Hiking

backpacking spade lake

Hiking Waptus, Spade, and Venus Lakes

In September, my wife Regan and I had planned a hike in the North Cascades but a spate of wildfires made that hike impossible. When the smoke cleared two days…

oregon butte hikers

Hiking to Oregon Butte Lookout in the Fall

When you have a window of opportunity, you take the window. Oregon Butte Lookout had been on my hiking list for the last few years and other adventures kept pushing…

Explore Washington State Kula Cloth

Gift Guide 2020: Shop Kula Cloth

While 2020 has brought a lot of awful moments for everyone, here at Explore Washington State, we had the chance to create something amazing: our very own Kula Cloth. When…

From The Ground Up socks Explore Washington State 2020 Gift Guide

Gift Guide 2020: Shop From The Ground Up

Alright, guys! This one is for the avid outdoors woman or man in your life. Or perhaps, a little gift to yourself this holiday season. The next business from the…

liberty bell from washington pass

Explore Washington’s Scenic North Cascades in the Fall

Washington State is known for its gloomy and rainy weather. While a lot of people want to avoid going outdoors during autumn, I think it’s the best time of the…

hiking beneath volcano in washington

A Beginner’s Guide to Backpacking in Washington

Whether you’re watching the sunrise on a dewy ridge in the North Cascades, taking a multi-day trip through the rainforest in the Olympics, overlooking one of the 700+ lakes in…

New Dungeness Light Station with beach wood

Hiking the Dungeness Spit

When I picture myself hiking in the Pacific Northwest, I always see myself set amongst a familiar backdrop — tall trees and even taller mountains. Winding forest streams carve their…

kids hiking on a trail on Mt St. Helens

Visiting Mount St. Helens With Kids

Washington State has many amazing, beautiful places to visit, but none are quite as unique as Mount St. Helens. Before its eruption in 1980, Mount St. Helens stood tall and…

Jolly Mountain views

Hiking and Exploring Jolly Mountain

As I write this from the north Pasco countryside, early on a Friday afternoon, I look out the window of my study toward Badger Mountain, the Horse Heaven Hills and…

Goat Marsh

Hiking Goat Marsh Trail

I would not say I hiked the Goat Marsh Trail. I would say I experienced the Goat Marsh Trail. And what an incredible experience it was! The trail is not…

The Fremont Lookout

Spending Three Days at Mount Rainier

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…

Cave entrances

Exploring Lake Lenore Caves

When you think of ancient caves, you may think you need to travel halfway across the country, or the world, to take this type of a step back in time….