Explore Washington State
The Saturday Verdict: Worth it. But plan to stay overnight. Visiting Hoh Rainforest means stepping into the wettest place in the contiguous United States. 140 inches of rain per year. Sitka spruce trees over 300 feet tall wrapped in so much old man’s beard lichen they look like something from a film set. Roosevelt elk...
Here in the Evergreen State, we have a pretty great reputation for our mountains, our coffee and our rain. If that isn’t awesome enough, we are also fortunate enough to be the home to three National Parks! Each of these parks offers its own unique scenery, activities and vibes to enjoy. While Washington is definitely...
“The lake between two rivers,” Lake Quinault is a glacially-carved lake situated at the edge of pristine temperate rainforest on the Olympic Peninsula. Lake Quinault is the ideal jumping-off point for Olympic National Park adventures. Olympic National Park is the perfect spot for exploring the pristine wilderness. It features snow-covered mountains, roaring rivers, and dense...
As road trips and nature have become the go-to for travel this year, Washington state offers so much to explore. The Olympic Peninsula is an incredible family escape offering something that everyone can enjoy, including your little ones. Port Townsend Even if only for a quick lunch and stroll, this town is a must while...
For pristine wildlife and scenery, it doesn’t get much better than the divine views of Diablo Lake in North Cascades National Park. North Cascades National Park is one of the lesser-visited but most stunning in the national park system, and Diablo Lake is an easily accessible attraction. Located 125 miles from Seattle, it’s worthy of...
Planning a trip to America’s national parks usually involves camping or staying in a historic lodge. Olympic National Park is no exception, with countless campgrounds, lodges and resorts to choose from. To narrow down the options, we’ve rounded up five of the most notable properties in the Olympics. Most of these historic properties date back...
Mount Rainier timed entry has been cancelled for 2026. Here is what NPS is doing instead, why parking is now the real constraint, and how to plan a successful visit.
For a while, I lived in a van. When it was time to explore any given place I usually gave myself an unlimited time limit on my adventuring since I lived where I parked. When it came time to hike in Mt. Rainier National Park, and after already doing my fair share of travel up...
We’ve all heard the opinion that among the different locations in the United States, western Washington is almost perpetually grey and rainy. While that may be the case in winter months, most of the west side is quite beautiful and temperate for much of the rest of the year. However, when it comes to one...
Considering the seemingly never-ending natural beauty of Washington State, it is sometimes easy to forget about the wonders of the Olympic Peninsula. Sprawling nearly one million acres, Olympic National Park contains three distinct ecosystems – glaciated mountains, rugged Pacific coastline and lush temperate forests. Best part? You can explore it all. Not sure where to...
Johnston Ridge Observatory-Mount Saint Helens We reached the top of SR 504 at Johnston Ridge Observatory and saw what seemed to be an alien landscape. In the previous entries in this series, I talked about the surrounding forests and how the trees had been replanted. When you reach Johnston Ridge there aren’t any replanted forests....
Most folks who remember the eruption of Mount Saint Helens in 1980 remember the monochrome photos of devastation; trees tossed like matchsticks and coated with gray ash, looking more like the surface of the Moon than the lush forests that lived on the mountain previously. Visiting The Mount Saint Helens Forest Learning Center Forests have...
