Puget Sound Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

Puget Sound is a large semi-enclosed fjord in Washington State, with its northern boundary marked by Admiralty Pass and the Strait of San Juan de Fuca. This body of water lends its name to the surrounding region, the largest population center of the Pacific Northwest.

While other definitions exist, this article defines the Puget Sound Region as the counties contained within Puget Sound (Kitsap and Island) and the counties that border it to the east (Snohomish, King, Pierce, and Thurston). This includes the land between the eastern shore of Puget Sound and the crest of the Cascade Mountains.

The counties to the west of Hood Canal are part of the Olympic Peninsula, and the counties north of the Strait of Juan de Fuca are part of the San Juan Islands and Northwest Washington.

• 47.614444-122.19251 Bellevue — across Lake Washington to the east of Seattle. It is the fifth largest city in the state.
• 47.565361-122.6246942 Bremerton — the main city within the Kitsap Peninsula. This harbor town is fun place to explore.
• 47.326944-122.5863893 Gig Harbor — a small historical harbor town near the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.
• 47.0425-122.8930564 Olympia — the beautiful state capital at the southernmost bit of Puget Sound.
• 47.531667-122.6383335 Port Orchard — classic harbor town with downtown shopping area on the Kitsap Peninsula.
• 47.60621-122.332076 Seattle — by far the largest city in the region. It is the heart of a vibrant metropolitan area and a major tourist destination.
• 47.6594-122.6777 Silverdale — a popular town on the Kitsap Peninsula with amazing views of Puget Sound.
• 47.2525-122.44758 Tacoma — another major city in the South Sound. Formerly mostly industrial, the city center has been beautified, and the city now offers attractions such as the famous Museum of Glass, Point Defiance Park, and the Washington State History Museum.

• 47.537601-122.492581 Blake Island State Park – a popular island state park accessible only by boat that was the birthplace of Chief Seattle and still offers guests Native American style dinners and dancing.
• 48.2183-122.6842 Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve – preserves and protects an unbroken historical record of Puget Sound exploration and settlement from the 19th century to the present. Historic farms, still under cultivation in the prairies of Whidbey Island, reveal land use patterns unchanged since settlers claimed the land in the 1850s.
• 46.85-121.753 Mount Rainier National Park – a 14,410 ft (4,390 m) volcano, the tallest mountain the Cascades and the most "prominent" mountain in the lower 48 states. "Tahoma" holds more snow and ice than all other Cascade volcanoes combined.
• 47.392222-121.44 Snoqualmie Pass — a Cascades ski resort along I-90
• 47.745-121.0935 Stevens Pass — a Cascades ski resort along US-2

• Anderson Island - southernmost island in Puget Sound.
• Bainbridge Island - residential island connected by bridge to Kitsap Peninsula and ferry from Seattle.
• Blake Island - state park between Seattle and the Kitsap Peninsula.
• Fox Island - forested island near Gig Harbor.
• Hartstine island - serene forested island with a state park.
• Vashon Island - served by ferries from Tacoma and Seattle.
• Whidbey Island - longest island in Puget Sound.

The Puget Sound is a big fjord, a semi-enclosed body of water. Salt water from the nearby Pacific Ocean mixes with fresh water runoff from the surrounding watershed in western Washington, in a sheltered arm of ocean between the "mainland" of Washington State to the east and the Olympic Peninsula to the west. The southern boundary is marked by where the mainland and the Olympic Peninsula meet, near Olympia.

Hood Canal, the westernmost feature of Puget Sound, is not a canal but an inland fjord that stretches for over 70 miles (110 km) separating the Kitsap Peninsula from the Olympic Peninsula. Near the southern end of the Kitsap Peninsula it hooks inward at an area known as the Great Bend.

The Sound is the second largest estuary in the United States, with 2,350 mi (3,780 km) of shoreline. Its watershed covers nearly 16,500 sq mi (43,000 km²) and over ten thousand rivers and streams drain into it.

There is some debate on the exact boundaries of what we call Puget Sound. The most widely used definition (including the one used by this article) marks the northern boundary at Admiralty Pass and the Strait of San Juan de Fuca. However, the definition established by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) draws the northern border along the Canadian border and Strait of Georgia.

In 2009, the area that contains the Strait of Juan De Fuca, the Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia into Canada was named the Salish Sea, in honor of the indigenous people of the region.

Puget Sound's complex series of waterways were formed from receding glaciers that left the area about 14,000 years ago cutting deep into the land forming valleys that eventually flooded creating the intricate landscape that we know today.

According to scientific data, the first people arrived in Puget Sound about 12,000 years ago, but according to native Suquamish people, legend says that all of the earth was water, then the Old One dried the land and created everything from mud; he used the last mud balls from the earth to create the people. Then he sent Coyote to teach the people how to live with the earth, Coyote traveled the earth teaching the people and making life better for them.

By 1792, when Captain George Vancouver named the area after one of his officers and declared the area for Great Britain, the Suquamish and Salish people had already developed a multifaceted and complex society of their own. The Suquamish people called Puget Sound the Lushootseed name 'WulcH, which simply means "Salt Water". For thousands of years, the Suquamish traveled the waters of Puget Sound in well designed cedar canoes, and before settlers developed roadways, a complex series of ferries known as the ‘Mosquito Fleet’ was also the main way people and goods were transported around the area, and the waters of Puget Sound became the first regional highway.

Once the Washington Territory was established in 1853, the U.S. government began signing treaties with area tribes to acquire their lands. The Suquamish people ceded most of their land to the United States and logging came into the area in full force. The area's once impassable thick forests gave way to farms, towns and industry, as lumber was shipped off to areas such as San Francisco or burned as fuel for the growing fleet of boats.

Today, the area has grown in international influence with economic powerhouses such as Boeing, Starbucks and Microsoft whose global reach is far beyond Washington State borders. Seattle is the largest cosmopolitan city, with millions of people, and the region's cultural influence is profound, with many artistic and cultural endeavors reaching an international audience. Yet, though all of this growth and change, the people of the region are still tied to Puget Sound not only for transportation and a source of food, but as the symbolic center of their area's culture.

The Pacific Northwest accent spoken in the Puget Sound region is very similar to the General American standard accent (native to the Midwest), popularized in the 20th century by radio, TV and movies. People in the area generally have little to no problem understanding different accents of the English language. The Pacific Northwest attracts tourists from around the world, and it is common to hear many foreign languages being spoken in public in major tourist areas.

There are ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the Seattle area where many languages are spoken, including a large International District where many Asian languages are spoken. Washington is the thirteenth most populated state for example, but by comparison has the fourth highest Asian population. Seattle's 98118 zip code centered around the Columbia City neighborhood in South Seattle is considered the most ethnically diverse zip code in the country by the US Census bureau with 59 different languages regularly being spoken.

Chinook Jargon was a pidgin or trade language established among indigenous inhabitants of the region. After contact with Europeans, French, English, and Cree words entered the language, and "eventually Chinook became the lingua franca for as many as 250,000 people along the Pacific Slope from Alaska to Oregon." Chinook Jargon reached its height of usage in the 19th century though remained common in resource and wilderness areas, particularly but not exclusively by Native Americans and Canadian First Nations people, well into the 20th century. Chinook Jargon was still in use in Seattle until roughly the eve of World War II, making Seattle the last city where the language was widely used. Today its influence is felt mostly in place names and a handful of localized slang terms. Pronunciation of some of these terms is difficult and often separates the visitor from the local including Alki, Seattle, Kitsap, Yakima, Duwamish and Lummi.

• 47.4436-122.30241 Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA ^IATA), universally nicknamed "Sea-Tac", is in Seattle's southern suburbs. It's a major hub for Northwest and West Coast destinations, with direct flights to most major cities in the U.S. Internationally it handles frequent trans-Pacific routes, as well as direct flights to Canada, Mexico, the major European airports and Dubai in the Middle East.
• 47.53685-122.303892 Boeing Field/King County International Airport (BFI ^IATA) is just south of downtown Seattle. Most of its traffic is Boeing test flights, general aviation, VIP flights and commercial cargo flights.
• 47.9061-122.2813 Paine Field (PAE ^IATA) in Everett is primarily an airfield for Boeing's 747 and 777 manufacturing and test flights, but also has a small passenger terminal open to the public for commercial traffic.
• 47.6289-122.3394 Kenmore Air (LKE  ^IATA) is a seaplane airline based out of Seattle, serving areas all around Puget Sound and Canada. Kenmore Air offers shuttle transfer from SeaTac to their terminal on the shores of Lake Union and King County International Airport (Boeing Field).

Amtrak has three train services that serve the Puget Sound region. Cities served are Seattle, Tukwila, Tacoma, Olympia, Edmonds, and Everett: see the "Get in" sections of those cities for more details.

• The Coast Starlight train starts in Seattle and heads south through Tukwilla, Tacoma, Olympia, Portland, and ultimately San Francisco and Los Angeles in California.
• The Empire Builder starts in Seattle, goes to Everett then heads east across the mountains to Spokane and eventually Minneapolis and Chicago.
• Amtrak Cascades is a regional train service that goes north from Seattle to Vancouver and south to Portland and Eugene.

For more information about travelling by train in the United States see Rail travel in the United States.

Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north-south route, going north to Vancouver, British Columbia and south to Portland, Oregon.

Interstate 90 (I-90) goes east from Seattle to Spokane, Chicago and ultimately Boston. Other east-west routes include US-2 from Everett over Stevens Pass and SR-410 from Tacoma over Chinook Pass (closed in winter).

• BellAir Airporter, (company office & bus garage) 1416 Whitehorn St, Ferndale, ☏ +1 360-380-8880, toll-free: +1-866-235-5247. 11 round-trips daily to Sea-Tac from Blaine, Birch Bay, Lynden, Ferndale, Bellingham, Burlington, Stanwood and Marysville along the I-5 corridor. They offer a second route from Burlington to the Anacortes/San Juan Ferry Terminal via La Conner and Anacortes. Passengers coming typically transfer in Burlington from the I-5 Corridor route to continue westward to the Anacortes/San Juan Ferry Terminal. 
• Greyhound, Flixbus, toll-free: +1-800-231-2222. Runs along the I-5 corridor between Seattle and Vancouver, BC (via Everett, Mt Vernon & Bellingham) on one route and to Sacramento (via Tacoma, Olympia, Centralia & Kelso, Portland) on the other. They also run along I-90 across eastern Washington between Seattle and Spokane. Some Flixbus routes are operated by MTR Western between Seattle and Eugene while Wenatchee Shuttle operates the Flixbus from SeaTac to Wenatchee. Flixbus uses Greyhoound stops and station in addition to their separate stops. Prices varies depending on travel from which departure point to which destination point.  
• Quick Shuttle, toll-free: +1-800-665-2122. Runs between Seattle and Vancouver, BC. Stops in Downtown Seattle (outside the Best Western at 200 Taylor Ave N) and SeaTac Airport (at the main terminal near south end of baggage claim, outside door 00, bays 11-16). Fares from Vancouver to Downtown Seattle are $36 one-way, $65 round-trip; from Vancouver to SeaTac, fares are $49 one-way, $87 round-trip. Vancouver to Downtown Seattle: $36 one-way, $65 round-trip; Vancouver to SeaTac airport: $49 one-way, $87 round-trip. 
• Dungeness Line (operated by Greyhound Connect), ☏ +1 360 417-0700. The Dungeness Line, operated by Olympic Bus Lines provides two trips daily between Port Angeles, Sequim, Port Townsend, Discovery Bay, and Kingston, to and from Edmonds, downtown Seattle, and Seattle Tacoma International Airport. It is a privately operated bus between Seattle and the Olympic Peninsula. $28 to $49 OW depending on how far you're going. 

See By bus under Get in in the Seattle, Bellevue and Olympia articles and By shuttle bus under Ground Transportation in the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport article for an extended list of bus and shuttle companies connecting travelers into the Puget Sound region from the airport, from around the state and from the nearby cities of Vancouver and Portland. See By bus under Get around in below for a list of bus companies serving the Puget Sound Region.

• Washington State Ferries, ☏ +1 206 464-6400, toll-free: +1-800-843-3779. Connects downtown Seattle to Bainbridge Island, Bremerton, and Vashon Island, and connects West Seattle to Vashon Island and Southworth (Kitsap Peninsula). All ferries are for both vehicles and passenger except the ferry between downtown Seattle and Vashon Island which is foot traffic only. There is also a ferry connecting Port Townsend and Coupeville, on Whidbey Island. The small ferries required byCoupeville's narrow harbor mean that vehicle space is often limited, and drive-up motorists may have to wait several sailings for a space. Guaranteed reservations can be made in advance online or by calling 511, and are all but essential on Friday afternoons, weekends and holidays (updated Jun 2022)
• Victoria Clipper, 2701 Alaskan Way Pier 69, Seattle @ Seattle downtown waterfront and 254 Belleville Street, Victoria, BC @ Victoria's Inner Harbour, ☏ +1 206 448-5000 (Washington), +1 250 382-8100 (BC), toll-free: +1-800-888-2535. High speed catamaran passenger ferries which connect Victoria, British Columbia to the San Juan Islands and Seattle. If you are heading to San Juan Islands, you can also join a whale-watching tour. (Passenger only, no vehicles.) (updated Jun 2022)

Cruise ships to Seattle may be docked at one of two terminals in the Port of Seattle^{[dead link]}.

• 47.587-122.340125 Bell Street Pier Cruise Terminal at Pier 66, 2225 Alaskan Way S, near the middle of Seattle downtown's waterfront, serves as home port for Norwegian Cruise Line and Celebrity Cruises. Has bus, taxi and shuttle connections for transfer of passengers and luggage. For travelers with connecting flights, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is less than 15 mi (24 km) away.
• 47.63065-122.3836 Smith Cove Cruise Terminal at Pier 91, 2001 W Garfield St, at the north end of Seattle's downtown waterfront, serves as home port to Holland America Line, Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruises.

The Puget Sound offers a wide variety of guest marinas throughout the area. Check city listings for specific marina information.

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission has the largest state-managed mooring system in the United States. The commission manages more than 40 marine parks in Puget Sound that together provide more than 8,500 ft (2,600 m) of public moorage space.

Car alarm? Please make sure yours is off if you leave your car to enjoy the view from the deck. Most car alarms detect movement and will be activated by the movement of the ferry and you will be asked to return to your car.

Washington State Ferries is the largest system of ferries in the country. Ferry routes cross Puget Sound from Tacoma to Vashon Island, Seattle to Vashon Island, Bainbridge Island and Bremerton, Edmonds to Kingston, Mukilteo to Whidbey Island, and Whidbey Island to Port Townsend.

There are also some county-run ferries to smaller destinations such as to Anderson Island.

Many ferry destinations are possible to reach by bridge, but would require a very long detour. The most extreme example of this is the Port Townsend - Keystone route on State Route 20. Only five and a half miles (9 km) via the ferry, becomes a whopping 217 mi (349 km) traveling by car!

Public transportation is scarce outside of the Seattle metropolitan area and is not of much use for extensive sightseeing, so renting or arriving by car is advisable. Although distances can be long, most roads are paved and well-maintained. Be aware of distances between gas stations and plan accordingly when traveling in rural areas. Most ferries accept vehicles.

• Sounder operates commuter trains from Seattle King Street Station to Lakewood via Tukwila, Kent, Auburn, Sumner, Puyallup, Tacoma Dome, South Tacoma and Lakewood to the south and north to Everett via Edmonds and Mukilteo on two separate routes. Schedules are limited to weekday rush hours and Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Mariners home game days.

• Amtrak Cascades regionally they serve Bellingham, Mt Vernon, Stanwood, Everett, Edmonds, Seattle King Street Station, Tukwila, Tacoma and Lacey (nearest to Olympia). They operate 2x daily going north from Seattle to Vancouver and 4x daily south towards Portland on two separate routes. Check schedules. The Amtrak Coast Starlight runs the same route with the same stops (except Tukwila) as the Cascades between Seattle and Lacey. In Tacoma the Amtrak station and the Sounder stations are in two different places.

Each county runs its own transit system. Fortunately, in many cases they are interconnected to cover larger areas. In the Seattle metro area, Sound Transit operates intercity express routes.

• Sound Transit, ☏ +1 206 553-3000, toll-free: +1-800-542-7876. The regional public transit operator which operates the Sounder Train, light rail (in Tacoma and in Seattle) and express bus services between cities in the three county Seattle metropolitan area such as Tacoma (586,590,592,594,595,574), Bellevue (532,550,554,556,560,565), Everett (510,512,513,532), Bothell (522), and other cities/municipalities surrounding Seattle. $2.75 within King County, $3.75 cross-county. 

County transit systems

• Community Transit, ☏ +1 425 353-RIDE (7433), toll-free: +1-800-562-1375. Transit services in Snohomish County outside of Everett such as Arlington, Brier, Bothell, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Lake Stevens, Marysville, Monroe, Snohomish, Stanwood, etc and express services from various points in Snohomish County to downtown Seattle (400s) and the University of Washington (800s) in the mornings and up to Snohomish County in the afternoons. Local bus service within the city of Everett is provided by Everett Transit. $4 from Everett and south of Everett to Seattle, $5.25 from north of Everett to Seattle (one way); $2.00 within Snohomish County. 
• Intercity Transit. Operates local buses in/around Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater in Thurston County and express buses up to Tacoma and Lakewood along I-5 (Rt #620). 
• Island Transit, ☏ +1 360 678-7771, +1 360 387-7433. M-F 3:45AM-7:45PM; no service weekends & holidays. Operates local services up and down Whidbey Island and on around Camano Island as well as the Coupeville and Clinton Ferry Terminals; local services within Oak Harbor and intercounty services to Mt Vernon in Skagit County from Whidbey Island and Camano Island and Everett from Camano Island. 
• King County Metro. Operates buses within Seattle and out to surrounding suburbs & cities of King County such as Auburn, Aurora Village, Bothell, Bellevue, Enumclaw, Federal Way, Kent, Kirkland, Issaquah, North Bend, Redmond, Renton, Sea-Tac, Shoreline, Vashon Island, Woodinville, etc. The rule of thumb is that the three digit line numbers are for service to/from outside the Seattle city limits. There are other routes that operate locally within the suburbs and between the suburban cities that do not come into Seattle at all. $2.75. (updated Oct 2018)
• Kitsap Transit. Buses in Bremerton, Bainbridge Island, Poulsbo, Kingston, Suquamish, Silverdale,and Port Orchard in Kitsap County. Limited service to Purdy just over the Kitsap/Pierce County line. They also operate the passenger only catamarman ferries across Puget Sound from Bremerton and Kingston to downtown Seattle. $2.00 or $1.00 reduced fare for Medicare card holders and qualified seniors, disabled, youth and low income riders paying with an ORCA card.. 
• Pierce Transit, ☏ +1 253 581-8000. Local buses in Tacoma, Federal Way, Lakewood, Puyallup, Steilacoom and University Place. Limited service to the surrounding areas in Bonney Lake/Lake Tapps, Buckley, Gig Harbor, Roy Y, Spanaway/South Hill, Steilacoom and Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM). $2.50 or $1 reduced fare for Medicare card holders and qualified seniors, disabled, youth and low income riders paying with an ORCA card. 

Sound Transit operates the Link Light Rail. The 1 Line runs from Des Moines, north to Sea-Tac Airport, Seattle, Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace, and Lynnwood. The 2 Line runs from Bellevue to Redmond. The system is rapidly expanding; The 2 Line is expected to connect to Seattle in 2025, and the 1 Line is expected to reach Federal Way in 2026.

The indigenous prehistory of the region is rich and evident. There are numerous Indian Reservations in the region, and places such as Suquamish still actively practice Native American traditions. Northwest Native American art is a common theme even in contemporary urban public artwork.

Areas such as Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve have kept large areas preserved much as they were when the first western settlers came to the area in the mid-1800s. The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park unit in Seattle preserves the story of the 1897-98 stampede to the Yukon gold fields and Seattle's role in this event.

Urban architecture is centered on Seattle, where the Smith Tower stood for years as the tallest building west of the Mississippi, and the 1962 World's Fair introduced the Space Needle, a symbol of futurism for a generation. Coastal areas feature wharves and lighthouses, including Puget Sound's first lighthouse in Hansville.

Seattle and Tacoma host a variety of art museums, most prominently the Museum of Glass in Tacoma. The region's aerospace heritage is showcased by the Museum of Flight in Seattle and the Boeing Factory tour in Everett.

• 48.0258-121.4441 Mountain Loop Highway — a rural highway through the western slopes of the North Cascades, takes you to ice caves, ghost towns, and secluded campgrounds.
• 47.41-121.382 Mountains to Sound Greenway — the section of I-90 through the Central Cascades between Seattle and Ellensburg, was the first interstate to be designated a National Scenic Byway

What Puget Sound beaches lack in white sand and warm water is more than made up for in the amazing scenery as the clear waters play against wild coastlines and snow peaked mountains scatter on the horizons. The areas many State Parks are an excellent place to start a beach combing adventure offering miles of beaches from the rugged to the sandy smooth. Small crabs, moon snails, sea stars and sand dollars are common sites and tide pools can offer hours of exploration.

Sea shells and driftwood are considered part of the natural environment and should not be removed, however the often rocky and wild shores are havens for creating and revealing beach glass and anything artificial found is fair game for removal. Be respectful of private property and gentle with sea creatures. Keep a wide distance away from nesting birds, seals and other shore animals and always put back anything removed from the shoreline.

Puget Sound offers some of the best recreational boating in the world. Breath taking views of the snow capped Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges along with glimpses of Mount Rainier mingle with thick forests and clear bays and streams to create a humbling cacophony of natural sights. Carved by ancient glaciers, Puget Sound's intricate and complex waterways provide endless opportunities for exploration while the many harbor towns built on protective bays cater to boaters and provide a wide array of services, restaurants and shops. Harbor Seals, Otters, Sea Lions, Bald Eagles and Blue Herons are common sights while the occasional viewing of an Orca or Grey Whale is not out of the question.

Visitors to the area will often be treated to the sight of a flotilla of sailboats on Puget Sound as local yacht clubs organize events that sometimes attract hundreds of sailors. These ‘races’ such as the Gig Harbor Yacht Club Islands Race are often informal events that are more of an opportunity for fraternization and attract many types of sailboats and many different skill levels of sailors.

Sea kayaking can be a rewarding way to explore the Puget Sound's miles of coastline allowing the paddler a closer and slower look at their surroundings. Both urban and rural areas offer their own rewards and many organized tours are available.

Organized trails offer overnight camping options and maps of appropriate travel lengths and scenic travel destinations. For thousands of years native Salish tribes navigated these waters in small, well designed wooden boats and many of these trails were developed along their same paths.

• Cascadia Marine Trail. This inland sea trail is a National Recreation Trail and designated one of only 16 National Millennium Trails by the White House. Suitable for day or multi-day trips, the Cascadia Marine Trail has over 50 campsites to visit. People can boat to the campsites from many public and private launch sites or shoreline trailheads. 
• Kitsap Peninsula National Water Trails. The National Parks Service named the this 'Trail of the Month' in December 2012. PDF copies of the water trails map are available (updated Jun 2017)
• Key Peninsula Marine Trail. A 40-mile (64-km) marine trail with 14 legs between 15 points of interest during a paddling journey around the Key Peninsula 

Diving the cold waters of Puget Sound takes a bit more gear and training than most warm water locations, but the rewards are incredible. Many dive sites are completely covered with colorful sea creatures that defy description. Giant Pacific Octopus are common, along with friendly wolf eels. Colorful sponges, sea cucumbers, sea stars, soft corals, anemones and fish can be seen on nearly every dive. There are dive shops in Bremerton and Edmonds, and many coastal state parks feature launch sites.

The region's sheer diversity of natural landscapes, its mountains and coastlines and forests, makes it a premier destination for hiking and wilderness backpacking. The several highways into the Cascades each provide easy access to hundreds of miles of trails:

• The Mountain Loop Highway, NF-20 between Granite Falls and Darrington.
• The Stevens Pass Highway, US-2 through the Skykomish Valley to Stevens Pass.
• The Mountains to Sound Greenway, I-90 from Issaquah through North Bend to Snoqualmie Pass.
• WA-410, WA-165, and WA-706, the approaches to Mount Rainier National Park.

The Pacific Northwest is best known for its salmon. This fish lives most of its life in the Pacific Ocean, but returns to freshwater rivers and streams in the Pacific Northwest to spawn. It is one of the most important foods to native cultures, and part of the cultural identity of northwesterners of all backgrounds. The various subspecies of salmon each have their own seasons throughout the year, and preserved smoked salmon is available year-round as a locally-common charcuterie item.

The cool, clean waters provide some of the finest shellfish habitat in the world. Washington is the nation's leading producer of farmed bivalve shellfish (clams, mussels and oysters) but other specialties like geoducks are sometimes available for the more adventurous.

Oftentimes seafood comes in short bursts with seasonal migrations, available for only short windows of time. Watch closely for seasonal specials in restaurants and markets.

Few American regions can challenge the Pacific Northwest's love of coffee. There are over 4,000 coffee shops in Washington (and over 1,600 in Seattle alone), ranking it the most popular coffee region in the country.

Microbreweries and beer in general are a Northwest specialty. In 2023, the Washington Brewers Guild listed 426 breweries throughout the state, the fourth most in the nation. The larger brewers, like Pyramid, distribute their products regionally or nationally, while other brews can only be found in local stores or bars. Some notable brewers make their beers available only on tap, not in cans or bottles. Ask your servers for local beer recommendations and search out regional microbrews in stores.

There are many great wineries spread across the Puget Sound region, particularly in Woodinville, which has the oldest winery in the state, and is the largest single producer of Riesling wine in the United States.

• Olympic Peninsula – a remote region of rain forests and isolated beaches. Includes Olympic National Park, and the cities of Port Townsend and Port Angeles.
• Northwest Washington – fertile tulip pastures between the beautiful San Juan Islands and the rugged North Cascades National Park.
• North Central Cascades – take a scenic drive across the Cascades and taste Washington's famous apples on the banks of the mighty Columbia River.
• Southwest Washington – home of Washington's beach resorts and Washington's most explosive volcano.