Outdoor Recreation

National Parks & Monuments:

Mt. Rainier National Park
North Cascades National Park
Olympic National Park
Mt. St. Helens

In City :

Burke-Gilman Trail
"I commute by bike on this trail most days, as do many other people in the department. Designed by Olmsted (the same guy who did Central Park in New York), the trail is something like 25 miles long. A walk from the UW to Fremont is nice, with a stop at Gas Works Park. You can also bike all the way around the north end of Lake Washington" -- Bill Noble

"Aqua Verde Paddle Club, located right outside the K-wing, offers kayak rentals for $15/hr. You can paddle out to Lake Union or through the Montlake Cut to the Arboretum and Lake Washington." -- Bill Noble


Skiing / Snowboarding :

Crystal Mountain
Mt. Baker
Stevens Pass

Snoqualmie Pass
"There aren't many places where you can wake up on a Saturday and decide, "Hey, this seems like a good day to go skiing," and be on the slopes an hour and a half later. But you can do that in Seattle. Snoqualmie Pass is the closest ski area to Seattle, straight down I-90. While it's not Whistler or Tahoe, it's got some pretty good runs." -- Bill Noble

Whistler / Blackcomb
"Whistler BC is 4 hours away and has very excellent skiing, hiking, & accomodations" -- Mark Enstrom

Other Outdoor:

"No matter what, there is always sunshine two hours away. The Washington high desert provides stunning vistas of the Columbia River Gorge, fishing, rock climbing, hiking, sand-dune boarding(!), rock-hounding, etc. Rare is a place like this where humid forests, snow covered peaks, and parched desert lie one hour from each other. Yet here it is." -- Nathan Clark

Othello Sandhill Crane Festival: "Each year thousands of cranes flock to Othello for a few weeks. If one can't make to the festival itself, no one told the birds that the party was over, so they hang around a few more weeks--literally thousands of them. It's a thrill to see and hear them (sounds like purring cats)." -- Colleen Hogan-Taylor

"Many salmon/steelhead fishing opportunities exist in and around Seattle, including fly fishing for large fall-run chum salmon." -- Clem Furlong

National Forests :

Wenatchee National Forest
Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
Olympic National Forest

Other Outdoor Recreation Sites :

State Parks
Tide Tables
Ferry Schedule
Great Outdoor Recreation Pages: Washington
Mountain Pass Conditions