Things to do / Travel Guide
For the outdoors aficionado, northwest Washington and the Cascades answers your prayers in terms of its outdoor recreational opportunities available. Whether you're looking for a place to hike, to bike, to kayak, or to fish, the region delivers with an abundant vengeance. This region is home to such greats as the Wonderland Trail, acclaimed as one of the greatest trails in the world, Mt. Rainier, the Cascades' highest, Lake Chelan, one of the world's deepest lakes, Puget Sound, a kayaker's delight, and much much more. Seattle, in particular, is a fantastic outdoors-oriented city, as you'll surely see - trails, parks, and waterways are numerous and fully taken advantage of by the city's inhabitants. Tacoma in this vein is similar.
Land-based Activities in Northwest Washington and the Cascades
John Muir called the Cascades America's Alps. After seeing these peaks you might find yourself in Switzerland referring to the “European Cascades!” Hike in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, perhaps around the Enchantments, lakes with lots of room to roam and notice the mountain goats. You can also try hiking in the Glacier Peak Wilderness, along Spider Gap, with green meadows and towering rock walls.
Then of course there's the Wonderland Trail, the 93-mile monster that loops around Mt. Rainier. Mt. Rainier happens to be the most glaciered peak in the lower 48 states, with 25 named glaciers blanketing its slopes. It's one of those mountains where, on account of its voluminous size and sheer number of faces, at every turn there's another striking view. Moreover, the meadows overflow with wildflowers, you'll meet old-growth forests, abundant wildlife crowds the scenery, waterfalls sparkle, and glaciers from the mountains come down to greet you.
For the rock climber, northwest Washington comes out a sure winner. The best places to climb in the region are the rocks surrounding Methow Valley, while Peshastin Pinnacles State Park was created exclusively for rock climbers. Its sandstone slabs and spires ascend over 200 feet into the air, for a unique climbing experience.
We haven't even mentioned the rainforests in Olympic National Park! These are virgin temperate rain forests, and, while they get 12-14 feet of rain per winter, the summers are usually dry and foggy. You'll come face to trunk with gigantic trees, like Douglas firs, hemlocks, and Sitka spruces, some of which are more than 200 feet tall. There are a number of short hiking trails, Hurricane Ridge being one of the most popular and arguably the most picturesque, to give you an involved feel for the forest and the wildlife. When you're finished with the rainforest, make your way up to the peaks of the Olympus Mountains for glacier hiking - Mt. Olympus itself sports a 10-square-mile glacier.
There are an amazing number of trails in northwest Washington and the Cascades, and though you'll never traverse even the half of them, or the quarter, your experience will be that much more heightened by every one you tackle.
While hiking provides so many enjoyable possibilities, biking provides quite a lot, too. The region's two major cities, Seattle and Tacoma, are both very bikeable, owing to their hilly nature and the persistent views of mountains and the region's waters. For precisely these reasons, cycling the Burke-Gilman Trail in Seattle is an excellent way to start your biking vacation.
Looking for a route to explore the Cascades by bike? Look no further than the North Cascades Highway, a bike-friendly road that twists and switchbacks to reveal stupendous waterfalls and glorious mountains. Methow Valley offers a multitude of routes, and just west of Lake Chelan, it's known as a biking mecca. Lake Chelan itself provides an excellent route, circumnavigating the long, narrow lake surrounded by mountains.
Water Activities in Northwest Washington and the Cascades
Back near outdoorsy Seattle, Puget Sound is filled with thousands of inlets and islands, and the kayaking possibilities are practically endless. Kayak from island to island among the San Juan Islands, fish in Olympic National Park, and dive at the artificial reef called Saltwater.
With regard to the kayaking, the rocky cliff shoreline of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, in particular Freshwater Bay, is a favorite among local kayakers. There's a distinct possibility you'll see seals, otters, bald eagles, and even whales! Further north, you may see more of these sea creatures, as well as dolphins and sea lions, while paddling among the San Juan Islands. There are 450 islands to explore in this archipelago, and, to give you an idea of their isolation, only around 70 are at all inhabited.
Those San Juan Islands pop up again when it comes to fishing. These hilly islands are the perfect place to cast a line and lift a salmon, bass, halibut, or lingcod, either from shore or by wading in to the shallow water between the islands. Back to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Neah Bay is considered by many as the best place to go saltwater fishing in the continental U.S. Then inland, Olympus National Park is known for great freshwater fishing in its pristinely isolated streams and lakes. Both the inland and coastal waters of the Olympic National Park are “salmon country.” In particular, kokanee salmon, as well as steelhead and rainbow trout, are in plentiful supply.
After so much play on the water's surface, aren't you interested in a look beneath the surface? Quite possibly the best place to go scuba diving is the artificial reef at Saltwater State Park, near Seattle. One of the best places to go scuba diving in the waters around the Olympic Peninsula is near the town of Sekiu, a small fishing town on the Olympic Peninsula. Among the views are underwater rock formations loaded with marine life, including extensive kelp beds, large fish such as trout and salmon, as well as scallops, Dungeness crab, octopus, sea urchins, and moon snails.
Northwest Washington and the Cascades from Season to Season
In the wintertime, the region's scene turns to skiing, naturally, on account of the high and mighty Cascades and the strong snowfalls bombarding them. More than a dozen ski resorts pepper the mountains, a number at Snoqualmie, more at Methow Valley, and there's also cross-country skiing, and other ski resorts scattered around. Many of the runs start at over 5,500 feet above sea level, and some stretch as long as 10,000 feet. Not for nothing have the Cascades region earned the nickname “American's Alps.”
Fast-forward to spring-fall, and northwest Washington provides the perfect setting for a vacation centered around green; golf courses that is. Golf is a celebrated sport in the region, particularly along Puget Sound's shores. That means that no matter where you are on the sound, you can have some first-rate golf games amidst fantastic scenery and wildlife. At the Canadian border, Semiahmoo is well-noted for its wildlife, while Washington National, near Tacoma, is a course everyone can enjoy.
What stands out about northwest Washington and the Cascades is its plentiful supply of water (indeed, it seems to be surrounded by the stuff!), from Puget Sound with all its islands, to the hundreds of lakes in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, and from the chasmic Lake Chelan to the crowning glaciers atop Mt. Rainier and Mt. Olympus. This region is a wonderland in which to enjoy a water-based vacation experience, with plenty of land-based activities to boot.
Outdoor Recreation in Seattle, Tacoma, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier, Washington and The Cascades
Outdoor-Sports-Recreation
Spencer Spit State Park Beach - Lopez Island, Washington
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