Things to do / Travel Guide
Northwest Washington and the Cascades refers to the Washington State portion of the Cascade Mountain Range and the western part of Washington State. It includes the major urban areas surrounding Seattle and Tacoma around the Puget Sound, the Olympic Peninsula, with its Pacific Ocean coast, as well as the islands north up to Canadian waters. Inland, the Cascades form a wall of mountains separating (and keeping the rain out of) the eastern part of the state. The eastern slopes of the Cascades mark the region boundary. In the north, the region's boundary is the Canadian border at the 49th parallel. Across the border in British Columbia are the cities of Vancouver and the Island of Vancouver, south of the 49th parallel, but defined as British territory in 1846. In the south, the region follows the Cascade Range up until Mt. St. Helens. Beyond the region lies the Oregon Cascades, Oregon's coast, and Portland.
The region covers approximately 25,000 square miles and is about 220 miles from east to west and about 200 miles from north to south. The largest cities of Seattle and Tacoma as well as the state capital, Olympia, are in the region. The highest point in the region is Mt. Rainier, which reaches a height of 14,410 feet, and is visible on clear days to most residents of the region.
The region is home to a wide variety of geographical features. The Olympic Peninsula is home to Olympic National Park, with its temperate rainforest and wild Pacific Ocean coast. North and west of the Olympic Peninsula are many islands, ranging from suburban ones, such as Bainbridge Island, to uninhabited islets in the San Juan Islands group. Surrounding the Puget Sound are the urban centers of the region, including Seattle, Tacoma and neighboring cities.
The Cascade Range, part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, is crowned by the volcanic peaks of Mt. Rainier and Mt. Baker in the north and Mt. Adams in the south of the state. Hundreds of lower summits and massive forests make up this 50-80-mile-wide swath of Washington State. While some volcanic peaks are dormant, Mt. St. Helens is certainly active. Its 1980 eruption blew the entire top off the mountain off showering ash all over the southern portion of Washington State and northern Oregon. The volcano retains its standing as the most active in the 48 contiguous states.
Roughly 4 million residents live in five of the seven largest cities in Washington State, all located around the Puget Sound. These cities include: Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, Federal Way, and Bellevue. Other population centers are located north towards the Canadian border. With a few exceptions, towns in the Cascade Range and the Olympic Peninsula are few, far between, and quite small.
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