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How to Tide Pool in the Pacific Northwest
Tide pooling is an essential part of visiting the coast in the Pacific Northwest. If you can find a good location and visit at low tides, you’ll have hours of free entertainment on your hands. Below is everything you need to know to start tide pooling!
All You Need to Know About the Goldmyer Hot Springs
Goldmyer Hot Springs was everything we hoped for and more. It’s a natural geothermal hot spring cared for by the Northwest Wilderness Programs, a nonprofit organization established in 1976 to protect this area. The hot springs are so idyllic that soaking there felt like a dream. Move this activity to the top of your Pacific Northwest bucket list!
DIY Food Tour of Pike Place Market (From Locals)
Pike Place Market has over 200 vendors and countless options for good eats. We love the variety of food the market offers, and that a food tour is something everyone can enjoy. Since the market is indoors, it’s a great activity regardless of the weather.
Winthrop Hot Air Balloon Festival
Taking place over the first weekend of March each year, the Winthrop Balloon Roundup makes for the perfect winter weekend getaway. Winthrop is four hours from Seattle, located at the base of the North Cascades National Park on the eastern side of the mountains. It has extremely beautiful scenery, a western theme in town, and tons of activities to fill your time between the ballooning festivities.
Washington State Backpacking Permits Explained
Permits have never meant to be a barrier to entry, but we know first-hand that they can be confusing and difficult to secure. We can’t help how quickly permits sell out, but we hope this blog clears up details making backpacking more accessible to all.
How to Backpack the Enchantments in Washington
Backpacking in the Enchantments is a highly coveted privilege. It’s full of some of Washington’s best scenery, including alpine lakes, beautiful waterfalls, rugged peaks, and larches. To help preserve the environment, there is a permit lottery to backpack, and the area is regularly patrolled by rangers.
Mount Rainier Timed Entry Reservations Explained
Mount Rainier National Park is piloting timed entry requirements in 2024. Due to a heavy increase in visitation and damage to park ecosystems, the park is hoping timed reservations will improve the visitor experience by reducing traffic, waiting times, and negative impacts on trails.
Whale Watching in Oregon (How, When, and Where)
Whale watching is fun and free! We love that it’s easily accessible — you can choose between stopping to search for whales at various roadside pullouts, beaches, viewpoints, or lighthouses, and even take your chances on a hike. Knowing where, when, and what to look for is key to having a great experience.
How to Hike in the Rain
Ready to embrace the rainy season? Say goodbye to crowded trails and fair-weather hikers! Hiking in the rain may take a bit more effort, and often motivation, than in dry weather, but it’s so rewarding.
21 Spooky Hikes in Washington
From ghost towns and historic military forts to Sasquatch and ghost sightings, Washington has plenty of spooky trails to keep you on your toes this fall.
Columbia River Gorge: Top Hikes, Waterfalls, and More
The Columbia River Gorge is a treasured part of the Pacific Northwest. Visit to find iconic waterfalls, beautiful views, adorable towns, and great hiking and biking trails. While it’s not a national park, it was one of the very first federally protected national scenic areas and the very first scenic byway. It’s incredibly gorgeous and is the perfect destination for a quick road trip or extended weekend getaway.
Best Hikes at Mount Rainier (And Why We Like Them)
With over 250 miles of hiking trails featuring waterfalls, forests, rivers, and of course, incredible mountain views, visiting Mount Rainier National Park should be on every hiker’s bucket list.
12 Best Milkshakes in Washington
Two of our goals in life are to adventure hard and eat well. So far, all our blogs have been about the adventure side, but not today! This post is all about the best milkshakes in Washington.
Olympic National Park: Best Hikes, Itinerary, and Sights
Covering 922,641 acres, the Olympic National Park is so large and diverse! The park has seven distinct ecosystems, including glaciated mountains, rainforest, and the coast. There is something for everyone to enjoy here, and there is so much to see. We recommend staying between two and seven days near the park.
The Ultimate Cascade Loop Itinerary
The Cascade Loop is a 440-mile road trip through some of Washington’s most gorgeous scenery. As it circles through the Cascade Mountains, it’s the best way to explore the North Cascades National Park. This trip can be completed in one to five days, with epic hikes, waterfalls, and cute towns along the way.
Mount St. Helens Activities
Mount St. Helens is an incredible, and dare we say, underrated area. The volcano has erupted more frequently than any other volcano in the Cascade Range – most recently in 1980, when the blast and record-breaking landslide drastically changed the landscape. Over the years, the landscape has come back to life. Now, you can relive the eruption at visitor centers, view active seismographs, climb the mountain, and laze about rivers in the area.
How to Train to Climb Mount St. Helens
Climbing Mount St. Helens is by permit only, but between July and September, the climb doesn’t require technical mountain climbing skills. That means that if you can hike long, steep, distances and snag a permit, you can summit this active volcano!
How to Backpack to Stehekin
When we returned from backpacking the Chelan Lakeshore Trail to Stehekin and claimed it was our favorite place we’ve ever been in Washington, it raised eyebrows — it’s a bold statement coming from us!
50 Best Spring Hikes in Washington
Spring can be a difficult time to find safe and enjoyable hikes in the Pacific Northwest— roads and trails at higher elevations haven’t melted out yet and it can still be rainy in the lowlands, but there are plenty of beautiful things to see! This list shares where you’ll find the best spring wildflowers, waterfalls, trails that are free of avalanche danger, and hikes with the highest odds of sunny weather.
Best Hikes in Washington (According to Locals)
As local Washingtonians, we’ve hiked more than 100 trails in the state, and we’ve narrowed down some of our favorites! This list has all the details you need to know about each trail, including which passes are needed to seasonal availability. Grab your boots and get hiking!
