Washington Recreation Areas

There is more than politics going on in DC, there are as well many Washington Recreation Areas available for tourists. These include Washington State Parks such as Mount Rainier, North Cascades National Park and Olympic National Park. Mount Rainier is located in southeast Pierce County and northeast Lewis County, and it was established on March 2, 1899 as the fifth national park in the USA. It features the Wonderland Trail, a 90 plus mile hiking trail built in 1915. While the majority of visitors only traverse short sections, around 200 to 250 hikers complete the 10 to 14 days that the whole course requires.

North Cascades had the most glaciers of any US park besides Alaska, however, the warmer climate has been increasingly reducing them, so it is not a bad idea to visit it sooner than later. The Boston glacier is the largest of them all, followed by Redoubt, Nooksack, Sulphide, Challenger, Inspiration, McAllister and Neve. This park is a popular site among backpackers and mountain climbers, attracted to places like Cascade Pass, the North and South Picket Ranges, Mount Triumph, and Eldorado Peak. North Cascades is home to a varied fauna, including wolves, lynx, moose and wolverines, as well as several endangered species.

Olympic National Park is divided into four basic regions, the Pacific coastline, alpine areas, the west side temperate rain forest and the forests of the drier east side. This park has become both an International Biosphere Reserve, and a World Heritage Site. Since 1988 more than 90% of the park has been labeled as Olympic Wilderness, a protected area comprising 48 miles of Pacific Ocean coastline. Attractions include a network of hiking trails, a viewpoint called Hurricane Ridge, and rafting on the Elwha and Hoh Rivers. Backcountry skiing is yet another popular activity in this Washington state park.