Washington Attractions

Located in the Puget Sound Region, Mt. Rainier National Park is a beautiful landscape of mountains, massive glaciers, forested valleys, rainforest, alpine meadows, mountain streams, scenic trails, and historic buildings. Discover a rainforest, listen to a glacier crack, and watch clouds shadow the mountain peak. Hike the Wonderland Trail and Paradise Glacier Basin trail through forests, streams, and meadows to alpine slopes, glaciers, and tundra. At 14,410 feet, Mt. Rainier is the highest volcano peak in the Cascade Range.  [Top]

Surrounded by the natural beauty of the Columbia River and the geological wonders of the stunning coulee walls, Grand Coulee Dam is Washington State’s recreational playground. Enjoy fishing, boating, swimming, waterskiing, and kayaking on Grand Coulee Dam, Banks Lake, Lake Roosevelt, and Lake Rufus Woods. Savor sunsets on the magnificent Coulee Walls and see the brilliant laser light show on the face of Grand Coulee Dam.  [Top]

A wilderness sanctuary, Olympic National Park is endowed with nature. Discover Pacific Ocean beaches, rainforest valleys, old growth forests, wild meadows, glacier-capped peaks and a diversity of animals and plants. With 922,000 acres, Olympic National Park is a magnificent destination for hiking, backpacking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Explore the trails of Hurricane Ridge and Hoh Rain Forest, walk the shores of Crescent Lake, or watch sunsets at Rialto Beach, with pounding waves and views of offshore islands.  [Top]

Enjoy a relaxing coastal vacation at Ocean Shores, a 6-mile long peninsula that extends into the Pacific Ocean. Go boating, fishing and whale watching in the ocean, or launch into Duck Lake. Bike along picturesque coastal roadways, enjoy bird watching at Damon Point State Park, tee off on Ocean Shores Golf Course, and enjoy waterfront shopping and dining. The Ocean County Conference Center is the only oceanside meeting facility in Washington.  [Top]

Mount St. Helens is an active volcano that erupted in 1980 and blasted the forest and landscape for hundreds of miles with rock and volcanic ash. Explore the 110,000-acre Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, enjoy activities like hiking, mountain climbing, and fishing, and learn about the mountain’s volcanic activity. Check out Johnston Ridge Observatory and Visitors Center near Castle Rock and see the crater by telescope and dramatic films and exhibits on the eruption that shook Washington.  [Top]

A vibrant city for culture and art, Seattle boasts exciting attractions, including the landmark Space Needle with spectacular skyline views. The Seattle Center is an urban complex with cultural attractions, entertainment venues, museums, sports arenas, festivals, and restaurants. Catch a Seattle Storm basketball game at KeyArena. See dinosaurs at the Pacific Science Center, and music exhibits at Experience Music Project. Ride the coasters at Fun Forest Amusement Park.  [Top]

Hugging the Washington coastline for 100 miles from Stanwood to Olympia, Puget Sound is a rich waterway for recreational pursuits, including fishing, kayaking, boating, whale watching, and hiking. Experience the Puget Sound with a ride on the Washington State Ferries, which offer spectacular views of the Seattle waterfront and snow-capped Mt. Rainier and the Olympic and Cascade ranges. The ferry system takes passengers to San Juan Islands, Blake Island, Vashon Island, Kitsap Peninsula, and Victoria, British Columbia.  [Top]

Fed by the glacial streams of the Cascade Mountains, Lake Chelan is a narrow, 50-mile-long natural lake in Northern Washington State. The lake is surrounded by snow-capped peaks, evergreens, rolling hills, apple orchards, wineries and the 62,000 acre Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. This recreation area is Washington’s leading recreation destination, a popular spot for boating, sailing, water-skiing, jet-skiing, kayaking, canoeing, and windsurfing.  [Top]

The cultural heart of Washington, Spokane is an exciting destination with beautiful scenery, parks, pristine lakes and rivers, museums, sports teams, golf courses, shopping, and wineries. Enjoy walking, running, biking and recreation at Spokane’s Riverfront Park and Centennial Trail along the Spokane River. Cross Spokane Falls by gondola, shop at downtown’s River Park Square and Davenport District, see a show at Spokane Civic Theater, and visit wineries and downtown tasting rooms.  [Top]

East of the Cascade Mountains, Washington Wine Country is blessed with several wine-growing regions with 200 wineries and vineyards. Columbia Valley AVA has 40 wineries that produce passionately crafted wines, such as Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Riesling. Beyond Seattle, Woodinville Wine Country is a charming haven with 40 wineries – from the historic Chateau St. Michelle to boutique wineries like Monolith.  [Top]

Among the top public universities in the nation, Washington State University offers world-class education in campuses in Pullman, Spokane, Tri-Cities and Vancouver. Students enjoy top-ranked undergraduate and graduate programs, research activities, musical and theater performances, arts exhibits and events. The broadcast program at the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication ranks among the top four in the country. Part of the Pac-10 Conference, the WSU Cougars boast successful athletic teams.  [Top]