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Washington
Curated by Our Guild Explorers · Updated August 2026
The Evergreen State · Capital: Olympia · The West
Rainforests, volcanoes and the coffee-and-water city of Seattle.
Why go
What makes Washington worth the trip.
Three national parks
Mount Rainier, Olympic and North Cascades.
Seattle
Pike Place, the Space Needle and Puget Sound.
Islands & rainforest
The San Juans and the Hoh's mossy green.
Washington on the map
The capital and the places worth building a trip around. Click a marker for a quick note and hotels.
Washington — State Facts
A short history
Washington State's Pacific coast and Puget Sound have been home to Coast Salish nations such as the Duwamish, Suquamish, and Lummi for thousands of years, sustained by salmon runs and cedar forests. British and American fur-trading interests overlapped here in the 19th century until an 1846 treaty fixed the border at the 49th parallel, leaving the region firmly American.
Washington became a U.S. territory in 1853 and the 42nd state in 1889, its growth driven by timber, fishing, and the transcontinental railway's arrival in Tacoma and Seattle. The Klondike Gold Rush turned Seattle into a boomtown supply hub, and the 20th century brought Boeing's aircraft industry and, later, Microsoft and Amazon, cementing the Puget Sound region as a global technology centre.
Beyond Seattle's skyline, the state remains defined by dramatic geography: volcanic Mount Rainier, the temperate rainforests of the Olympic Peninsula, and the dry wine country east of the Cascades around Yakima and Walla Walla. Washington's economy today spans aerospace, software, agriculture, and a maritime trade relationship anchored by its deep-water ports.
Mount Rainier is an active volcano, and its glaciers make it the most heavily glaciated peak in the lower 48, which is part of why those wildflower meadows below it are so lush come summer. Seattle's Pike Place Market opened in 1907 to let farmers sell straight to shoppers, cutting out the middlemen, and it's been going strong ever since.
Where to go
The signature places to build a trip around.
Olympia
The state's compact capital on the southern reach of Puget Sound, with a domed 1928 legislative building.
Selected hotels
Seattle
Pike Place Market, the waterfront and ferries.
Selected hotels
Mount Rainier National Park
Wildflower meadows below a glaciered peak.
Selected hotels
Olympic National Park
Rainforest, coast and alpine in one park.
Selected hotels
San Juan Islands
Orca-watching from a ferry-linked archipelago.
Selected hotels
Go to Olympic National Park in shoulder season, spring or fall, when the rainforest trails are quiet and the coast fog rolls in just right. And for the San Juans, take the early ferry out of Anacortes, the orca sightings and the empty decks are worth the alarm clock.
When to go
July–September is driest; the rest of the year is famously wet.
Winter (Dec–Feb)
Grey and wet in Seattle; snow piles up in the Cascades for skiing at Crystal Mountain and Stevens Pass.
Spring (Mar–May)
Rain gradually eases; tulip fields bloom in the Skagit Valley in April.
Summer (Jun–Aug)
The driest, sunniest stretch — ideal for the San Juans, national parks, and hiking.
Autumn (Sep–Nov)
September is often gorgeous and dry, then rains return with fall colour in the mountains.
Washington FAQ
What is the capital of Washington?
Olympia is the capital of Washington.
What is the largest city in Washington?
Seattle is the largest city in Washington.
When did Washington become a state?
Washington became the 42nd U.S. state on November 11, 1889.
What is Washington known for?
Washington is known for rainforests, volcanoes and the coffee-and-water city of Seattle.
When is the best time to visit Washington?
July–September is driest; the rest of the year is famously wet.
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