9 Most Popular Things To Do In Washington State (2024)

Are you a Washingtonians with a huge ‘Bucket list’ of adventures to live? If yes, then for a lot of them, you might not even need to cross the borders of your State. Washington is a heaven for adventure lovers, outdoor enthusiasts, and individuals who want to try something exciting in their life. Your interest might lie in any kind of activity, and this Pacific Northwest state will offer opportunities for it all to you. From skiing or snowboarding, camping on the beach, going on challenging hikes, or getting lost into a moss forest, Washington is blessed with all kinds of tourism fun.

Washington is a little corner of the United States with unspoiled nature, remote gems, active volcanoes, rough terrain, rainforests, and whatnot. Whether you seek fun outdoors or are a nerd who loves exploring museums, your trip to Washington will never go disappointing. Wondering how? Here are all the best and must-try Washington State things that will enhance your vacation. Regardless of what your interests are, the list below has enough options to lure your interest.

9 Most Popular Things To Do In Washington State

Have a look:

1. When It Is Winters, Go For Skiing

Washington is known for its year-round recreation, with skiing being the highlight of winters. Since most of its mountains are packed with fresh powdery snow for months, skiing opportunities here come in abundance. Washington has several Skiing resorts, all of which offer family-friendly fun. Some of the best skiing spots in the State include,

• The Summit at Snoqualmie: It is the closest ski resort to Seattle, with almost 2,000 skiable acres and more than 100 designated downhill runs. It has four mountain bases, 20 chairlifts, and surface lifts and is ideal for skiers of all skill levels.
• The Crystal Mountain Resort: It comprises 2,600 skiable acres and is the largest ski resort in the State of Washington. It has over 80 designated runs, ten chairlifts, one eight-passenger gondola, and one terrain park. On good weather days, the mountain top provides the best views of Rainier.
• The White Pass Ski Area: It is another ski area that presents majestic views of Rainier. It offers 1,400 accessible acres with terrain for skiers of every skill level.

Other ski places in Washington include the 49° North Mountain Ski & Snowboard Resort, Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park, and the Mt. Baker Ski Area.

2. White Water Rafting & Kayaking Adventures

With plenty of rainfall and glacier melt adding to the flow, water bodies in Washington remain lush throughout the year. And this facilitates water adventures through unique experiences. Here are a few popular rivers and lakes in Washington that allows for ultimate outdoor recreation,

• White Salmon River: It provides for some of the best whitewater adventures in entire North America.
• Methow River: The best time to access the Methow river for water sports is between May and June. It is when the river is at its best flow due to snowmelt.
• Skykomish River: It is less than an hour from Seattle, and most commercial trips here organizes between April through June.
• Wenatchee River: It is Washington’s most popular Whitewater rafting and kayaking space. The best time to be here is from April through October.

3. Observe Wildlife in the Northwest Trek Wildlife Park

The Northwest Trek Wildlife Park is spread over 723-acre and is known for drawing wildlife lovers from State and across. It is home to Pacific Northwest native wildlife that roam here freely. The park has three zones, including the Nature Trails area, the Walking Tour area, and the Tram Tour area. The natural trail area allows visitors to walk through 5 miles of trails and observe whatever the park brings close. The walk tour area is where visitors can observe the zoo in enclosed spaces just like that of Zoos. In contrast, the tram tour area allows visitors to drive through or hop on the jeep tour and observe the extensive wildlife that resides here. Some of the common animals you will find in the park will include grizzly bears, grey wolves, bald eagles, bobcats, cougars, wolverines. Seasonally, the Northwest Trek Wildlife Park also operates for a zipline adventure.

4. Walkthrough the Chihuly Garden and Glass

A visit to the Chihuly Garden and Glass is undoubtedly the most popular thing to do in Washington. This glass studio is settled in the Seattle Center, exhibiting the outstanding glasswork of Dale Chihuly. The highlight and centerpiece here are the 40-foot-tall building, the Glasshouse. It from inside features a 100-foot-long glass sculpture in shades red, orange, and yellow. Besides that, the center has three Drawing Walls and eight galleries, all exhibiting exclusive glass work of Chihuly. Further, there is a lush outdoor garden exhibiting four impressive glass sculptures. Regardless of how much glass art you might have seen till now, the ones here will impress you with another level of excellence and competition.

5. Grab The Mesmerizing Views From The Sky View Observatory

A public observatory, the Sky View Observatory is on the 73rd floor of the Columbia Center, Seattle. It is the tallest public observatory in the Pacific Northwest, and you can reach it in downtown Seattle. Upon climbing atop, one can observe the entire Pacific Northwest, including the Cascade Mountains, Bellevue, Elliot Bay, Mount Rainier, Space Needle, Olympic Mountain, and other parts across. The bird-eye views from here are nowhere else to be found. Especially on a clear sky day during sunrise or sunset, whatever the views present are unarguably divine. Besides the observatory, there is also a seasonal café that serves delicious artisan dishes, wine, and local craft beer. Entry tickets for the observatory are available on their online website.

6. Experience First-Hand at the Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour

The Future of Flight Aviation Center is an airplane assembly facility located in Mukilteo, Washington. The aviation center covers 98.7 acres (by volume at 13,385,378 m3) and is the largest building in the entire world. It is where the Boeing Facility tour begins, and a lot of interactive exhibits and games take place. The center also produces Boeing 747, 767, 777, and 787 aircraft and has multiple notables in its display. Besides that, it has a Boeing 727 cockpit that allows guests to enter, sit and observe. For anyone who is interested in aviation and flights, this is a place presenting past and future all in one place. The facility is just 24.1 miles from Seattle and is ideal for a day trip. Or, if you want to grab its bird’s eye view from a distance, then the Sky View Observatory will assist you with the same.

7. Watch Marine with the Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching company.

Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching is an eco-adventure company that offers whale watching tours in the best locations of North America. It operates tours in and around the San Juan archipelago, attracting enthusiasts from the State and across. The tours they organize are for small groups only since the focus is on personal and pure experience. The company will provide you with binoculars, blankets, and hydrophones so that you can watch and even hear whales. Every tour visits the best location so that you can watch whales in their wildest form. As the tour begins, one of the guides will give a rundown of what all van you accept followed by other guide sharing other important and interesting information. Whether you are here with friends, kids, or on your honeymoon, this experience is mandatory to live.

8. Visit the Space Needle

Space Needle is another tourist attraction in Seattle and basically an observation tower. Whenever you are in Washington State, visiting this icon is definitely a popular thing to do. Towering 605 feet high, it is one of the tallest structures west of the Mississippi River. It is so strong that it can handle earthquakes of up to magnitude 9 and winds of up to 200 mph. The structure has an observation deck at the top that provides a birds-eye view of downtown Seattle, Cascade Mountains, Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, Olympic Island, and much more of Puget Sound. It is also the first and only rotating glass floor in the world. For reaching the top of the structure, the elevator takes just 41 seconds. Since the idea is to grab views around, the best time to visit Space Needle is on a clear sky day.

9. Visit Washington During Springtime for its Flowers

Washington State host a number of flower festivals, all thanks to the colorful flowers it grows. Its major highlight is the Skagit Valley Tulip festival which presents millions of multicolor tulips in Mount Vernon, Washington. The festival takes place from the 1st of April to the 30th of April and is one of the most popular events in the Pacific Northwest. Tulip fields are spread all through the valley in colors more than you can count or imagine. Visitors can hop on for guided tours and learn about this colorful event up close and personal. If not the event, you can go flower-hopping in other places like Sequim lavender fields, Maris farms, Pelindaba lavender fields, and other places.