When to Go

There’s no doubt about it, there is nothing so sublime as late summer in Washington, particularly the month of August. During this time, visitors have the best chance of catching sunshine throughout the state, even in rainy Puget Sound. All of the snow has usually melted from mountain trails by then, replaced by blossoms kissing the alpine meadows. And hot Eastern Washington beckons sun lizards looking to hang out by its innumerable lakes under the late afternoon light.

Of course, other times of year bring their own joys. In spring, the tulips burst forth in the Skagit Valley [1] and hearty rhododendron blossoms explode from seemingly every street-side bush in the Puget Sound [2].

In much of Washington, fall is harvest time. Take a drive along the back roads of the Palouse hills in Eastern Washington to see farmers working away at the golden sea of wheat or tour wine country during the grape harvest to see what it takes to perfect those vintages. This is also one of the most dramatic times to watch the surf pound the ocean along the coast or revel in the water dripping off the Olympic rainforest leaves.

And though the drizzle descends pretty unceasingly onto the Puget Sound in winter, the season is far from gloomy to those willing to strap on skis or snowshoes. The Cascade mountain range is painted white each year, easily reachable in as little as a half hour from Seattle. If that isn’t your thing, this is the also the perfect time to huddle up in a Seattle [3] coffee shop and enjoy the museums around the region.