Mount Rainier
Start with a waterfall. Stay for the mountain.
Open this guide →
WTDO · WASHINGTON FIELD GUIDE
Rainforest. Ferry. Volcano. Your call.
Cross from salt air to rainforest to glaciated peaks. Pick one landscape for the day and give it room to surprise you.
The way in
Choose a feeling, then follow it.
Cross from salt air to rainforest to glaciated peaks. Pick one landscape for the day and give it room to surprise you. Start with Seattle’s waterfront and neighborhoods; save a second day for a ferry or a park. Explore more local ideas ↗
Tap a scene
Four stories. One state.
Each photo leads to a full guide. Choose one now; the others can wait for another trip.
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Mount Rainier
Start with a waterfall. Stay for the mountain.
Enter through an open park entrance and choose a short trail that matches conditions.
Explore this place →Photo: NPS Photo / Steve Redman · NPS source ↗Choose a direction
Tap a place on the map.
Every marker opens a different story. Switch to snowfall to compare the two NOAA climate stations.
Outline: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 cartographic boundary files. Points show guide starting areas and NOAA stations.
NOAA 1991–2020 · monthly normals
What does the year feel like?
Pick a station, then switch between temperature, rain, and snowfall. Mountains and cities can feel like different states.
Seattle–Tacoma Airport · average temperatureMonthly mean °F
NOAA station data ↗Jan42.8°Feb44°Mar47.1°Apr51.3°May57.5°Jun62°Jul67.1°Aug67.4°Sep62.6°Oct53.8°Nov46.5°Dec42°
No monthly snowfall normal is published for this station. Choose the other station to compare snow.
Show all 12 monthly values
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 42.8 | 44 | 47.1 | 51.3 | 57.5 | 62 | 67.1 | 67.4 | 62.6 | 53.8 | 46.5 | 42 |
Normal = 1991–2020 average at the named NOAA station. Snowfall is new snow over a month, not snow currently on the ground. A blank NOAA snow series is shown as unavailable, never as zero. See current NOAA snow depth ↗
A reason to return
What would you do this time of year?
Seasonal starting points, not event dates. The official calendar stays current as the year changes.
FALL / WASHINGTON
Fall · pair quiet coastal stops with city food and changing forest color.
See this year's events and dates ↗A story worth understanding
The place has a past.
Seattle supplied prospectors heading to the Klondike Gold Rush; its historic district now helps tell that story.
Read the NPS interpretation ↗Your way through Washington
One good idea can become a whole trip.
Tell WTDO when you are going and what excites you. Start free and keep the route flexible.
Plan Washington freeGo from land to water.
Start with the departure area, then check the port or operator for current dates and ships.
Your next good stop.
Find published places to eat, stay, explore or rent something for the day. Own a business? Add your details and verify your business contact; paid promotion is optional.