Central Washington is home to a multitude of state parks, each with their own unique features and viewpoints. If you’re looking for a daylong adventure through a beautiful park with river views and hiking paths, you’re in luck because the Ginkgo Petrified Forest has been patiently waiting for your visit. Starting your journey east, coasting…
As a rule, university campuses are very nice. Even those tucked into the middle of big cities, like the University of Washington in Seattle, offer students and visitors beautiful walking and biking trails and great vistas. But until we moved to Vancouver from eastern Washington three years ago, I had never gotten lost in what…
Looking for a short and manageable hike with stunning 360-degree views that reward you? Look no further than Washington’s High Rock Trail located in the Gifford-Pinchot National Forest in Lewis County, near Mount Rainier. The trail is 3.2 miles roundtrip with a moderately steep elevation gain of 1,365 feet. Yes, it is steep, but it…
Want a gem of a hike that’s family-friendly and won’t take an all-day drive? This is your go-to hike with a great reward: Teneriffe Falls, North Bend, WA. After our rainy January, I was delighted to see the sun out and raced for the mountains. Weekends are busy on popular hikes such as this, but…
The Tri-Cities is blessed with 300 days of glorious sunshine and an average of less than eight inches of precipitation each year. Located in the southeastern heart of Washington State, the Tri-Cities landscape is vast and open, mottled with curved hillsides, dramatic cliff-fronts, endless miles of rippling rivers and sweeping vineyards and farmlands. Amongst the…
Do you believe in ghosts? I do. Though, I’m not the type to go seeking them out on purpose. And as far as believing a hike could be haunted? For me, that is a stretch. Though I will use any excuse — even ghost hunting — if it means a walk in the woods. The…
Hey there, Explore Washington State reader! Hilary and Roscoe here. It’s another rainy day in Seattle, so in other words, it’s a perfect time to write about one of our favorite local adventures! Roscoe, my dog, is my go-to partner whenever I want to explore a new place in the area. We recently checked out…
Looking for a quick desert escape from Seattle but don’t want to pay all that money for a plane ticket to go somewhere like California or Arizona? Or, maybe you’re looking for a hike that’s a little different from the typical mountain climbs and waterfall views. Well my friend, Ancient Lakes Trail near Quincy, Washington…
Monroe is home of the Evergreen State Fair, one of the largest county state fairs held annually in the Pacific Northwest. But there is so much more to Monroe than just an annually held event. Monroe is home to many local farms and nurseries that provide a multitude of crops ranging from different varieties of fruits…
Looking for an adventure in the Maple Valley area? Join us as we explore Lake Wildnerness Park. Hello, Explore Washington State readers! Hilary and Roscoe here. Well, technically just Hilary. Roscoe is a dog, and while he’s content to hang out while I write, he has yet to master a keyboard. We’ve recently become Washington…
Here at Explore Washington State, we’re always interested in finding out about people who are actively exploring new areas of Washington, whether that’s checking out new hotspots in urban areas, or out scrambling around in the woods with a GoPro. Just a few weeks ago, we ran across the YouTube channel Outside & Stuff, which…
