We’ve all heard the usual tropes about the Pacific Northwest. It’s rainy. Keep Portland weird. Giant trees and waterfalls, wherever you look.
But there are plenty of things you may not have heard, like how New York City receives far more rain each year than Portland or Seattle. Or much of the Pacific Northwest is actually covered by high deserts rather than lush rainforests.
This can be a shock to some folks who expect to see a third-wave coffee shop on every corner and a waterfall at the end of every trail.
So, if you’re planning a trip to the PNW, here are some things you may not know.
The Rain is Real, but Not as Bad as You Think
The average rainy day on the western side of the Pacific Northwest tends to be gloomy or misty rather than downright rainy. This often means that spending the day outside requires a light rainjacket and a little preparation, but an umbrella or a planned walk that includes plenty of places to duck out of the rain is typically unnecessary.
Granted, the region can also bear the brunt of some pretty impressive storms that roll off the Pacific, so don’t think that we don’t have our truly rainy days. They just don’t happen as often as most people expect.
Summers Are Glorious
I’ll plant my flag on the hill that there is no better place to be in the world than the Pacific Northwest during the summer. The weather is perfect. There are beaches, rivers, lakes, trails, mountains, and forests to recreate in. It is all just so perfect.
Now, if we can just keep that pesky smoke away.
Microclimates Are Common
The mountains and ocean that make up much of western Oregon and Washington play a huge role in the weather. One place can be downright dreary, while 20 minutes up the road, it is sunny and warm.
Visitors often kick off a day in Portland, where the weather can be totally calm, and then head into the Columbia River Gorge, where the wind will knock their hats off.
Areas around Puget Sound are famous for their microclimates due to the Olympic rainshadow, which means you can quickly transition from rain to sun in a matter of a couple of miles.
Coffee Culture is Huge, But Not Just Starbucks
Starbucks may have ushered in the coffee scene that now dominates the Pacific Northwest, but locals have long since moved on from the behemoth coffee chain in favor of local roasters. In cities like Portland, Seattle, Bend, etc, you’ll find coffee shops all over town that do an outstanding job roasting their own beans and pouring a mean latte.
Heck, even out in the boonies, you’re likely to run across a coffee shop that wouldn’t feel out of place in the city. Ask the locals what their favorite coffee shop is during your visit, and you’ll probably receive enough suggestions to keep your cup full for the entire trip.
You’ll Need a Discover Pass
If you look in the rearview mirror of most cars with local license plates around the Pacific Northwest, you’ll likely see an orange tag hanging from it. This is the Discover Pass, and it is necessary to park at most trailheads located on forest service land.
While many of these trailheads have fee stations where you can plop in a $5 bill or, if you’re lucky, pay with a credit card, some don’t, which can leave you high and dry if you’ve made a long trek in.
The Food Scene is Insanely Good
Restaurants in the Pacific Northwest don’t mess around when it comes to producing good food. Chefs and locals alike are proud of their local culinary resources and farmers and love to display them.
Who can blame them when the region is home to delicacies like Dungeness crab, marionberries, golden chanterelle mushrooms, salmon, elk, apples, and some of the most fertile farmland in the country?
Wildlife is Abundant
There is wildlife everywhere across the Pacific Northwest. Starting at the ocean, where you can see orcas, grey whales, harbor seals, sea lions, and more. As you head inland, there are black bears, elk, deer, cougar, fox, and dozens of other forest-dwelling mammals.
Trips to the mountains mean getting the chance to wander past mountain goats, the adorable pika, and marmots. No matter where you are in the region, there is a very good chance that you’ll be running across wildlife of some type.
There’s A Ton of Desert
This can’t be understated enough. As soon as you pass over the Cascade crest, the landscape of the Pacific Northwest completely changes from lush rainforests to hundreds and hundreds of miles of high desert and sagebrush.
Here, you’ll find massive deserts, rarely visited canyons and wildlife like rattlesnakes and pronghorns that feel more synonymous with the desert southwest than the Pacific Northwest.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t visit this part of the region, though, as this area holds some incredibly beautiful places that see far less visitor traffic than most west-side attractions.
Traffic in Cities Can Be a Hassle
A visit to one of the Pacific Northwest’s major cities like Portland, Seattle, or Vancouver, will very likely mean you’ll be spending time sitting in traffic. During rush hour, the roads in these cities are consistently ranked as some of the most congested in the entire country.
So plan ahead to avoid the commute hours and just accept that all this beauty has to come with a few drawbacks.
The Locals Are Friendly, But Reserved
Folks who move to the Pacific Northwest, specifically the Seattle area, are often subjected to what is known as the Seattle freeze. The freeze isn’t anyone being outright hostile towards newcomers; it is often more of just a shyness and slowness to accept new people into their social circles.
But once you get to know the folks around the Pacific Northwest, you’ll find that they are some of the nicest people around and are willing to share their favorite hiking spots, bring you some extra chanterelles that they foraged, or invite you over for a fall evening gathering around the fire pit.
