By Allie Wisniewski, American Forests

When you hear of the PNW, maybe you think of endless rain, the Space Needle, or Starbucks. Maybe you think of cycling, hipsters or Portlandia. The Pacific Northwest is much more than all of those things, however. With mountains, temperate rainforests, natural hot springs, waterfalls — you name it — this iconic region of the U.S. is a nature lover’s paradise. Let’s take a look at some of its most enchanting wilderness areas and revel in the magic of the PNW.

The John Day River. Credit: Bureau of Land Management
Mt. Rainier. Credit: Ralph Arvesen
Emerald Falls. Credit: Charles Knowles
Sky Lakes Wilderness. Credit: USFS
Hoh Rainforest. Credit: Doug Dolde
Multnomah Falls. Credit: John Fowler
Trillium Lake at Mt. Hood National Forest. Credit: Mt. Hood Territory
Olympic National Park
Panther Creek Falls. Credit: Matthew P. Del Buono
Cannon Beach. Credit: Abhinaba Basu