Best Places to Elope | Top Elopement Destinations for Adventure Weddings
With a world filled with extraordinary and magical places, how do you pick the one location that is right for you?Choosing the right place to say your vows is one of the most meaningful decisions you’ll make when planning an adventure elopement. The landscape you stand in becomes part of your story—shaping the mood, the photos, and the way you remember your day for the rest of your lives.
After guiding hundreds of couples through adventure weddings across mountains, forests, deserts, and coastlines, we’ve seen firsthand how the right location can transform an elopement into something unforgettable.
That’s why we created this guide to the best places to elope—a curated collection of destinations filled with breathtaking scenery, quiet pockets of solitude, and endless opportunities to explore. Whether you’re dreaming of alpine peaks, lush rainforests, or dramatic seaside cliffs, these locations offer everything you need to craft a day that feels true to you.
How to Choose the Perfect Elopement Location
6 helpful tips from your Elopement Experts
Tip 1: Consider the Scenery & Landscape
This seems straightforward, but it’s one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Think about the moments when nature gives you butterflies—desert sunsets, towering peaks, quiet forests, crashing waves. These reactions help guide you toward landscapes that feel like home.
Bonus: Some locations, like the Olympics, let you experience multiple ecosystems in one trip.
Tip 3: Meaningful Places & Personal Significance
If a location holds emotional value—your first hike together, a favorite vacation spot, your proposal location—it instantly adds depth to your elopement story. These meaningful spaces become part of your legacy.
Tip 2: Guest Count & Logistics
We adore intimate weddings—but guest count matters. National Parks often have strict group limits, and trails with fragile ecosystems cannot accommodate larger ceremonies.
Bringing your fur babies? Absolutely—just keep in mind national parks don’t allow pets on trails, so consider BLM land, state parks, or national forests.
Tip 4: Budget & Travel Cost
Your elopement location will shape your budget dramatically. Dreaming of the Swiss Alps? It’s worth every penny—but also one of Europe’s most expensive regions. Snuggle up, list your top locations, outline your budget, and dive into travel research together.
Want more details? Check out our blog: How Much Does Eloping Cost?
Tip 5: Seasons, Weather & Permits
Your desired look + location = the right season. Snow? Choose early summer in high alpine regions.
Wildflowers? Summer. Cool golden light without crowds? Fall.
Every landscape has its prime window—and its own permit rules. We’ll guide you through all of them.
Tip 6: Activities That Inspire You
Hiking, kayaking, jeep tours, picnics, stargazing, helicopter flights—your experience shapes your timeline and your location. Some areas are ideal for certain activities (hello, off-roading in Utah and Colorado), so pick a place that aligns with the adventures you want to include.
Now we have given you some helpful tips and tricks on how to pick your perfect location for your adventure wedding, it’s time to dive into our favorite places!
location databaseOur Top Elopement Destinations
Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier is one of the best places to elope in the U.S. if you want endless mountain views, vibrant wildflowers, and dreamlike alpenglow sunsets. In July and August, the park’s meadows burst into color, while fall brings crisp air and fiery larches. Weekdays and sunrise start times help you avoid crowds, especially around Paradise and Sunrise.
As photographers based in Washington, we know dozens of quiet trails, hidden ridgelines, and wildflower pockets where couples can exchange vows in peace. Whether you're hiking for a sunrise first look or exploring soft sunset light over the glaciers, Rainier always delivers magic.
Why it’s magical: Endless mountain views, vibrant wildflowers, dreamlike alpenglow sunsets.
Best seasons: July–September (wildflowers in July/August; fall colors in September)
Check out: How to elope in Mount Rainier National Park
The North Cascades
The North Cascades are rugged, wild, and wonderfully untouched—making them one of the best places to elope for adventurous couples. With jagged peaks, turquoise lakes, and alpine meadows, this area feels like stepping into the Alps without leaving Washington.
Because many areas are remote, we help couples choose trails that match their hiking comfort level, from peaceful lakeside spots to epic ridgelines. Early fall offers golden larches, while summer brings warm, clear mountain days.
Why it’s magical: Rugged peaks, turquoise lakes, alpine meadows, remote and untouched.
Best seasons: July–September
More Info: How to elope in the North Cascades
3. Olympic National Park
Looking for a location with lots of variety? From coast, rainforest, raging waterfalls, to mountain layers, Olympic National Park has one of Washington’s most diverse landscapes. Plan a 2-day wedding and explore every corner of this beautiful temperate rainforest!
Check out: How to elope in Olympic National Park
4. Utah
If you are looking for less traveled locations and hidden gems, Utah is the place to be! It’s the perfect location for couples that are into off-roading, overlanding, and doing other desert activities.
Check out this 2-day elopement in Utah
5. Telluride, Colorado
Also called the American Swiss Alps! Imagine this, endless mountain peaks, turquoise lakes, and the most stunning fall colors in the United States. It’s every hikers and off-roaders dream to visit this beautiful part of Colorado!
Check out: Epic 4x4 Off-road elopement to Yankee Boy Basin, Telluride
6. Oregon Coast
Isolated beaches, rugged cliffs with breathtaking views, and cute little fishing towns, the Oregon coast is one of our favorite areas to plan an elopement during anytime of the year!
Check out: Leidy & Mario's Oregon Coast Elopement
7. Italian Dolomites
For couples who crave a mountainous backdrop and a touch of adventure, the Italian Dolomites offer a breathtaking setting for a unique elopement.
Check out: Vow Renewal in Italy
8. Santorini Greece
Known for its stunning sunsets and white-washed buildings perched on cliffs overlooking the Aegean Sea, Santorini is a dream destination for eloping couples. The narrow cobblestone streets, blue-domed churches, and crystal-clear waters create a magical atmosphere for an intimate ceremony.
9. Scotland
Eloping in Scotland is like stepping into a storybook, with its dramatic cliffs, ancient castles, and rolling highlands. Whether exchanging vows by a secluded loch, atop a rugged mountain, or amidst the ruins of a historic chapel, every moment feels timeless and romantic. With unpredictable weather adding a touch of magic, from misty mornings to golden sunsets, Scotland’s raw beauty sets the perfect stage for an intimate and adventurous elopement.
Check out: Coastal Scotland Elopement
10. Yosemite National Park
A Yosemite National Park elopement is the perfect blend of adventure and romance, set against some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the world. With its towering granite cliffs, cascading waterfalls, and peaceful meadows, Yosemite offers a stunning backdrop for couples seeking an intimate and unforgettable wedding experience.
11. Sequoia National Park
Eloping in Sequoia National Park offers a magical experience surrounded by towering giant sequoias, serene meadows, and breathtaking mountain vistas. Whether you exchange vows beneath ancient trees or at an overlook with panoramic views, this park provides a stunning and intimate backdrop for your adventure.
12. Iceland
Eloping in Iceland is an experience like no other — where dramatic waterfalls, black sand beaches, and rugged mountains create a breathtaking backdrop for your vows. Whether you’re dreaming of an intimate ceremony under the Northern Lights or a summer adventure beneath the Midnight Sun, Iceland offers endless possibilities for every couple. For inspiration and real-life examples, check out our Stunning Iceland Elopement Blog
More Elopement Location inspiration
Not sure where you want to elope?
No worries! Let’s hop on a video chat! On this FREE consultation call, we will get to know each other, dream about epic locations, talk about everything you are envisioning for your wedding day, and explain what we exactly do here at Running Wild!