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Washington

The Cascade Range divides Washington into western and eastern halves, which differ considerably in climate and topography. Western ecosystems vary from coastal areas to moist forests; eastern ecosystems range from pine woods to dry grass-and-brush steppes, from deep river valleys to lakes and marshes. Curiously, the hot-summer "dry" east side has more wetlands and marshes than the cool-summer "wet" west side of the state. Both sections have alpine fells, which on the east side have two timberlines: one on the upper slopes (where forests are restricted by the heavy snows and frosts of an alpine climate), and another on the lower slopes (where tree growth is limited by lack of moisture).

Eastern Washington

The Columbia Plateau was created by a series of lava flows that were later deeply cut by glacial floods. Because its soil is mostly... (more)

Mount Rainier National Park

Mt. Rainier is the focal point of this 337-square-mi national park. The Nisqually entrance brings you into the southwest corner... (more)

North Cascades National Park

The park rises upward from the massive Cascade ranges seen northeast of Seattle, widening in a swath of snow-covered peaks all... (more)

Northwestern Washington

In the northwestern lowlands between the Snohomish River and the Canadian border you're never far from saltwater or mountains... (more)

Olympic National Park

The Olympic peninsula's elegant snowcapped and forested landscape is edged on all sides by water: to the north, the Strait of... (more)

The Olympic Peninsula

Wilderness covers much of the rugged Olympic Peninsula, the westernmost corner of the continental United States. Its heart of... (more)

The San Juan Islands

The coastal waters of the Pacific Northwest, between mainland Washington and Vancouver Island, contain hundreds of islands, some... (more)

Seattle

Seattle residents practically ignore their terrific city. They're that obsessed with the outdoors, mountain hiking to the north... (more)

Seattle Environs

Seattle and its surrounding suburbs form a metropolis that stretches from Arlington in the north to Olympia in the south, and... (more)

Southwestern Washington

With volcanic peaks to the northeast, the Columbia River Gorge to the southeast, and sandy beaches along the Pacific shore, southwestern... (more)

Yakima River Valley

The Yakima River binds a region of great contrasts. Snow-capped volcanic peaks and golden hills overlook a natural grass steppe... (more)