July

This is the month the mountains belong to you. The subalpine meadows at Mount Rainier’s Paradise and Sunrise peak in the last week of July, when lupine, paintbrush, and avalanche lily turn the slopes into color and the marmots come out to sun themselves. The North Cascades Highway is fully open, with the turquoise of Diablo Lake glowing brightest on overcast days. Go early. The Paradise lots fill by nine on weekends, and the best light is in the first hours anyway.

The high country above Port Angeles melts out and blooms by mid to late July, with the meadows along Hurricane Hill running to lupine and paintbrush and views clear to Vancouver Island. Down in the old growth, the walk to Sol Duc Falls is at its easy best. Time your visit to the third weekend of July and you can fold in the Sequim Lavender Festival, when the Dungeness Valley farms open their rows. And when you want wide Pacific sand, Long Beach and Westport are a short drive apart.

July is peak whale season in the islands. The Southern Resident and transient orcas work the west side of San Juan Island, and Lime Kiln Point is the rare place on earth where you can watch them pass from shore, the water dropping to nearly a thousand feet deep within a stone’s throw of the rocks. Base yourself in Friday Harbor or out on Orcas Island and trade the car for a kayak. One thing the islands demand in July: reserve your ferry vehicle space ahead, because the sailings fill.

While the west side stays mild, the east side turns up the heat, and the whole region reorganizes around water. Lake Chelan warms to swimmable by late June and stays that way through Labor Day, with more than thirty wineries on the benchlands above the lake. In Leavenworth, the float from town down the Wenatchee River is the classic way to spend a hot afternoon. South in the Yakima Valley and Walla Walla, the tasting rooms are in full swing and the cherry stands are at their peak. Start early, carry water, and chase the shade.