A Local’s Tourism Guide Through Washington
River Recreation is your go-to place for all things Washington whitewater rafting, but we love Washington so much that we’ve even put together our very own Washington state tourism guide.
From Seattle’s skylines to Leavenworth’s beauty, Washington state offers a wide variety of activities to do, such as going hiking in Mt. Rainier National Forest or watching the killer whales off the coast of Port Angeles. Seattle’s amazing attractions like Pike Place Market and the Space Needle are great, but don’t forget to venture beyond the boundaries of the Emerald City, or you’ll miss out on what else we have to recommend in our Washington state tourism guide!
But before we get into the rest of our Washington state tourism guide recommendations, let’s talk about Washington’s weather so that you know what to prepare for. Between the wet rainforest of the Olympia Peninsula and the arid desert climate of Central and Eastern Washington, approximately 1/3 of the state is wet, and the other 2/3 stays dry.
The moisture that everyone so commonly relates Seattle to is brought to us by the “jetstream”, or moist air from the Pacific Ocean. This moist air from the Pacific Ocean hist Washington state from West to East. As the air approaches Western Washington, the moisture is dropped in Western Washington as rain. As the rain clouds move East, they drop almost all of their moisture to ascend the Cascade mountains. Once these clouds rain over the Cascade mountains, they drop into the Central Washington valleys and soon dissipate, giving the Central and Eastern Washington its dry, desert-like climate. Western Washington is mostly rainy, but Central and Eastern Washington is much drier and perfect for outdoor recreations, such as Wenatchee river rafting.
Because of its diverse weather patterns, you may have to make a couple of trips to our great state just to complete our Washington state tourism guide!
Washington Tourism Guide Recommendations
- Go on a craft brew tour
- Have a Washington whitewater rafting adventure
- Ski or Snowboard down Mt. Baker
- Hike Mount Si in North Bend
- Take a hot air balloon ride in Snohomish
- Ride a jet boat or go whale watching in Puget Sound
- Explore Leavenworth, a charming little Bavarian-themes village east of Seattle
- Visit the country’s 3rd deepest lake, Lake Chelan
- Take a ferry ride to Orcas Island, Bainbridge Island, Friday Harbor, or San Juan Island
- Have a beach day at Ocean Shores, Golden Gardens, or Dungeness Spit
- Visit Spokane
- Take in the views of the Columbia River basin from Wenatchee
- Go on a Wenatchee River rafting adventure
- Explore the small-town charm of Ellensburg and Yakima
- Explore our favorite falls: Palouse Falls & Kettle Falls
- Take a quick drive across the border and visit Portland, Oregon
- Go on a hike or swim at the Columbia River Gorge
The Pacific Northwest is truly a one-of-a-kind place to come and vacation, and we hope our Washington State tourism guide inspires you to get out there and explore our beautiful and fun state.
The Washington whitewater rafting professionals here at River Recreation know Washington state inside and out. Besides taking tourists and locals alike for a Wenatchee river rafting or Skykomish river rafting adventure, we live here, and we’ve brought up our families and we recreate here year-round. Please feel free to contact us any time or email with any questions as we know all the great places to go and the must-do things to see.
Happy exploring!