Explore Washington State
Things To Do in Washington State
Washington State gives you an almost unreasonable number of options for how to spend your time. Whether you are looking for something to do on a rainy afternoon in Seattle, a full week of outdoor adventure on the Peninsula, or a low key weekend in a small town you have never heard of, this state rewards people who are willing to explore beyond the obvious.
This section is where we collect everything that falls under the category of actually doing something in Washington. You will find activity guides, local recommendations, seasonal ideas, things to do with kids, hidden gems worth the detour, and honest assessments of whether something is actually worth your time. Every post is written by someone who has been there.
We cover the full range: outdoor activities like hiking, kayaking, and skiing alongside arts, food, history, and local culture. Washington is one of those states where the things worth doing in a small coastal town are just as compelling as what you will find in its major cities. There is genuinely a lot here that most people never get around to.
Browse by scrolling through recent posts below, or use the county and city tags on any post to find activities in a specific area. If you are looking for somewhere to start, the county guides are a good way to get oriented.
Somewhere in a field outside Snohomish, twelve acres of corn are cut into the exact shape of Washington State. You can walk from the Puget Sound coast across the Cascades and out toward the Idaho border, following more than 250 real roads and 400 towns and landmarks carved into the rows, on about four and...
The bay doors are open and a forklift is backing a half ton bin of grapes toward the crush pad. Someone in purple stained gloves is pulling stems off the sorting line. The destemmer is running, the air smells like fermenting juice and diesel, and off to one side a fresh barrel of press juice...
Washington does fall in two acts, and most people only catch one. The gold goes first and high: alpine larches torching the North Cascades in the first two weeks of October. The red and orange come later and lower: maple country along the highway corridors and in the city parks, peaking in the middle of...
The Bainbridge Island ferry pulls away from Colman Dock and clears Elliott Bay in about ten minutes. If you are standing on the outdoor deck when it does, you get the full Seattle skyline receding behind you and the Olympic Mountains ahead. It is one of the best views in Washington State and it costs...
The Saturday Verdict: Handle the icons fast, then go find the neighborhoods. Most lists of things to do in Seattle hand you the same six attractions and call it a city. Pike Place, the Space Needle, a harbor cruise, done. That is the airport flyer version of Seattle, and it is the least interesting day...
Washington State puts on a serious Fourth of July. From a 45-minute fireworks show over a coastal marina to drone displays lighting up city parks, from laser beams projected across the face of one of the largest dams in the world to families lining miles of Pacific beach with sparklers, the state offers more ways...
You do not need a boat to see a whale in Washington. You need a parking spot, a pair of binoculars, and enough patience to stand at a headland and watch the water. Whale watching Washington state offers some of the best shore based viewing in the world. Orcas, gray whales, humpbacks, and minkes all...
You have driven past the Cle Elum exit on I-90 more times than you can count. Most people have. It is 80 miles east of Seattle, just past Snoqualmie Pass, and it looks from the highway like a gas station and a Dairy Queen. It is not. Here is what is actually worth your time...
Washington morel season can last four months if you follow the elevation from low river valleys in late March to high mountain passes in July. Here is the complete playbook for chasing morels across the state.
The UW cherry blossoms are blooming now in 2026. As of mid-March, the Yoshino cherry trees at the University of Washington Quad are in early bloom, with peak bloom expected in the last week of March through early April. The 29 trees that line the central lawn create one of the most photographed scenes in...
Blake Island Marine State Park to us, is a local paradise and what the locals call a “Blakation”! Your arrival at the island puts you directly into another world. You will be greeted with grazing deer, possibly a bald eagle, the sounds of birds chirping and the waves crashing over the rocks on the beach....
New Year’s Day Hikes in Washington: Start 2026 Outside Forget resolutions you’ll abandon by mid-January. First Day Hikes offer a better way to start the year—getting outside, moving your body, and spending January 1st in a Washington state park instead of on the couch. More than 30 parks across the state are hosting ranger-led hikes,...
