Evergreen Escapes

This is what happens when guiding isn't just a job, but a genuine passion for sharing this incredible corner of the world.

Our guides aren't just drivers—they're naturalists, storytellers, and locals who know exactly where to take you, when to slow down, and what makes each day unforgettable. It's a standard we hold ourselves to on every single tour. 🌲

Ready to see what all the reviews are about? Check out our upcoming Fall & Winter tour calendar: https://www.evergreenescapes.com/

🌲 Meet Your Guide: Gia Le

Gia has called Seattle home since 2022, and it's quickly become her favorite place in the world. She loves sharing Washington's wild places, stories, and natural beauty with others — and she absolutely lights up when she's outside.

Whether she's wandering through an old-growth forest, keeping an eye out for anything that walks, slithers, flies, or swims, or simply soaking in a mountain view, Gia is happiest out exploring. She can't wait to help guests discover the Pacific Northwest with a little more curiosity, wonder, and appreciation for the incredible place she's lucky to call home. 🏔️🌿

The Pacific Northwest's most underrated landscape isn't where you'd expect.

Ask most Portland visitors what's on their list, and you'll hear Mt. Hood, the Gorge, maybe the coast. Meanwhile, just across the Columbia River sits one of the most extraordinary landscapes in North America — one that most travelers know by name but have never actually seen.

Mount St. Helens isn't frozen in 1980. It's a living, evolving story — an active volcano where you can still read the terrain shaped by the eruption, while young forests, wildflower meadows, and grazing elk prove that recovery has been quietly underway ever since. It's one of the world's most studied examples of how landscapes come back from the brink. 🌲🦌

We just published a deep dive into what makes this place so remarkable — the geology, the recovery story, and why every visit looks a little different depending on season, weather, and light.

📖 Read the full story on our blog — link in bio.

Autumn hits different in Seattle. The city cools down, the light turns golden, and up in the mountains, the season is already putting on a show — while Seattle's own maples and ginkgos are just getting started.

This is the time of year when the Cascades and Olympics turn first, painting the evergreen high country with sploches of reds and gold weeks before the lowlands catch up. Crisp mornings, quiet trails, and views that feel like they're all yours.

So before the rain settles in for good—get out there. Trade the skyline for a ridgeline, the espresso line for a trailhead, and let this wild, beautiful state remind you why fall in the PNW is worth chasing. 🌲🍁

"While the whales and beautiful stops were incredible, Matthew was truly the real star of the tour. He was knowledgeable, engaging, and genuinely invested in making the experience memorable for everyone. What stood out most was his flexibility and kindness. When someone in our group mentioned they were dying to see a troll, Matthew happily took us a little off track to make it happen, which made the day feel personal and unforgettable."

This is what our Whales + Wildlife Watching Tour is all about — orcas and wildlife on the Salish Sea, yes, but also guides who go out of their way (sometimes literally) to make the day feel like it was built just for you. 🐋

There's a version of Mt. Rainier that most summer visitors never see — golden meadows, mirror-still lakes, and mountain air so crisp it feels like a different park altogether. Autumn is that version.

The wildflowers give way to amber grasses, the crowds thin out, and the mountain — when she shows herself — reflects perfectly in alpine lakes like this one. It's one of our favorite times of year to explore.

Our full-day Mt. Rainier National Park Tour runs daily through October, taking you beyond the park road on real hikes through old-growth forest, past waterfalls, and into high-country meadows — led by guides who are permitted to take you more than a mile off the pavement, further than any other day tour in the park. 🥾

Sleep in a little (we've got the coffee and pastries covered), and let us handle the rest. 🍂

🌲 Meet Your Guide: Elijah Reed

Born in Santa Cruz, California, and raised in Eugene, Oregon, Elijah feels equally at home catching waves on the Central Coast or exploring forests in the Pacific Northwest. His journey took him from playing soccer at Cal Poly Humboldt to studying Spanish in Oviedo, Spain, before graduating from the University of Oregon with a degree in Biology.

Whether he's hiking, birding, snowboarding, or surfing, Elijah is happiest outside — and that enthusiasm shows in every tour he leads. One of his favorite quotes says it best: "Happiness is only real when shared." 🌊🏔️

Ever wanted to see orcas in the wild but got stuck figuring out the logistics? Rental cars, ferry schedules, the long drive to Anacortes—it adds up fast.

Our Whales + Wildlife Watching Tour is the only one of its kind that starts right in downtown Seattle. One pickup, and we handle the rest: a guided stop at the dramatic cliffs and forests of Deception Pass State Park, a locally sourced picnic lunch, and 3-4 hours on the water searching for orcas, humpbacks, seals, sea lions, and more in the Salish Sea. 🦭🦅

We just published a full breakdown of what a day on this tour actually looks like — from the moment you're picked up in Seattle to the moment you're dropped back off, whale sightings (hopefully) included.

📖 Read the full story on our blog at the link in bio.