Home to Mount Saint Helens and Mount Rainier, this state is absolutely beautiful with lush green forests in the west, the cascade mountains in the middle, and the inland farmland to the east. From Seattle in the northwest to Pullman in the southeast you’ll discover a land of contrasts. Bordered by British Columbia, Canada to the north, Idaho to the east, the Oregon to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west, Washington is part of the Pacific Northwest is named after the first president of the United States.

The capital of Washington is Olympia and the largest city is Seattle. Spokane is the major city in the eastern half of the state. The only rainforest in the United States is located in Washington on the Olympic Peninsula, one if the rainiest places in the world. To the east of the Cascade Mountains is flat semi-desert where you can go long distances without seeing a single tree. On clear days, you can see Mount Rainier on the horizon southeast of Seattle and Tacoma. The Columbia River runs along the state’s border with Oregon and the passageway through it known as the Columbia River Gorge.

Puget Sound and its Harbours give Washington a large role in trade with Alaska, Canada, and the Pacific Rim nations. Home to several islands, the largest ferry fleet in the United States is located in the Puget Sound. Many passenger cruises to Alaska also depart out of the Puget Sound from cruise terminals in the Seattle area.

Washington - US National Parks, Sights, and Recreation Areas

Washington is a great place to go hiking and camping. During winter, there are several ski areas up in the Cascade Range. The National Park service has many areas you may enjoy including:

Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve (Near Couperville)

Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (Vancouver)

Klondike Gold Rush Seattle Unit National Historic Park (Seattle)

Lake Chelan National Recreational Area (Near Stehekin)

Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area (Along the Columbia River)

Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail

Mount Rainier National Park

Nez Perce National Historical Park

North Cascades National Park (Near Marblemount)

Olympic National Park (Port Angeles)

Ross Lake National Recreation Area (Newhalem)

San Juan Island National Historic Park (In Friday Harbour)

Whitman Mission National Historic Site (Walla Walla)

Getting to and around Washington

The Cascade Mountain Range provides some unique transportation challenges. Washington has 7 major mountain passes and 8 minor passes. During the winter these passes are plowed and sanded, but not all are able to stay open through the winter because of significant snowfall and avalanche danger.

Interstate 5 runs north-south through Washington from Canada to Oregon while I-90 runs east-west through the state and into Idaho.

To reach Washington by Air, there is Seattle International Airport (SEA), Spokane Airport (GEG) in eastern Washington, and Portland International Airport (PDX) in Portland, Oregon, which borders the state of Washington. There are numerous regional airports such as Pullman Regional Airport (PUW) throughout the state serviced by Horizon Airlines, which is based out of Seattle. The regional airports make transportation around the state easier in the winter months while providing commercial air service to smaller communities.