Backpacking Trip Planning: Permits You Need by June
Washington's marquee backpacking trips run on permits — most windows open in winter and spring. Here's the full Northwest permit map, what each costs, and which deadlines already passed.
All articles
Guides, gear, and stories
Everything we've published — guides, gear reviews, recipes, and field notes from the outdoors.
Lingcod and Shrimp Openers: Salt Water Kicks Off
Mid-April opens Puget Sound's lingcod season and May brings the spot shrimp rush — the two saltwater events that pull landlocked anglers toward the Sound every spring.
Turkey Hunting in Rain, Wind, and Pressure: Midseason Adjustments
Opening week's playbook stops working the moment weather shifts or birds learn the game. Here's how midseason hunters stay on gobblers through rain, wind, and educated birds.
Kids' First Trout: Poles, Bait, and a Patience Plan
A kid's first fish is never about the fish — it's about whether the morning ends with "again tomorrow?" Here's the gear, the water, and the plan that makes that likely.
Lowland Lakes Opener: Crowd-Free Alternatives That Still Produce
Opening day crowds pile onto ten famous lakes while dozens of equally stocked waters sit half-empty. Here's how to find them — and the timing tricks that make even famous lakes feel private.
Bass Move Shallow: First Warm-Water Windows
The first sustained warm weeks pull bass out of deep wintering holes and into the shallows — a short window when they're catchable in ways they won't be again all year.
Wildflower Hikes: Family Loops With Big Payoffs
Washington's wildflower season climbs the mountains like a slow wave — lowland trilliums in April, hills of balsamroot in May, alpine lilies through August. Here's where to catch each wave with kids in tow.
Spring Creek Wading Safety: Cold Water Kills Fast
Spring rivers look fishable and feel like a mistake — water in the 40s shuts down muscles in minutes. The survival math, the gear, and the habits that keep wade anglers alive.
Trout Stocked Lake Maps: Where the Truck Dumps Fish
How to turn Washington's public stocking data into a personal map of the closest, most reliably stocked lakes near you — plus the access details the reports never mention.
De-Winterize Your Camper or Trailer: The Full Checklist
Antifreeze in the lines, flat-spotted tires, dead batteries, and mice in the upholstery — spring trailer prep catches all of it before your first trip becomes a repair bill.
Draw Applications Close This Month: Final Checklist
Oregon controlled-hunt applications close May 15 and Washington's window runs through spring — but waiting until the last week is how points get lost. Run this checklist before you click submit.
Springer Bank Access: Willamette and Columbia Spots
Where to fish from shore for spring Chinook on the Willamette and lower Columbia — the classic bank waters, what each needs to produce, and how run timing picks your morning.