Where to begin for Washington State…There are so many things I want to share with you all about my favorite state. Before moving to Washington for my 5-month contract I knew I was going to love it, but what I didn’t know was that Washington was going to change my life.
I am big on all things outdoors; hiking, paddle boarding, climbing, and being one with nature. The mountains are my happy place and all those activities fuel my soul. Washington provided me with an exponential amount of soul fuel. I’ve never felt more alive than I did during those 5 months. I will cherish the summer of 2023 for the rest of my life and I am so excited to share all of it with you!!
So let’s dive into Washington (pun intended) and see what all it has to offer.
CAPE FLATTERY
Cape Flattery is at the Northwesternmost tip of the continental U.S. This means we have officially been coast to coast as far as you can! (We visited the Northeasternmost tip in Maine back in 2020.) If this isn’t on your list of things to see when you’re in Washington, please add it! Yes, it is a little bit out of the way, but I promise it’s worth it.
To get to Cape Flattery Trail in Neah Bay, you can follow the directions listed here. The trail is on Makah Tribe land so you will have to pay a day pass fee upon entering. Check out their website to learn more about the Makah Tribe and the Cape People. The road will then lead you directly to the trailhead. Cape Flattery Trail is only about a mile and a half long and 200 ft of elevation gain on the way back. You’ll walk along an awesome boardwalk through the forest that leads you to multiple overlooks of the Pacific Coast. The entire time we felt as if we were walking through an enchanted forest that led to a mystical coast that no one knew about. It was absolutely magical and I can’t recommend visiting Cape Flattery enough!
HOH RAINFOREST
The HOH Rainforest is located in Forks, WA. The rainforest visitor center from Port Angeles is about a 2-hour drive. Even though the Rainforest is considered to be part of the Olympic National Park it is a bit of a drive to get there. However, it is definitely doable to see parts of the Olympic National Park, and the HOH Rainforest all in one day. You may just be driving for about ~8 hours~ give or take. It’s worth it though, trust me.
We visited the HOH Rainforest in July. The rainforest typically doesn’t get that much rain during the summer, but it was still beautiful! I would love to go back during the wet season to see just how green the rainforest can actually get, but as you can see it still looks pretty green! There are two main trails that you must do when you visit the rainforest, the Hall of Mosses Trail and the Spruce Nature Trail. These trails are both very short and easy. Perfect for a nice walk through the trees admiring the beauty around you.
LEAVENWORTH
If you want to be transported to Germany right here in the US, go to Leavenworth! And if you don’t, well then still go to Leavenworth because it’s the cutest town in Washington State! Leavenworth is located a few hours East of Seattle. It’s a beautiful drive through the Snoqualmie Forest, so it makes a day trip very bearable! I would suggest making a whole weekend out of it though.
Get up early and hike to Colchuck Lake. A hard out and back, 8.7 miles long with an elevation gain of 2,342 ft. Hopefully, you’ll get luckier than us and have a fog-free day, because this is one of the most scenic hikes in Washington. Regardless of the fog, we still enjoyed it! Except for when I jumped in and it was absolutely freezing. Worth it though. Next head into Leavenworth and check out their mountain coaster! Plan ahead to reserve your adventure park tickets! After you’ve coasted down the beautiful mountainside, go down to the main strip and enjoy a great Hefeweizen and Leavenworth’s best pretzel that’s bigger than your head at Rhein Haus. You won’t regret it.
MOUNT BAKER & SNOQUALMIE NATONAL FOREST
If you don’t want to deal with the crowds at all the National Parks in Washington, I would suggest hitting Mount Baker and Snoqualmie National Forest. Again, there are an endless amount of trails, great camping spots, beautiful lakes to paddle board on, and stunning mountain views in every direction. If you don’t already have an annual National Park Pass you could look into the annual Northwest Forest Pass. It won’t get you into the National Parks, but you will need it for most National Forest areas.
The thing that makes Washington extra special for me is the amount of alpine lakes that there are. I challenged myself to dive into as many lakes as I could during the 5 months that I spent there. I ended with 24! Some of my favorite lake dives in this area were Baker Lake, Kachess Lake, and Lake Serene.
MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK/FOREST
One reason my time in Washington State was so unbelievable was because every day (just about) I woke up and got to see this view. Mount Rainier in all its glory. Towering above all the surrounding mountains. Most times high above the clouds. We stayed at Rainier View RV Park (an incredible place to stay if you have an RV). We could open our RV shade and have a perfect view of the mountain. It never got old.
Mount Ranier National Park is an absolutely stunning park. There are many hiking trails of all expertise levels, lots of wildlife, towering evergreens, glaciers, and obviously magnificent views of the stunning volcano. Some of our favorite trails were Skyline Trail Loop, Summit Lake, Bench and Snow Lakes Trail, Tolmie Peak, and Mount Fremont Lookout Trail. There are an endless amount of trails to be traversed and I didn’t even make a dent. Although, I certainly tried.
Check out our post 6 of the Best Mount Rainier National Park Hikes to learn more about our favorite hikes!
NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK
North Cascades National Park is a tough one to beat! Look at those views!! This park sits just below the Canadian border and stretches over 500,000 acres! North Cascades has both a North and South area that contains beautiful mountain ranges, glaciers, lots of wildlife, and stunning views. We only spent two days here, but I think you could easily spend an entire week driving, paddle boarding, hiking, and sightseeing.
Our favorite hike of all time is in the South section; Cascade Pass and Shale Arm Trail. Most trails in the Cascades are going to be pretty difficult and this one was no exception. At 11.6 miles long with an elevation gain of 3,963 ft, this hike was unbeatable! From the views to the wildlife to the lake, every turn was absolutely stunning. Aside from this hike, we spent most of our time in the North section. We visited the visitor center (there is a great, easy, and short boardwalk that leads to an overlook) Diablo Lake, and drove Highway 20 where the views of the mountains never ended.
Due to recent fires, a lot of the areas were closed. Therefore, be sure to check in with the National Park Service to stay up to date on recent fire closures, bear sightings, and more.
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK
Olympic National Park is unlike most National Parks. The reason I say this is because it is so spread out. One minute you’re in the park, the next you’re in the National Forest, and so on. Olympic National Park also includes the HOH Rainforest and a lot of the coast, such as Ruby Beach. This makes the park very unique and interesting.
Because the Olympic National Park is so widespread it does make it difficult to see the park in a day, let alone a long weekend. However, it can be done if you only visit a few key spots in each location, such as Hurrican Ridge, Sol Duc Falls Trail & Hotsprings, Mount Storm King, Madison Falls Trail, Crescent Lake, the HOH Rainforest, and Ruby Beach. Phew. That is a lot. I would suggest splitting those up into multiple weekends to really appreciate each location, but if you’re strapped for time pick a few and start driving!
SEATTLE
Every once in a while we become city people. Not live in the city and be in the city 24/7, but live an hour from the city and visit once a month kind of people. It’s plenty of city for us, but we really enjoyed Seattle, Tacoma, and other neighboring towns. Obviously, the Public Market is a must-visit. It can be overwhelming, so just be prepared. But you have to buy some flowers, fresh fruit and vegetables, and of course watch them throw the fish! Once you’ve had all that you can handle, there are so many cute spots for coffee, lunch, and snacks! I would recommend Storyville Coffee, The Crumpet Shop for breakfast, and Matt’s in the Market for lunch. All so delicious and in the same building!
Another one of our favorite places was the waterfront in Ruston. Another great spot to walk around and shop, grab some ice cream before dinner and watch the boats go by. We really enjoyed Duke’s Seafood Restaurant and Wildfin Amerian Grill. Check it out and let us know what you think!
WASHINGTON STATE MUSHROOMS
Growing up in Missouri I’ve been mushroom hunting before. Every year we would go searching in the woods behind my house and try and find as many mushrooms as we could. Those mushrooms are completely different than the mushrooms I’ve been hunting while in Washington. And no…I’m not talking about those mushrooms…
Every hike we would go on we would point out all the interesting and cool mushrooms we could find. It was like a fun game that you couldn’t lose. They were everywhere!! So please enjoy a few of my favorite photos of mushrooms of the hundreds that I have on my phone.
WHALE WATCHING AROUND SAN JUAN ISLANDS
We can cross whale watching in Washington state off our bucket list! It was a phenomenal one too. We saw many whales, a family of orcas, and lots of sea lions! The tour we booked was the Puget Sound Express. I would highly recommend using them for a future booking. Not only was the boat itself perfect for whale watching, but the captain and tour guide were fun, and energetic, and provided great information! We departed our tour from Port Townsend, but they also depart from Port Angeles and the Seattle/Edmonds area. Any tour with Puget Sound Express would be great, but we loved Port Townsend! A quaint town with great local food, ice cream shops, bookstores, and more! The perfect location for a perfect day.
If you have time, book a ferry to any of the San Juan Islands. We’ve heard great things about them, but plan ahead because tickets go fast!
Washington State was a dream come true for me. I can’t wait to go back and explore the many trails that I have not already touched, but until then please let me know your favorites about Washington! Drop a comment below or email me directly. I would love to hear about your time in Washington State!