Explore Washington State
Washington State Outdoor Recreation
Washington State has more terrain for outdoor recreation than most people ever fully explore. Within a few hours of any major city, you can be on a remote alpine trail, launching a kayak into a calm bay, or skiing powder in the Cascades. The variety here is genuinely extraordinary and it rewards people who are willing to look a little further than the usual bucket list destinations.
This section covers the active side of exploring Washington. You will find trail reports and hiking guides, state park reviews, tips for water access points, winter recreation routes, coastal walks, wildlife viewing spots, and the kind of outdoor stops that are worth adding to any road trip. Every post is written by someone who made the trip and came back with a real opinion rather than a press release.
Whether you are planning a technical summit, a family friendly day hike, or just looking for a quiet beach walk, the content here covers a wide range of skill levels and seasons. Washington has something worth getting outside for in every month of the year.
Browse recent posts below, or use the activity and county tags to filter by what you are looking for. There is always more out there than most people get around to finding.
What’s worth the investment? As a self-proclaimed minimalist, I’m someone who only brings the gear I think I will need on a hike and rolls her eyes at fellow hikers spending hundreds on gear. Looking back over the many day-hikes I have completed here in Central Washington on the cheap, I reminisce and laugh as...
Washington State has long been known for its wild beauty, epitomized by tall pine trees, rugged landscapes and stunning coastlines. Though it is often reduced to no more than a photo-op by its famous bridge, Deception Pass State Park is the perfect place to discover all the natural splendor of the Evergreen State. [toc] Discovering...
Many Pacific Northwesterners are unaware of the fascinating history of the state of Washington, particularly on the far-less-populated eastern side of the state. From the production of plutonium during World War II in the Tri-Cities to the agricultural boom of the Palouse region and the Whitman Mission massacre in Walla Walla, a lot has happened...
I moved to the greater Seattle area in early September and immediately went out and started exploring everything this state has to offer. I quickly realized just how incredible the State Park system is here. The abundance of public land combined with its tendency to be very pet-friendly (it’s not an adventure without my sidekick...
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. Planning a trip to Ginkgo...
After arriving at the trailhead for the Juniper Dunes Wilderness Area, I stepped down from the running board of my pickup, the dust settled, and as I surveyed the barren, desolate landscape that surrounded me, somewhere just over a nearby hillside, I heard an ocarina faintly whistling the tune from The Good, the Bad and...
We did it… Roscoe and I survived our first Washington state winter! For those who haven’t read our previous articles, Roscoe, is my partner in adventure, who also happens to be a dog. Having lived in Florida my whole life, I’d like to say I handled the transition fairly well. There were phases: September –...
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...
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...
It was late Friday evening when my wife Johanna and I decided to drive to Whidbey Island the next morning. A little bit of research on Instagram made our decisions easy. The island looked gorgeous! As Canadians living near the border, we have been to Washington many times. We usually tend to explore Bellingham to...
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...
