Scenic Viewpoints in Washington: 52 Photo Spots, Light & Night Sky Guide

Name	County	Elevation	Nearest town	Sky
B Reactor OverlookManhattan Project	Benton County	—	Desert Aire	3
Beach 4 OverlookOlympic	Jefferson County	—	Forks	2
Beach 6 OverlookOlympic	Jefferson County	—	Forks	2
Afterglow VistaSan Juan Island	San Juan County	—	Friday Harbor	3
Cirque Rim OverlookOlympic	Clallam County	—	Port Angeles	3
Bear Meadow Viewpoint	Skamania County	1,253 m	Morton	3
Big Creek Falls Viewpoint	Skamania County	589 m	Carson	3
Box Canyon Dam Viewpoint	Pend Oreille County	629 m	Colville	1
Cedar Creek Viewpoint	Skamania County	1,253 m	Morton	3
Clear Creek Overlook	Yakima County	1,274 m	Tieton	3
Clearwater Overlook	Skamania County	914 m	Morton	3
Coal Lake Viewpoint	Snohomish County	941 m	Darrington	3
Curly Creek Falls Viewpoint	Skamania County	359 m	Carson	3
Debris Dam Viewpoint	Cowlitz County	416 m	Morton	3
Donnybrook Viewpoint	Skamania County	1,321 m	Morton	3
Destruction Island Viewpoint	Jefferson County	38 m	Forks	2
Emmons OverlookMount Rainier	Pierce County	1,943 m	Crocker	3
Fort Okanogan Overlook	Okanogan County	253 m	Brewster	2
Gorge Creek Falls ViewpointNorth Cascades	Whatcom County	380 m	Darrington	2
Hamilton Viewpoint Park	King County	2 m	Seattle	7
Harmony Viewpoint	Skamania County	1,196 m	Morton	3
Hoffstadt Viewpoint Heliport	Cowlitz County	336 m	Morton	3
Hopkins Hill Viewpoint	Lewis County	643 m	Morton	3
Independence Pass Viewpoint	Skamania County	1,283 m	Morton	3
Lahar Viewpoint	Skamania County	893 m	Amboy	3
Lava Creek Falls Viewpoint	Lewis County	879 m	Tieton	3
Lookout Point	Yakima County	538 m	Selah	7
Mount Adams Viewpoint	Skamania County	1,026 m	Morton	3
Mount Saint Helens Viewpoint	Skamania County	1,123 m	Morton	3
Mount Saint Helens Viewpoint	Skamania County	1,315 m	Carson	3
Muddy River Viewpoint	Skamania County	487 m	Amboy	3
Nooksack Falls Viewpoint	Whatcom County	443 m	Peaceful Valley	2
Outlaw Ridge Volcanic Viewpoint	Skamania County	859 m	Carson	3
Overlook	Spokane County	615 m	Spokane	6
Palisades ViewpointMount Rainier	Lewis County	677 m	Morton	3
Ross Lake ViewpointNorth Cascades	Whatcom County	528 m	Sedro-Woolley	2
Ryan Lake Picnic Area and Viewpoint	Skamania County	1,026 m	Morton	3
Schmitz Memorial Overlook	King County	7 m	White Center	7
Sheep Canyon Viewpoint	Cowlitz County	916 m	Amboy	3
Smith Creek Viewpoint	Skamania County	1,301 m	Morton	3
Speelyai Hill Viewpoint	Cowlitz County	145 m	Amboy	4
Sun Top ViewpointMount Rainier	Pierce County	1,592 m	Enumclaw	4
Swift Dam Overlook	Cowlitz County	365 m	Amboy	3
Swift Viewpoint	Skamania County	364 m	Amboy	3
Upper Baker Lake Viewpoint	Whatcom County	318 m	Sedro-Woolley	3
Vista Point	Okanogan County	945 m	Sedro-Woolley	2
Vista Viewpoint	Whatcom County	1,281 m	Peaceful Valley	2
Wenatchee Ridge Viewpoint	Chelan County	926 m	Leavenworth	3
White River Viewpoint	Chelan County	894 m	Leavenworth	3
Windy Ridge Viewpoint	Skamania County	1,230 m	Morton	3
Snoqualmie Falls Observation Deck	King County	115 m	Snoqualmie	6
Fringe Viewpoint	Skamania County	1,151 m	Morton	3

Sky = estimated Bortle class (1 darkest – 9 brightest).

Map

How to photograph scenic viewpoints

Overlooks are about the sweep of the land, so low-angle light matters most: side-light at sunrise or sunset reveals ridges and texture that midday sun flattens.

Arrive 30–45 minutes before sunrise or sunset to find a composition before the light peaks.
Use a telephoto (70–200 mm) to isolate layered ridges and light rays instead of shooting only wide.
Check the sun azimuth for your date: front-light, side-light and back-light give three different pictures from the same rail.
Haze builds in summer afternoons; mornings after a cold front are often the clearest.
Stay behind barriers — many overlook edges are undercut or crumbly.

Season: Clear, dry air in autumn and after winter storms gives the longest views; summer adds wildflowers but also haze.