5 Highly Overrated Destinations In The Pacific Northwest (And Where To Visit Instead)

Planning a trip to the Pacific Northwest can be overwhelming. Not only is the region large and spread out, but there are also so many iconic cultural and natural landmarks to explore across its different states. America's two cleanest cities are located in the Pacific Northwest, several of the country's most beloved national parks call this region home, and many pretty small towns blend laid-back charm with dramatic views. While all of these attractions can be enjoyed, there are some places that don't really deserve your time or attention.

To help you decide which spots to skip on your next trip (and where to go instead), we've compiled a list of five highly overrated destinations in the Pacific Northwest. Spanning Oregon and Washington, this roundup includes popular tourist spots ranging from big cities to scenic beaches and hiking trails. The destinations are listed in no particular order and were assembled based on visitor reviews, Reddit threads, local news articles, journalistic roundups, and other sources.

If you're planning a trip to Oregon, there are a lot of destinations to choose from. City lovers can pick between Seattle and its artsy sister, Portland. Or, for nature lovers, head south to Crater Lake National Park. Along the length of the whole state, the beaches of Oregon's coast are particularly stunning, and many tourists visiting the state add Cannon Beach to their lists. While extremely popular, Cannon Beach is also considered overrated, mostly because of how crowded the shoreline has become, as mentioned in this Reddit thread.

Instead, check out some of the state's many other beautiful beaches. Not only will you get the same landscape that Cannon Beach is known for, but you'll likely dodge the crowds while you're at it. Instead of Cannon, try out Manzanita Beach. Cheaper, less crowded, and more secluded than Cannon Beach, the landscape may not have the exact same rock formations in the water, but it does have towering cliffs along the beach. While it does not have the name recognition that Cannon Beach does, Manzanita Beach goes on for 7 miles, leaving plenty of room to find a secluded patch of sand for yourself and a good amount of shoreline to explore.

One of Seattle's most famous spots, Pike Place Market, has been operating in the same location for over 100 years. It's at the top of many tourists' lists for a reason, and last year, The Pink Door inside Pike Place was named Washington's favorite 2025 restaurant. While we wouldn't rule out this spot as a place to visit if you have the time (many locals and tourists do love this market), it's not necessarily worth the time you'll spend waiting in lines. Often ranked among the top destinations in Seattle, many find it to be overcrowded. It was even rated the most overrated tourist attraction in Washington by USA Today (via KIRO News Radio).

Instead, check out the Fremont Sunday Street Market, which describes itself as "Seattle's favorite European-style street market." Rightly so, this street market resembles those you'll find along a river or under a bridge in Berlin or Copenhagen. Less frequented by tourists than Pike Place, this year-round street market operates out of Seattle's trendy Fremont neighborhood. You'll find a diverse range of food vendors, coffee, vintage clothing, handmade gifts, and more.

Most famously home to the fictional Twilight Saga, Washington's town of Forks and La Push beach are tourist attractions for a number of reasons. Not just because of the franchise and the subsequent tourist spots that now exist in the town, but because of the National Park nestled nearby. Olympic National Park is a stunning park in the northwest of the state. Often overlooked in favor of Mt. Rainer, this is definitely not a park to miss on a trip to Washington. However, one popular attraction within the park is highly overrated and can be skipped in favor of other hikes and landmarks.

The Tree of Life is a large Sitka spruce that you can stand under and see the roots protruding from the ground. As the ground beneath the tree erodes, more of it becomes visible. It's expected that the tree may not even be there for much longer. While this may be a draw, many who have visited say the tree is worth skipping in favor of other sites.

One Reddit user shared, "I suggest skipping Tree of Life and Ruby Beach. The tree is overrated, and Ruby Beach has nothing that Rialto can't offer. This is just my opinion based on numerous trips to those destinations." Instead, check out Hurricane Ridge (one of the most accessible and visually stunning areas in the park) or Sol Duc Falls. These are among Olympic National Park's highest-rated attractions on Tripadvisor and better showcase the mossy green scenery the Pacific Northwest is famous for.

Similarly ranked as the Pike Place Market on "must-visit" lists for tourists, the Space Needle is one of the most easily recognized locations in Seattle. While you do get a good view from the top, many who have visited, locals included, say that this location is highly overrated. Described by some as a tourist trap, this location comes with a steep price tag: general admission tickets start at $49, at the time of this writing. We're not saying some tourist traps aren't worth the crowds (for instance, one of New York City's most overcrowded tourist traps is totally worth it for a spectacular 360-degree sunset), but going to the top of the Space Needle may not be the best way to spend your time or your funds when visiting Seattle.

Instead, consider visiting other iconic Seattle spots where you can get a good view of the city. Kerry Park is a free place in the city to take in a view; you just have to get yourself there. If you're specifically looking for an observation deck, many recommend visiting the Columbia Center. One visitor said of it on Facebook, "Columbia Center is amazing. We went yesterday. It's taller than the Space Needle and cheaper. You can stay as long as you want. We bought our tickets on site and watched the sunset."

So famous that it has since opened locations in several other states, Portland's Voodoo Doughnut has been one of the most sought-after bakeries in the Pacific Northwest, if not the country, for years. The Oregon-based company is known for its funky, colorful doughnuts, which are abnormal in both size and shape, and come in a recognizable pink box. However, despite its popularity, USA Today found that this spot was one of the most overrated tourist destinations in the world back in 2023 (via KVAL 13). The survey ranked Voodoo based on how many times the word "overrated" appeared in the shop's Google Reviews. 

Instead of visiting Voodoo Doughnuts, which may already have a line out the front, there are several bakeries in Portland worth your time. Twisted Croissant (which has three locations) not only has a high rating from customers on Google Reviews (sitting at 4.7 stars), but it also appears on multiple lists of the city's best pastries and baked goods. If you do stop into this location, try their cruffin — a croissant-muffin crossover that the bakery is known for. Bakeshop in Rose City Park is another well-regarded option. The owner was even nominated for a James Beard award. 

To create this list, we scoured the internet for the most overrated destinations in the Pacific Northwest that tourists to the region frequently put on their bucket lists. We reviewed local news articles on overrated sites in the region and combed through threads that mentioned them on websites like Reddit to find overrated locations. In compiling our list, we took into account the number of positive or negative reviews a location had across multiple sources, and how often it was described as overrated by visitors and locals in articles or forums. These are the five locations that emerged. To come up with alternatives, we looked for similar activities or establishments in the area that received high praise either by way of customer reviews or journalistic roundups. We also utilized feedback of both "overrated" and popular locations on Tripadvisor and Google Reviews.