Skagit Valley city amid bulb fields, known for spring tulips between Cascades and Puget Sound.
Burlington is a small city in Skagit County, northwestern Washington state, about 80 km north of Seattle in the broad agricultural plain between the Cascade Mountains and Puget Sound. The Skagit Valley here is one of the most productive bulb-growing regions in North America, and in spring the tulip and daffodil fields in bloom around Burlington and nearby Mount Vernon attract visitors from across the region.
The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival runs each April and draws large crowds to the flower fields. Outside festival season, Burlington is primarily a commercial hub with a large outlet mall and easy access to Interstate 5. The North Cascades, beginning about an hour's drive east, are the main draw for those using Burlington as a base — the North Cascades Highway offers some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in the state when it's open from late spring to early winter.
Before you head into the mountains, it's worth a stop at the Skagit-Squatch Museum — Burlington's singular contribution to American cryptid culture, and more thought-provoking than it sounds.
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Getting There
Burlington sits on Interstate 5, about 80 km north of Seattle and 40 km south of the Canadian border at Blaine. It is a straightforward drive from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (about an hour in light traffic, often longer).
Amtrak's Cascades and Coast Starlight trains stop at the Burlington station, connecting to Seattle, Bellingham, and Vancouver. Greyhound and Flixbus also serve the I-5 corridor. If you're heading for the North Cascades, Burlington is effectively the last town of any size before Highway 20 begins climbing into the mountains.
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When to Go
April is the peak month for the Tulip Festival and worth planning a trip around if flowers are your thing — but expect crowds and accommodation prices to spike accordingly.
Summer (June to September) is the most reliable season for visiting the North Cascades; Highway 20 is open, the days are long, and the weather is usually dry and clear. Temperatures in the valley hover in the low 20s Celsius at peak summer. The mountains can still see cold and rain even in July and August, so come prepared.
Winter brings cloud and rain to the valley (the Cascades wring most of the moisture from Pacific storms before it reaches eastern Washington). Highway 20 closes over the mountains. Not the ideal time to visit unless you're heading to the ski areas on the other side of the pass, which are accessed from the east.