The State of Washington is one of the most amazing states of the United States. Its diversity is simply incredible. The awe inspiring beauty of Washington State mountains, the loveliness of its valleys and grandeur of the majestic Pacific Ocean, splendid forests and fascinating alpine lakes provide the countless opportunities for the visitors and residents of the state to experience nature. And various parks, gardens, resorts, numerous attractions and historical sites allow to counterchange the recreation time. Where else is it possible to go skiing in the morning and to laze away sunbathing on a secluded beach?
One of the most popular and visited regions of the Washington State is Olympic Peninsula, and no wonder why. The Pacific Ocean coast with wonderful beaches and miles of coastal trails, remarkable Olympic Mountains with stunning views and some areas still not explored and astonishing rainforests between them, among which is the ancient Hoh Rainforest, which is the largest temperate rainforest on the continental part of the US, are just some of the attractions of this scenic region.
And of course one of the main appeals of the coastal part of the Olympic Peninsula region is unbelievably beautiful sunsets painting everything with fabulous colors.
The part of the Cascade Range, running through the State of Washington, is divided into three regions: North Cascades, Central Cascades and South Cascades. Each of these regions is exceptional, with its own unique natural attractions and places of prominence. Striking mountain peaks, marvelous alpine lakes, enchanting river valleys and of course numerous trails allowing to explore these regions, opening the most breathtaking views for the hikers, will be forever imbedded into your memory.
Mount Rainier is a unique natural feature of the State of Washington. Being the highest mountain and number three mountain in the list of American ultra-prominent mountain peaks, this amazing natural giant (which has 14, 410 feet at its highest point) on a day with clear sunny weather can be well seen from such remote places as Portland, Oregon State or even from Vancouver Island, Canada.
Mount Rainier is a center of Mount Rainier National Park, located partially in Pierce County and partially in Lewis County, and comprising the territory of almost 370 square miles. The Mount Rainier region is well-known for its unique plant and animal life. Pristine forests covering the hills and ridges of the mountain, fascinating alpine meadows, hundreds of mountain rivers, streams and of course the enchanting alpine lakes, numerous campgrounds and great skiing possibilities, offered by Mount Rainier region, attract millions of tourists every year. Because of such a variety of entertainment options the tourist flow doesn’t subside at any season.
The Puget Sound and Islands Region contains the coastal area of Puget Sound, Puget Sound Lowlands located to the west from the Cascades and to the west from the Olympic Mountains, and numerous islands of Puget Sound. The Puget Sound Lowlands are stretching south up to Olympia, the capital of Washington State.
This is the most populated region of the state as three quarters of all the state’s population lives here.
Among the major cities, located at Puget Sound Region, are Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Bremerton and Everett.
This area is full of beautiful parks and recreation areas. Located on the coast, it has a wide range of water activities to offer to its visitors and residents, among which are rafting and kayaking, fishing and boating, swimming and whale-watching.
The territory of the Puget Sound and Islands Region has many various attractions, among which is the Deception Pass State Park, located on Whidbey Island near Oak Harbor. This is one of the most often visited parks in Washington. Occupying 4,134 acres of scenic territory, the park boasts of its beaches and numerous campgrounds, old growth forests and almost forty miles of walking trails, offering the visitors such recreation opportunities as horse riding, crabbing, fishing and clamming, wildlife watching and boating. Deception Pass State Park is a great place for a family outing.
Among the major attractions of the Puget Sound and Islands Region, are of course the sights of the city of Seattle. Not any tourist, being at this region, will miss visiting the Space Needle, Seattle Downtown, or the remarkable Seattle Waterfront area, full of parks and various objects worth seeing.
After driving approximately 25 miles (which will take you half an hour) from Seattle, you will reach the city of Snoqualmie, which, together with the surrounding territory, forms the Snoqualmie Region. The varied terrain of the Snoqualmie Region has been always attracting millions of tourists every year by its natural wonders and recreation opportunities. Snoqualmie Pass with numerous mountain chalets, ski resorts, miles of trails available for the hikers and climbers, offering snowmobiling and paragliding as some of its recreation possibilities; fascinating Snoqualmie Falls, which are not just one of the natural features of the region, but also an important spiritual and cultural place, enveloped by many legends and believes; thousands of acres of wilderness territories full of diverse animal and plant life – these are the main appeals of the Snoqualmie Region.
The Eastern Washington Region is a completely different experience than the western part of the state its central mountain part. The southeastern part of Washington State occupied by Columbia Plateau is considered to be the driest part of the state, but this fact doesn’t prevent this part of the Eastern Region to be the richest farmland in Washington State. Using a good irrigation system, the farmers of this area became one of the main producers of fruits, corn, wheat and other crops.
The Southeast Washington is also well-known for its wine growing. Having a lot of wineries, vineyards and cellars available for visiting, this territory is popular for “wine tourism”.
The northeastern part of the state is mostly occupied by the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Ranching and mining are the main occupations of this area.
Eastern Washington has a lot of scenic places and famous attractions. Among one of the most beautiful areas is the Palouse area with the Palouse Falls State Park, famous for its amazing Palouse Falls – a 200 high waterfall on Palouse River. The park is well-known not only for its spectacular views, but also for its remarkable geological prominence.
Spokane city, located on the border with Idaho State, is also a must-visit place of the Eastern Washington Region. A beautiful city is full of parks and gardens, among which are Nishinomiya Japanese Garden, Manito Park and Riverfront Park. The best time to visit this city is spring, when it is decorated with trees and flowers in blossom.
Each region of Washington State is unique and full of natural wonders, scenic views and various places of interest. Each of them is worthy not only of a visit, but of a thorough exploration.
- Baker River Trail Baker River Trail
- Beezley Hills Trail Beezley Hills Trail
- Berkeley Park Trail Berkeley Park Trail
- Blue Lake Trail Blue Lake Trail
- Burroughs Mountain Trail, Mount Rainier Area Burroughs Mountain Trail, Mount Rainier Area
- Cape Disappointment State Park Cape Disappointment State Park
- Cape Flattery Trail 2 Cape Flattery Trail 2
- Cape Flattery Trail Cape Flattery Trail
- Chain Lakes Trail, Mount Baker Area Chain Lakes Trail, Mount Baker Area
- Eightmile Lake Trail Eightmile Lake Trail
- Franklin Falls Trail Franklin Falls Trail
- Franklin Falls Franklin Falls
- Granite Mountain Trail Granite Mountain Trail
- Hall of Mosses Trail Hall of Mosses Trail
- Harry's Ridge Trail, Mt. St. Helens Harry's Ridge Trail, Mt. St. Helens
- Hoh Rainforest Hoh Rainforest
- Hummocks Trail, Mt. St. Helens Hummocks Trail, Mt. St. Helens
- Icicle Road, Leavenworth Icicle Road, Leavenworth
- Lake Lenore Caves Trail Lake Lenore Caves Trail
- Maple Pass Loop Trail 1 Maple Pass Loop Trail 1
- Maple Pass Loop Trail 2 Maple Pass Loop Trail 2
- Maple Pass Loop Trail 3 Maple Pass Loop Trail 3
- Mount Catherine Trail Mount Catherine Trail
- Mount Rainier National Park near Sunrise Campground Mount Rainier National Park near Sunrise Campground
- Mount Rainier National Park, Paradise Area Mount Rainier National Park, Paradise Area
- Mount Rainier National Park Mount Rainier National Park
- Mount Shuksan, Artist Point Mount Shuksan, Artist Point
- Mountain Home Road, Leavenworth Mountain Home Road, Leavenworth
- Nisqually Wildlife Refuge 2 Nisqually Wildlife Refuge 2
- Nisqually Wildlife Refuge 3 Nisqually Wildlife Refuge 3
- Nisqually Wildlife Refuge Nisqually Wildlife Refuge
- North Cascades Highway SR-20 North Cascades Highway SR-20
- North Bend Area, Snoqualmie Region North Bend Area, Snoqualmie Region
- Northrup Canyon Trail Northrup Canyon Trail
- Ozette Campground Ozette Campground
- Ozette Triangle Trail 1 Ozette Triangle Trail 1
- Ozette Triangle Trail 2 Ozette Triangle Trail 2
- Palisades Lakes Trail, Sunrise Area Palisades Lakes Trail, Sunrise Area
- Paradise Inn Paradise Inn
- Picture Lake Trail Picture Lake Trail
- Reflection Lakes Trail Reflection Lakes Trail
- Riverside State Park, Spokane Riverside State Park, Spokane
- Ruby Beach, Olympic Peninsula Ruby Beach, Olympic Peninsula
- Seattle Japanese Garden Seattle Japanese Garden
- Seattle Waterfront Seattle Waterfront
- Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
- Space Needle Space Needle
- Spencer Spit Trail 2 Spencer Spit Trail 2
- Spencer Spit Trail Spencer Spit Trail
- Spray Park Trail Spray Park Trail
- Steamboat Rock State Park Steamboat Rock State Park
- Steamboat Rock Trail Steamboat Rock Trail
- Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park
- Sunrise at Paradise Area, Mount Rainier NAtional Park Sunrise at Paradise Area, Mount Rainier NAtional Park
- Tolmie Peak Trail Tolmie Peak Trail
- View of Seattle from Alki Beach View of Seattle from Alki Beach
- Washington Park Arboretum Washington Park Arboretum
- Waterfront Park, Leavenworth 2 Waterfront Park, Leavenworth 2
- Waterfront Park, Leavenworth Waterfront Park, Leavenworth
- Wild Horses Monument, Columbia River Area Wild Horses Monument, Columbia River Area
- Yellow Aster Butte Trail 1 Yellow Aster Butte Trail 1
- Yellow Aster Butte Trail 2 Yellow Aster Butte Trail 2
- Yellow Aster Butte Trail 3 Yellow Aster Butte Trail 3
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