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FirePhoinex290 t1_j82yok1 wrote

Incredible! I am planning on going on a trip to Washington this year, what month would you recommend going in to get the best of the “lush green, moist forest” scenery? So far my plan consists of about a week of hiking haha.

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digitalgadget t1_j830vlk wrote

If you want to go to Rainier etc then come in July. The roads aren't open until May usually and the flowers don't really start growing until June. By August the forest fires will cause visibility issues and possibly breathing problems depending where you go. September is lovely but it's shoulder season so expect some things to be closed for the season or shortened hours.

I also recommend St Helens if you have the time. Or drive scenic Highway 2 up north. See Leavenworth and Wenatchee while you're out there.

You can get "lush green" any time of year in the rainforests of the peninsula. Visit the Hoh and Hurricane Ridge. But of course they're called rainforests for a reason, the summer is the best time to avoid getting absolutely drenched your whole visit. And of course the coniferous forests of most of Western Washington are green year round on account of the evergreens.

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FirePhoinex290 t1_j84dlf8 wrote

Thank you so much, I didn’t even think about road closures. I am still in school so May through August is the only time I can travel, but it seems like there are a few good months to choose from within that bracket.

I have had the Hoh rainforest on my list for a long time, but I’ll have to check out Hurricane ridge. A scenic drive is also a good idea, I’ll see if I can fit it in. Thanks!

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CookieKeeperN2 t1_j84leip wrote

There is gonna be a shit tone amount of people on Rainier. If you do go there, go there on a weekday super early (like 6-7am). I highly suggest going up to Camp Muir if you are in decent shape. but check conditions before you go because you might need microspikes or crampons.

Olympic is huge. If you want to visit the Hoh and hurricane ridge, and hike, that is 2 whole days of driving (not counting from Hoh back to Seattle). Olympic is a must visit.

Instead of Mt St Helens (which you can't hike to the peak without a permit), consider parts of the Cascades that's closer to Seattle. All NFs in Washington are amazing. North Cascades NP is absolutely heaven if you are into alpine views. Of course there is always the Enchantment. If you are in super shape the doing that in a day (backpacking permit is a tough lottery) might be one of the best day hike in the US.

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FirePhoinex290 t1_j89dr2d wrote

Good point, I plan on starting hikes early. I don’t have any experience with backpacking so I’ll stick to day hikes, but Olympic is definitely on my list. Thank you!

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riannaearl t1_j837b14 wrote

Don't sleep on the north cascades highway (hwy 20) drive to the Methow Valley on the east side of the cascades. The drive through the mountains is really beautiful and scenic. Winthrop and Twisp are pretty awesome little towns. Plenty of cabins and camp sites available in the area. Great hiking, fishing, backpacking, rafting.. it's a pretty sweet place with really great restaurants and a cute little brewery. Imo, late May, early June is the best time to visit. Most of the snow has melted by then. There's minimal fire danger, and it's shorts and t shirt weather. Definitely recommend.

Edit: letters

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FirePhoinex290 t1_j84fojq wrote

Will do, thank you for all the recommendations. Is highway 20 dangerous because of falling rocks, or something else? Late May/early June seems like the best time for me to go anyway, I’m glad I’ll get the best of the scenery at that time.

Just curious, what do you define short/t-shirt weather as? I’m from Colorado where short weather ranges from 35° to 110°F haha.

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FaolanG t1_j84ommb wrote

That’s about right for here. The only thing to remember is that WA is very wet, so the 35 doesn’t always feel like 35, even up north it can feel a lot colder and it’s important to have good rain gear in case, especially in May/June.

Everyone has mentioned the northern part of the state, but this picture is from the southern part of WA (this river enters the Columbia which is the border between WA and OR). If you’re time limited I recommend the norther part of the state as well, but if you like to mtb our area is amazing and we have Bend not to far.

White Salmon is known to be “where the sunshine meets the rain.” Our town is green and looks like everything that is Cascades west in the state, but a ten minute drive east and the entire environment changes to the eastern parts high desert/arid vibe with tans and browns. The Gorge is a deep scar through plains that roll all the way to Idaho and there are tons of areas beautiful in their own, different flavor from the west. It’s rad because almost anytime if the rain is getting to me I can drive east and boom, here comes the sun baby :).

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riannaearl t1_j852z8r wrote

Yes! 100% everything you said!!! Little white is gorgeous! My friend had her Bachelorette party there, and we rafted down LWSR, had drinks and food in hood river at pFriem, got an airbnb in Carson.. man it was amazing.

Then I had the opportunity to visit the area again in October when I was picking up salmon eggs from the Carson national fish hatchery. I really love it down there. It's really beautiful.

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FirePhoinex290 t1_j89e7g9 wrote

Good point, thank you! I’ve lived in dry areas my whole life so I’m not sure how I’ll handle a wet summer haha. I am traveling from a state south of you guys, so visiting southern locations then working up to the northern half will be easy.

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FaolanG t1_j8a38gh wrote

Eh it isn’t too bad but the June gloom thing is real, especially up north. Just have good gear and you’ll be fine. Everyone makes fun of how we all wear hardcore outdoor brands up here but gear opens this region up to be enjoyable year round.

Example: we skied this morning and now to mtb. I’m two months we get the option for the coveted three sport day: ski, mtb, kite or whatever your pleasure is!

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riannaearl t1_j85k0ek wrote

Highway 20 is closed during the winter due to avalanche danger. And yes, shorts weather is about that degree range over here. The west side of the cascades, I'd say probably 50° on the low end just because of the humidity. The east side is dryer, so shorts weather is more of what you're accustomed to over here. The entire state is incredibly geologically diverse, from the rain forests on the peninsula, to the San Juan Islands and puget sound, the cascades range, to the channeled scablands in the central part of the state, awesome forests in the NE corner, down to the walla walla Valley, blue mountains, and clarkston in the SE corner, which is the gateway to hells canyon. There is a LOT to check out here! :)

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FirePhoinex290 t1_j89beu0 wrote

Makes sense, I’m really interested to see how I’ll handle humidity. I’ve lived in dry places my whole life and have only visited southern states in the winter, so I’ve never experienced summer humidity before.

That’s awesome, I’d didn’t realize how diverse the ecosystem was there. I’ll see if I can extend my trip a bit longer to cover more area, thank you for the help.

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riannaearl t1_j89mc1u wrote

No problem! Happy to help. The humidity isn't crazy like pea soup air you hear about in the south, but it definitely can make the cold get down to your bones if it's chilly out.

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upstateduck t1_j85zk38 wrote

if you go that way you will be within an hour of Dry Falls State Park which is worth an overnight, especially if it is around the new moon/dark skies

The campground is in a box canyon that obscures light pollution and makes it like stargazing from the bottom of a well. The stars are visible clear to the horizon

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FirePhoinex290 t1_j89bj2d wrote

Sounds amazing, I’ll see if I can fit that in!

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upstateduck t1_j89wamn wrote

we took a 75 day trip with a camp trailer and followed the Columbia River from the Gorge to it's headwaters in BC. The night we spent at Dry Falls was a highlight that we hit by accident

It happened to be a new/late rising moon and half the campground was folks with huge telescopes who let us look at what they were focussing on. Very cool

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