Mount Vernon

1. Tulip Town

Tulip Town is a unique garden attraction in Mount Vernon, originally founded in 1983 by Anthony DeGoede, the former manager of the Neal Noorlag Bulb Farm. DeGeode, a Netherlands immigrant, operated the tulip farm until 2019, when it was purchased by a Skagit Valley citizen group for future blooming seasons. The gorgeous tulip farm is open to the public once a year throughout the month of April, showcasing a stunning kaleidoscope of colorful blooms atop the fertile Skagit Valley soil. Visitors can enjoy trolley rides throughout the field to view the farm's plantings or bring their children for family-friendly activities, including face painting and kite shows. An indoor retail market offers fresh-cut flowers, works by local artisans, and craft food and espresso beverages. In October, the farm opens back up for an annual harvest celebration, featuring a corn maze, pumpkin patch, and wine and beer garden.

15002 Bradshaw Rd, Mt Vernon, WA 98273, Phone: 360-424-8152

2. Little Mountain Park

Little Mountain Park is a spacious public park stretching for 522 acres just south of Mount Vernon's city limits, at the base of lovely Little Mountain, which reaches elevations of nearly 1,000 feet above sea level. The park, which is the largest city park in Mount Vernon, is accessible via a 1.5-mile paved road, which provides stunning panoramic views of the surrounding Skagit Valley, San Juan Islands, and Olympic Mountains at its summit. It is known as a top spot for hang gliding throughout the year and a prime viewpoint for viewing the region's tulip fields in bloom during the spring months. Approximately four miles of hiking trails are offered throughout the park, which is also home to charming walking paths, a protected nature area, and day-use picnic tables.

3. Lincoln Theatre

Lincoln Theatre is an historic theater in downtown Mount Vernon, originally constructed as a silent movie house and vaudeville theater in 1926. Today, the theater is used as a multipurpose venue showcasing movies several days a week, along with a plethora of theatrical and concert performances throughout the year. It is home to one of less than 100 20th-century Wurlitzer organs still located in their original installation, which features seven ranks of pipes and a full sound effect system for creating sounds for silent films. Gorgeous design elements have been restored to their historic glory, including a majestic ornate proscenium arch, stenciled plaster walls, and organ loft canvas awnings.

712 S 1st St, Mt Vernon, WA 98273, Phone: 360-336-8955

4. The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is Washington State's largest annual festival, attracting more than 500,000 annual visitors each year since 1984. The festival is a top yearly destination for Pacific Northwest travelers, held each April throughout the entire month throughout several sites in the Skagit Valley region. Millions of tulips burst into bloom each year during the time of the festival, which offers a plethora of family-friendly activities at farm areas like RoozenGarde and Tulip Town. It is designated as a driving tour festival due to its scattered locations and is overseen by a volunteer community organization that coordinates the entire event. Art shows and galas, concerts, sporting events, and family activities are offered throughout the festival, including the annual Downtown Mount Vernon Street Fair and the Kiwanis Salmon Barbecue.

311 W Kincaid St, Mt Vernon, WA 98273

5. Bay View State Park

Bay View State Park is a charming public recreation area spanning 66 acres on the shoreline of Padilla Bay, offering excellent opportunities for fishing, swimming, and beachcombing throughout the year. The park offers 1,285 feet of direct shoreline access, overlooking the gorgeous archipelago of the nearby San Juan Islands. Visitors can enjoy a plethora of water sports throughout the summer months on the park's shores, including chances for waterskiing, paddleboarding, and sailboarding. A portion of the Pacific Northwest Trail crosses through the park's lands, offering opportunities for hiking and cycling. Lovely rental cabins are available for overnight stay at the park, along with a variety of tent campsites with shoreline views.

10901 Bayview Edison Rd, Mt Vernon, WA 98273, Phone: 360-757-0227

6. Skagit Wildlife Area

Skagit Wildlife Area is a gorgeous 16,700-acre wilderness wildlife habitat located just south of the city of Mount Vernon, comprised of 16 separate wildlife units. The park is known as a top bird watching area in the region, home to large populations of snow geese and tundra and trumpeter swans throughout the winter months. Visitors can access the wildlife area's nature trails from a number of access points, including its Wylie Slough, Fir Island, and Big Ditch units and two-mile Headquarters access trail. Shoreline access to the shores of Skagit Bay is offered via several dike walks throughout the park, offering stunning views of the nearby North Cascade Mountains and immense Mount Baker.

21961 Wylie Rd, Mt Vernon, WA 98273, Phone: 360-445-4441

7. Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is a beautiful 8,000-acre nature research reserve protecting an important estuary habitat on the Padilla Bay and offering a wide variety of educational programming for visitors of all ages throughout the year. The reserve is the second-largest of its kind on the Pacific Coast, located within the heart of the beautiful Salish Sea and protecting an immense eelgrass meadow ecosystem. Visitors can explore the interactive Breazeale Interpretive Center, which is open for free admission and home to a massive aquarium showcasing the region's marine life. Exhibits detail the sensitive environment of the estuary ecosystem, featuring interactive elements for young visitors. Nearby nature trails let visitors explore the region's intertidal mud flats up close and personal and see eagles, ducks, herons, and other native birds in their natural habitats.

10441 Bayview Edison Rd, Mt Vernon, WA 98273, Phone: 360-428-1558

8. Pasek Cellars

Pasek Cellars is an award-winning winery known for its premium fruit wines produced from Pacific Northwest fruit, opened to the public in 1995 by married duo Kathy and Gene Pasek. The winery, which sells more than 13,000 cases each year today, focuses on delicious dessert and sweet wines, including cranberry, blackberry, blueberry, and loganberry wine varietals. Tropical passionfruit and pineapple wines are also sold, along with dessert wines such as the company's Arabica coffee dessert wine and Syrah port. Traditional grape varietals round out the lineup, including Chardonnay, Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc, and Muscat Canelli offerings. During the spring months, official Skagit Valley Tulip Festival wines are sold, showcasing signature artwork labels crafted by local artists. Visitors can taste all of the company's wines at its lovely taproom, which is located within an historic converted red barn facility.

2615 Old Highway 99 South, Mount Vernon, WA 98273, Phone: 360-445-4048