearest town: Port Angeles
Distance from Seattle: 150 miles
Permit(s) needed: Entrance Pass ($30-55); Special Use Permit
Best time to elope here: May-August
Pet-friendly? Yes, if leashed
ADA-accessibility: Minimal wheelchair accessibility
Rialto Beach Elopement Inspiration
2. Ruby Beach | Olympic National Park
Ruby Beach is another iconic beach in Olympic National Park, and is part of the Kalaloch area south of Rialto Beach. You can see even more large sea stacks, explore several miles of beach trails, oddly-shaped pieces of driftwood, and stunning views of the rocky shoreline. Another must-see when you’re on the peninsula, especially if it’s summertime and you visit on a sunny day!
Nearest town: Port Angeles
Distance from Seattle: 185 miles
Permit(s) needed: Entrance Pass ($30-55); Special Use Permit
Best months to elope here: May-August
Pet-friendly? Yes, if leashed
Ruby Beach Inspiration
3. Lake Crescent | Olympic National Park
Lake Crescent is one of the most easily-accessible spots within Olympic National Park, featuring a stunning clear blue lake right in the foothills of the Olympic Mountains. If you visit on a warm day you can enjoy the water on a kayak, a paddle board, or just take a dip in your fav bathing suit to end your elopement day! The views of the mountains + water + forest around you are to die for, and the lodge right on the waterfront is an amazing place to stay, too.
Nearest town: Port Angeles
Distance from Seattle: 105 miles
Permit(s) needed: Entrance Pass ($30-55); Special Use Permit
Best months to elope here: May-September
Pet-friendly? Yes, along the north shore
4. Hurricane Ridge | Olympic National Park
Hurricane Ridge is another one of the easiest places to get to in Olympic National Park, and honestly provide some of the most incredible views in Washington that don’t require a miles-long hike to get to! All you have to do is drive up Hurricane Ridge Road, park in the lot, and get out of your car to enjoy the scenic views overlooking the Olympic & tree-filled mountain valleys.
Nearest town: Port Angeles
Distance from Seattle: 100 miles
Permit(s) needed: Entrance Pass ($30-55); Special Use Permit
Best months to elope here: May-October
Pet-friendly? No
5. Hoh Rain Forest | Olympic National Park
Y’all, I promise you the Hoh Rain Forest is one of THE most magical places you will everrrrr visit!! This forest is filled with some of the most dreamy canopy I’ve ever seen, with vibrant green moss, luscious trees, and ferns covering absolutely everything. The uniquely-shaped trees & huge tree roots are a really cool sight to see, and it truly feels like you’re walking through a forest in the middle of a fairytale or on another planet. Be prepared to embrace any rain you get, because it’s obviously a rainforest and is pretty wet throughout most of the year – but that just adds to the magic and the adventure!
Nearest town: Port Angeles
Distance from Seattle: 215 miles
Permit(s) needed: Entrance Pass ($30-55); Special Use Permit
Best months to elope here: May-August
Pet-friendly? No
6. Marymere Falls | Olympic National Park
Marymere Falls is a beautiful waterfall inside of Olympic National Park, with a trailhead right on the shores of Lake Crescent. So it’s a great spot to visit if you’re already at Lake Crescent and want to take a quick walk into the trees to see a beautiful little waterfall! It’s surrounded by ferns and luscious green trees, and only requires an easy, 2-mile, out & back walk to get to.
Nearest town: Port Angeles
Distance from Seattle: 100 miles
Permit(s) needed: Entrance Pass ($30-55); Special Use Permit
Best months to elope here: May-August
Pet-friendly? No
If you’re just dying to elope at one of these incredible locations in ONP, be sure to check out my recent blog post, How to Elope in Olympic National Park: Locations, Permits, & More!
7. Mount Rainier National Park | North-Central WA
If you’ve ever seen a photo of a volcano in Washington state, it was probably Mount Rainier. Rainier is one of the most iconic places in the PNW, famous for its gorgeous snowy peak, wildflower meadows, alpine valleys, and huge variety of places to explore! Whether you want to go on an overnight backpacking trip through the wilderness and sleep under the stars or take a flat, mile-long walk to see amazing views, Rainier has options for everyone. No matter what part of the park you visit, you’ll get to witness some of the most beautiful scenery in the state that people travel to from all over!
Nearest towns: Packwood, Ashford, Fairfax
Distance from Seattle: 85 miles
Permit(s) needed: Entrance Pass ($30-55); Special Use Permit
Best months to elope here: July-August
Pet-friendly? No
Mount Rainier Elopement Inspiration
8. Diablo Lake | North Cascades National Park
Diablo Lake is one of the coolest spots you’ll pass by when you’re driving through the North Cascades mountain range. It’s a vibrant, turquoise-blue lake surrounded by mountains, and provides some of the most epic views ever, especially on clear, sunny days!
It’s important to note that the popular cliff overlook at the Diablo Lake Vista Point is now closed off to the public, and cannot be used for any sort of photos anymore. Too many people were using the spot and not leaving it how they found it, so it’s no longer permitted for any weddings or photoshoots of any kind. (This is the spot behind the restrooms!) It’s super sad, but it’s a perfect example of how we need to do better about taking care of the spots we visit in the outdoors.
I’d recommend hiking the 3.3-mile long Thunder Knob Trail instead to get similarly incredible views of the water, at a spot that is permitted!
Nearest town: Newhalem
Distance from Seattle: 125 miles
Permit(s) needed: Special Use Permit
Best months to elope here: May-September
Pet-friendly? Yes, if leashed
9. Artist Point | Mount Baker Wilderness
If you want to elope near Mount Baker and don’t feel like going on a 10-mile-long hike to get to some great scenery, the Artist Point area is an INCREDIBLE option. You simply drive up the road all the way up to Artist Point (note that the final 1.8-mile stretch of the road closes down in the winter, so you have to hike that part if you elope during that time of year) and you get to a wilderness area with stunning views everywhere you look. You can go all the way up to Artist Point to get the highest views, or stop at a lower point like Heather Meadows, where you can just walk to the visitor center & be surrounded by the stunning mountain landscape. Whether you want to take a longer trail to explore the area, or simply walk around the parking lot and take it all in, this area cannot be beat!
Nearest town: Deming
Distance from Seattle: 140 miles
Permit(s) needed: None for groups of less than 75 people
Best months to elope here: July-September
Pet-friendly? Yes, if leashed
10. Picture Lake | Mount Baker Wilderness
Picture Lake is a specific lake in the Mount Baker wilderness area that features amazing views of Mount Shuksan in the background, plus tons of wildflowers surrounding the water in the summer. It’s named for its obviously picturesque scenery, and is easily accessible from the Heather Meadows visitor center parking lot!
Nearest town: Deming
Distance from Seattle: 135 miles
Permit(s) needed: None for groups of less than 75 people
Best months to elope here: July-September
Pet-friendly? Yes, if leashed
Top 15 Oregon Elopement Locations
11. Mount Hood | Columbia River Gorge
The Mount Hood National Forest offers an iconic piece of Oregon’s landscape, Mount Hood. The forest surrounding this iconic volcano offers more than a million acres of gorgeous landscape, lakes, streams, forests, and of course stunning mountain views. I highly recommend getting an Airbnb in the forest and finding a hiking or biking trail to adventure through, or exploring the adorable town of Hood River & finding a delicious place to eat and enjoy the views.
Nearest town: Parkdale, Sandy, Hood River
Distance from Portland: 70 miles
Permit(s) needed: Special Use Permit
Best months to elope here: July-August
Pet-friendly? Yes, if leashed
12. Rowena Crest Viewpoint | Columbia River Gorge
If you would rather elope in a more desert-y landscape but still want amazing views, then Rowena Crest Viewpoint is the way to go! It’s a viewpoint located between Hood River and The Dalles, and offers crazy scenic views of the Gorge. The road below the viewpoint is iconic, shaped like a horseshoe, and surrounded by beautiful trees + green hills. It’s easy to drive up to and explore since it doesn’t require any kind of hike, just beware of how windy it can get up there!
Nearest towns: Rowena, Mosier
Distance from Portland: 75 miles
Permit(s) needed: None for groups of less than 75 people
Best months to elope here: May-September
Pet-friendly? No
13. Latourell Falls | Columbia River Gorge
The Gorge is filled with tons of amazing waterfalls that you can stop at on your drive along the scenic highway, but Latourell Falls is by far one of my favorites. It’s a freaking beautiful waterfall just off the side of the highway and is suuuper easy to access – you just park in the lot near the restrooms, walk on a dirt path into the trees for a couple of minutes, and then you’re at the falls! They’re surrounded by massive basalt rocks, green moss, and the most vibrant rainforest trees. This single-stream waterfall is seriously the most beautiful location for post-elopement-ceremony portraits with your boo, and you can either take the quick walk to the falls or a longer loop if you’d like more time to explore!
Nearest town: Corbett
Distance from Portland: 30 miles
Permit(s) needed: None for groups of less than 75 people
Best months to elope here: March-June
Pet-friendly? Yes, if leashed
Latourell Falls Elopement Inspiration
14. Wahclella Falls | Columbia River Gorge
Yup, you guessed it – another beautiful waterfall on the Gorge!! Wahclella Falls is accessible via an easy 1.9-mile out & back trail and is a shorter falls than Latourell, but just as beautiful in a different way, surrounded by rocks, trees, and moss, of course.
Nearest town: Bonneville
Distance from Portland: 40 miles
Permit(s) needed: None for groups of less than 75 people
Best months to elope here: March-June
Pet-friendly? Yes, if leashed
15. Panther Creek Falls | Columbia River Gorge
Aaaand one more for good measure!! I freaking love Panther Creek Falls because it looks totally different from Latourell & Wahclella, with two tiers of segmented fall instead of just one. It’s easy to get to via a 0.3-mile trail and makes for SUCH a dreamy backdrop for elopement portraits – seriously feels like you’re in Iceland and not Oregon!
Nearest town: Carson
Distance from Portland: 60 miles
Permit(s) needed: None for groups of less than 75 people
Best months to elope here: March-June
Pet-friendly?
Panther Creek Falls Elopement Inspiration
16. Cannon Beach | Oregon Coast
Cannon Beach is a classic when it comes to beautiful locations to visit along the Oregon Coast! It’s famous for the iconic Haystack Rock, which you’ve probably seen in photos or an Oregon postcard. The town is adorable and super fun to explore, filled with candy shops, yummy eateries, and plenty of souvenir shops, plus the beach is easy to access. If the tide allows for it, I def recommend exploring the area around Haystack Rock and looking at the little tide pools filled with starfish, crabs & more!
Nearest towns: Cannon Beach, Seaside
Distance from Portland: 80 miles
Permit(s) needed: None for groups of less than 50 people
Best months to elope here: June-September
Pet-friendly? Yes
17. Hug Point | Oregon Coast
Hug Point is another beach area just a couple miles away from Cannon Beach, and I love it because it offers super diverse landscapes: luscious forests, cliffside views, scenic views of the coast, massive rocks, caves, & even a small waterfall! It’s easy to access down a few stairs (well, rocks) from the parking lot, and you can explore the whole beach if the tide is low enough to get around the corner of the big rocks. The waterfall is super beautiful and you can climb up onto the rocks above it for some epic wide portraits, and explore the caves below afterward.
Nearest town: Cannon Beach, Seaside
Distance from Portland: 80 miles
Permit(s) needed: None for groups of less than 50 people
Best months to elope here: June-September
Pet-friendly? Yes
Hug Point Inspiration
18. Cape Kiwanda | Oregon Coast
If you’ve seen any of my coastal photos, you’ve probablyyyy seen photos of Cape Kiwanda – it’s that stunning beach area featuring massive red-orange rocks, caves, and crazy views of the coastline. It’s located about 1.5 hours from Cannon Beach and is SO much fun to explore if you’re down for a steep walk up the sandy hill to get to the rocks overlooking the ocean!
Nearest town: Pacific City
Distance from Portland: 95 miles
Permit(s) needed: None for groups of less than 50 people
Best months to elope here: June-September
Pet-friendly? Yes
Cape Kiwanda Elopement Inspiration
19. Tillamook | Oregon Coast
Yup, this is the Tillamook that the ice cream, cheese, & other dairy products are named after!! Tillamook is where the Tillamook Creamery is located (10/10 recommend visiting and trying the delicious cheese + ice cream), as well as multiple gorgeous beaches that are usually less crowded than places like Cannon Beach & Cape Kiwanda.
Nearest town: Tillamook
Distance from Portland: 70 miles
Permit(s) needed: None for groups of less than 50 people
Best months to elope here: June-September
Pet-friendly? Yes
Tillamook Inspiration
20. Southern Oregon Coast | Oregon Coast
If you’re down for a bit of a longer trek, the drive down to the southern Oregon Coast is SO, soooo worth it. The views are a bit different than the coastal views up north, with massive sea stacks, caves, secluded beaches & coves, and rugged views of the coastline that are to DIE for. This is personally my fav area of the coast and the one I shoot at most often, especially because it’s super close to northern Cali, where you can visit the beautiful redwoods!
Nearest town: Brookings
Distance from Portland: 300+ miles
Permit(s) needed: None for groups of less than 50 people
Best months to elope here: June-September
Pet-friendly? Yes
Southern Oregon Coast Elopement Guides
- The Ultimate Guide to Eloping on the Southern Oregon Coast
- How to Elope in the Redwoods: Complete Guide for 2022-2023
21. Painted Hills | North-Central OR
The Painted Hills are one of the 7 wonders of Oregon for a reason. Couples who love the desert are going to DIE over this location that offers otherworldly views of hills painted with red, tan, orange, & yellow stripes. Exploring this area is such a unique experience because it feels like you’re out in the middle of some crazy desert on another planet, and the tones of the hills change with the time of day and the lighting – especially if you get an incredible desert sunset! This is one of the many locations in Oregon that I will still never get over – so unreal.
Nearest town: Mitchell
Distance from Portland: 200 miles
Permit(s) needed: Special Use Permit
Best months to elope here: July-September
Pet-friendly? Yes, if leashed
Painted Hills Inspiration
22. Smith Rock State Park | North-Central OR
More desert magic comin’ at y’all! Smith Rock State Park is an iconic desert location near Bend, Oregon, that has some of the most beautiful desert views in the whole state. The massive jagged canyons are freaking stunning, and so is the river that runs through the park, plus you can’t ignore the big golden fields and the INCREDIBLE desert sunsets. It’s an amazing place to hold your ceremony and take some epic sunrise or sunset portraits in your elopement attire!
Nearest town: Terrebonne
Distance from Portland: 140 miles
Permit(s) needed: None for groups of less than 50 people, except for parking passes
Best months to elope here: May-September
Pet-friendly? Yes, if leashed
Smith Rock Elopement Inspiration
23. Wallowas | Northeast OR
The Wallowa Mountains are one of the lesser-known areas of Oregon, surrounded by the Eagle Cap Wilderness and filled with glacier lakes, wide-open ranch land, and amazing views of the eastern Oregon landscape. They’re definitely underrated, with tons of options for camping, hiking, horseback riding, and even gondola-riding if you want to visit the peak of Mt. Howard!
Nearest town: Joseph
Distance from Portland: 330 miles
Permit(s) needed: None
Best months to elope here: May-August
Pet-friendly? Yes, if leashed
Wallowas Elopement Inspiration
24. Crater Lake | Southwest OR
Crater Lake is the main highlight of the iconic Crater Lake National Park, Oregon’s only National Park. It’s the deepest lake in the entire country and offers views that are absolutely to die for, featuring the vibrant, deep blue water surrounded by gorgeous mountains and trees! There’s so much to do inside of this National Park that makes it an epic option for couples having an adventure elopement.
Nearest towns: Prospect, Fort Klamath
Distance from Portland: 300 miles
Permit(s) needed: Entrance Pass ($30-55); Special Use Permit
Best months to elope here: July-September
Pet-friendly? No
25. Black Butte | Midwest OR
Finally, we’ll end on another one of Oregon’s most underrated locations – Black Butte! It’s a volcano in the Deschutes National Forest that’s surrounded by stunning views of Oregon, and has multiple options for hiking depending on the level of challenge you’re looking for. You can take the 2-mile-long Black Butte hiking trail up to the peak of the butte and check out the old fire lookout while you take in the epic 360° views!
Nearest town: Camp Sherman
Distance from Portland: 160 miles
Permit(s) needed: None
Best months to elope here: June-September
Pet-friendly? Unknown
Pacific Northwest Elopement Resources + Guides
Still on the hunt for the perfect location, or want some more helpful elopement tips + resources? Check out a few of my favorite related guides below!!
10 ADA-Accessible Locations in the PNW for an Elopement
25 Best Airbnb’s in Washington & Oregon for an Airbnb Elopement
Top 5 Best Places for a Columbia River Gorge Elopement
The Best Locations for a Washington or Oregon Forest Elopement
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