The abundance of outdoor recreational activities is one of the reasons people choose to live in Washington. With both mountains and beaches within an hour's drive of the major metropolitan areas, there are numerous choices for the active vacationer.

Bicycling/Mountain Biking -- The San Juan Islands, with their winding country roads and Puget Sound vistas, are the most popular bicycling locales in the state. Of the four main San Juan Islands (San Juan, Orcas, Lopez, and Shaw), Lopez has the easiest and Orcas the most challenging terrain for bikers. Here you can pedal for as many or as few days as you like, stopping at parks, inns, and quaint villages.

Other popular road-biking spots include Bainbridge and Vashon islands, with their easy access to Seattle; the Olympic Peninsula, with its scenic vistas and campgrounds; and the Long Beach Peninsula, with its miles of flat roads. Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane, and Yakima also all have many miles of easy bicycle trails that are either in parks or connect parks. The longest of these are in Seattle and Spokane.

The region's national forests provide miles of logging roads and single-track trails for mountain biking. However, the state's premier mountain-biking destination is the Methow Valley, where miles of cross-country ski trails are opened to bicycles in the summer.

To get a bicycling map of Washington, contact the Bicycle Hot Line, Washington State Department of Transportation, at tel. 360/705-7277.

If you're interested in participating in an organized bicycle tour, there are a couple of companies you might want to contact. Backroads, 801 Cedar St., Berkeley, CA 94710-1800 (tel. 800/462-2848 or 510/527-1555; www.backroads.com), offers road bike trips in the San Juan Islands. Tour prices range from $1,198 to $2,198. Bicycle Adventures, P.O. Box 11219, Olympia, WA 98508 (tel. 800/443-6060 or 360/786-0989; www.bicycleadventures.com) offers biking trips in the San Juan Islands and Victoria, B.C., on the Olympic Peninsula, and to the volcanoes of Washington. Tour prices range from $954 to $2,488.

Bird-Watching -- With a wide variety of habitats, Washington offers many excellent bird-watching spots. Each winter in January, bald eagles flock to the Skagit River, north of Seattle, to feast on salmon. Birders can observe from shore or on a guided raft trip. Outside the town of Hoquiam, migratory shorebirds make annual stops at the Gray's Harbor Wildlife Refuge in the Bowerman Basin area. One of Washington's best birding excursions is a ride through the San Juan Islands on one of the state-run ferries. From these floating observation platforms, birders can spot bald eagles and numerous pelagic birds.

Camping -- Public and private campgrounds abound all across Washington, with those in Mount Rainier National Park and Olympic National Park being the most popular. North Cascades National Park has campgrounds as well. At Olympic and North Cascades national parks, camping is on a first-come, first-served basis, while at two campgrounds within Mount Rainier National Park, reservations are taken. To get information on outdoor recreation in Washington's national parks and forests, contact the Outdoor Recreation Information Center, Seattle REI Building, 222 Yale Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98109 (tel. 206/470-4060; www.nps.gov/ccso/oric.htm). The Forest Service's regional Web page (www.fs.fed.us/r6) is another good source of information.

Washington also has more than 80 state parks with campgrounds. Moran State Park on Orcas Island and Deception Pass State Park have two of the most enjoyable campgrounds. For information on Washington state parks, contact Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, 7150 Cleanwater Lane (P.O. Box 42650), Olympia, WA 98504-2650 (tel. 360/902-8844; www.parks.wa.gov).

For state campsite reservations, contact Washington State Parks Reservations (tel. 888/226-7688; www.parks.wa.gov). To make campsite reservations at national forest campgrounds, contact the National Recreation Reservation Service (tel. 877/444-6777 or 518/885-3639; www.reserveusa.com). For reservations at Mount Rainier, the only national park in Washington that offers campsite reservations, contact the National Park Reservation Service (tel. 800/365-2267 or 301/722-1257; http://reservations.nps.gov).

One economical way to tour the Northwest is with a recreational vehicle. They can be rented for a weekend, a week, or longer. RVs can be rented in Washington from Western Motorcoach Rentals, 19303 Hwy. 99, Lynnwood, WA 98036 (tel. 800/800-1181 or 425/775-1181; www.westernrv.com).

Canoeing/Kayaking -- White-water kayakers in Washington head for such rivers as the Wenatchee around Leavenworth, the Methow near Winthrop, the Skagit and Skykomish rivers north of Seattle, and the White Salmon River near Trout Lake. On the Olympic Peninsula, the Queets, Hoh, and Elwha rivers are the main kayaking rivers. One of the most popular canoeing lakes in Washington is Lake Ozette in Olympic National Park.

Fishing -- For information on freshwater fishing in Washington, contact the Department of Wildlife, Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington St. SE, Olympia, WA 98501 (tel. 360/902-2200; www.wa.gov/wdfw); mailing address: 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia, WA 98501-1091.

Golfing -- Although the rainy weather in western Washington puts a bit of a damper on golfing, the mild temperatures mean that it's possible to play year-round. The state has only a handful of resorts with golf courses, but most larger cities have public courses. A couple of the state's most celebrated courses are in eastern Washington near the city of Wenatchee.

Hiking & Backpacking -- Washington has an abundance of hiking trails, including a section of the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs along the spine of the Cascades from Canada to the Oregon state line (and onward through California to Mexico). In the Olympic National Park, you'll find hikes along the beach, through valleys in rainforests, and through alpine meadows; at Mount Rainier National Park, you can hike through forests and the state's most beautiful meadows (hikes from Sunrise and Paradise are the most spectacular); and in North Cascades National Park, there are hiking trails through the state's most rugged scenery. The Alpine Lakes region outside Leavenworth is breathtakingly beautiful, but so popular that advance-reservation permits are required. Another popular hike is to the top of Mount St. Helens. Lesser known are the hiking trails on Mount Adams in Washington's southern Cascades. In the Columbia Gorge, the hike up Dog Mountain is strenuous but rewarding. For general information on hiking in the Northwest and for information on the Northwest Forest Pass, which is required at most national forest trail heads in Washington, contact Nature of the Northwest, 800 NE Oregon St., Suite 177, Portland, OR 97232 (tel. 503/872-2750; www.naturenw.org).

If you'd like to hike the wild country of Washington state with a knowledgeable guide, you've got a couple of good options. The Olympic Park Institute, 111 Barnes Point Rd., Port Angeles, WA 98363 (tel. 360/928-3720; www.yni.org/opi), offers a variety of hiking and backpacking trips, as does the North Cascades Institute, 810 State Rte. 20, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284-1239 (tel. 360/856-5700, ext. 209; www.ncascades.org).

Sea Kayaking -- Sea kayaks differ from river kayaks in that they are much longer, more stable, and able to carry gear as well as a paddler or two. There are few places in the country that offer better sea kayaking than the waters of Puget Sound and around the San Juan Islands, and therefore this sport is especially popular in the Seattle area. The protected waters of Puget Sound offer numerous spots for a paddle of anywhere from a few hours to a few days. There's even a water trail called the Cascadia Marine Trail that links camping spots throughout the Sound. For more information about this trail, contact the Washington Water Trails Association (tel. 206/545-9161; www.wwta.org).

The San Juan Islands are by far the most popular sea-kayaking spot in the region, and several tiny islands, accessible only by boat, are designated state campsites. In the Seattle area, Lake Union and Lake Washington are both popular kayaking spots. Willapa Bay, on the Washington coast, is another popular paddling spot.

If you'd like to explore Puget Sound or Seattle's Lake Union in a sea kayak, contact the Northwest Outdoor Center, 2100 Westlake Ave. N., Suite 1, Seattle, WA 98109 (tel. 800/683-0637 or 206/281-9694; www.nwoc.com). This center rents kayaks and also offers various classes and guided trips. Day trips are $70, 3-day trips are $295, and 5-day classes are $625.

In the San Juan Islands, San Juan Kayak Expeditions (tel. 360/378-4436; www.sanjuankayak.com) offers multi-day kayak trips, charging $380 for a 3-day trip and $480 for a 4-day trip. Orcas Outdoors (tel. 360/376-4611; www.orcasoutdoors.com) offers 3-day trips for $350. Crystal Seas Kayaking (tel. 877/SEAS-877 or 360/378-4223; www.crystalseas.com) runs kayak camping trips ranging from 2 days ($279) to 6 days ($839), and inn-to-inn trips ranging from 2 days ($569) to 6 days ($1,999). Sea Quest Expeditions/Zoetic Research (tel. 888/589-4253 or 360/378-5767; www.sea-quest-kayak.com), is a nonprofit organization that sponsors educational sea-kayaking trips through the San Juans. Three-day trips are $359 and 5-day trips are $599.

Skiing & Snowboarding -- Washington has about half a dozen major ski areas and about the same number of lesser areas. The major ski areas are all located in the Cascade Range. These include Mount Baker, a snowboarding mecca near Bellingham; Mission Ridge, which is located near Wenatchee and is known for its powder snow; Stevens Pass, which is near the Bavarian-theme town of Leavenworth; the Summit at Snoqualmie, which is located less than an hour from Seattle; Crystal Mountain near the northeast corner of Mount Rainier National Park; and White Pass, which is southeast of Mount Rainier National Park. Smaller and more remote ski areas include Mount Spokane and 49 Degrees North, both north of Spokane; and Ski Bluewood, near Walla Walla. Tiny locals-only ski areas with only a handful of runs include Hurricane Ridge, in Olympic National Park; Loup Loup, near Winthrop; and Echo Valley, near Lake Chelan. Heli-skiing is also available in the Methow Valley.

Many downhill ski areas also offer groomed cross-country ski trails. The most popular cross-country areas in Washington include the Methow Valley (one of the largest trail systems in the country), Leavenworth, the Summit at Snoqualmie, White Pass, Stevens Pass, and near Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams.

Whale-Watching -- Orca whales, commonly called killer whales, are a symbol of the Northwest and are often seen in Puget Sound and around the San Juan Islands, especially during the summer. Dozens of companies offer whale-watching trips from the San Juans. You can also spot orcas from San Juan Island's Lime Kiln State Park. Out on the Washington coast, migrating gray whales can be seen March through May. In the town of Westport, there are both viewing areas and companies operating whale-watching excursions.

White-Water Rafting -- Plenty of rain and lots of mountains combine to produce dozens of good white-water rafting rivers, depending on the time of year and water levels. In the Washington Cascades, some of the popular rafting rivers include the Wenatchee outside Leavenworth, the Methow near Winthrop, the Skagit and Skykomish rivers north of Seattle, and the White Salmon River near Trout Lake. On the Olympic Peninsula, the Queets, Hoh, and Elwha rivers are the main rafting rivers. Rates generally range from about $50 to $75 for a half day to around $90 for a full day of rafting.

Many companies offer trips on several different rivers. Among these companies are Alpine Adventures Wild & Scenic River Tours (tel. 800/RAFT-FUN or 206/323-1220; www.alpineadventures.com), DownStream River Runners (tel. 800/234-4644 or 360/805-9899; www.riverpeople.com), North Cascades River Expeditions (tel. 800/634-8433; www.riverexpeditions.com), Osprey Rafting Company (tel. 800/743-6269; www.shoottherapids.com), River Riders (tel. 800/448-RAFT; www.riverrider.com), and Wildwater River Tours (tel. 800/522-WILD or 253/939-2151; www.wildwater-river.com).

Sailboarding -- The Columbia River Gorge is one of the most renowned windsurfing spots in the world. Here, high winds and a strong current come together to produce radical sailing conditions. As the winds whip up the waves, skilled sailors rocket across the water and launch themselves skyward to perform aerial acrobatics. On calmer days and in spots where the wind isn't blowing so hard, there are also opportunities for novices to learn the basics. Summer is the best sailing season, and the town of Hood River, Oregon, just across the Columbia River from Bingen, Washington, is the center of the boarding scene with plenty of windsurfing schools and rental companies. Windsurfing is also popular on Lake Union in Seattle and Vancouver Lake in Vancouver, Washington.