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🇺🇸 State · United States
Washington: forests, mist and volcanoes
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Wedged between the Pacific Ocean and the Cascades, Washington State packs in a rare diversity of landscapes. Seattle, its lively metropolis, unfolds the Space Needle, Pike Place Market and a famed coffee and music scene along Puget Sound. To the west, Olympic National Park juxtaposes moss-draped rainforests, wild beaches and snowcapped peaks. In the center, the Mount Rainier volcano dominates the skyline at 4,392 meters, ringed by flower-filled meadows in summer. To the north, the North Cascades line up jagged peaks and milky-blue glacial lakes. Between road trips across three national parks, old-growth forest hikes, winery tastings and the coastal sea mist, the state invites you to explore lush, ever-changing nature through the seasons.
In North Bend, Twede's Cafe plays the Double R Diner of Twin Peaks (1990), where Agent Cooper savors his famous slice of cherry pie.
Mount Rainier, an active volcano, carries twenty-six major glaciers, making it the most heavily glaciated peak in the contiguous US.
Near North Bend, see Snoqualmie Falls from the Twin Peaks credits; the Salish Lodge above them stood in for the Great Northern Hotel.
The best window runs from mid-July to September, when all mountain roads are open and trails are snow-free; the rest of the year, expect rain on the western side and seasonal closures, such as Highway 20 in the North Cascades. A car is essential: Seattle-Tacoma airport serves the three parks, each about a two-hour drive away. Pack waterproof layers. As for connectivity, mobile coverage is good around Seattle but turns patchy or absent in Olympic's rainforests, on Rainier's roads and in the Cascades backcountry: download maps and routes offline before leaving the city.