Things to do in Seattle in the Fall
Seattle is a fall foliage wonderland during autumn. Nothing captivates my heart like a sunny 55 degree day with the trees covered in full red and golden leaves. Whether you are blessed with a sunny day or given a true Seattle rainy day, visiting Seattle in the fall is a must. Here are 13 things to do in Seattle in the Fall.
13 Things to do in Seattle in the Fall
1. Go Apple Picking
First on the list is Apple Picking! Did you know that Washington is the nations top apple producing state? You heard that right! As a matter of fact, the evergreen state harvests around 10 billion apples annually! Some popular apple varieties in Washington are Red Delicious, Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Cripps Pink, Honeycrisp, and Braeburn (my favorite are Honeycrisp). Apple picking season varies ever year but generally starts in September and goes through October. You will need to monitor the different orchards to learn what apples are ready for harvesting. Some popular apple picking orchards include Bailey’s Farm and Swan Trails Farms.
2. Visit a Pumpkin Patch
Nothing screams fall season like pumpkin patches! There are a large variety of pumpkin patches near Seattle to choose from. A personal favorite is Swan’s Trail Farms as they are known for their mouth watering apple cinnamon donuts.
3. Get Cozy in a Local Coffee Shop
Immerse yourself like a local in the many independent owned coffee shops. In Seattle, we take our coffee game pretty serious, which means if you’re a coffee lover you definitely don’t want to miss out. I personally love sitting in coffee shops with a book or blogging during the fall season (as a matter of fact, that’s exactly what I’m doing right now as I write this). There’s nothing like the warm, bold aromas of coffee while sitting in front of a ceiling high window with a view of all the golden colored tree foliage. It’s so romantic and it makes me feel like I’m the main character in a rom com movie. Regardless of where you are staying in Seattle, you’ll be able to find some fantastic coffee shops. Here is a list of some of my personal favorites in town.
- Tailwind Café at Good Weather Coffee Shop in Capitol Hill
- Porchlight Coffee & Records in Capitol Hill
- Caffe Vita in Capitol Hill
- Fresh Flours in Phinney Ridge
- Red Arrow Coffee and Cafe in Ballard
4. Visit the Larches While in Town
I’ve been living in Seattle for 5 years now, and I learned about the Larches late in the game. If you’re a nature lover and don’t mind a 2 hour drive to go hiking for some majestic views, I’d highly recommend a day trip out to see the Larches. I know what you’re thinking, “what is a larch tree and why is it such a big deal”? Well, Larches are deciduous conifer trees that are unique to the Pacific Northwest, especially in central Washington. They are known for their striking golden-yellow needles that appear in the fall, contrasting with the green needles of other conifer trees. They are incredibly beautiful however they only make their appearance for a short window, usually from the end of September through the first two weeks of October.
Most Larches are sound on the slopes of the Cascades (3 hours from Seattle). They are really worth the trek if you’re a nature lover, however if you don’t want to drive our that far you might be able to catch a couple of Larches in some Seattle parks, including Washington Park Arboretum, Green Lake, and Lake Washington Boulevard.
5. Visit a Japanese Garden
As a San Diegan who moved to the PNW, I was absolutely blown away by the foliage that is available in the many Japanese Gardens. The gorgeous ruby red star shaped leaves and golden foliage is truly incredible to witness, especially with some coffee in hand. I make it a point to check out the Japanese gardens during the fall, there’s nothing quite like it. Here are some Japanese gardens that I’d recommend:
6. Stroll around Seattle Parks for Fall Foliage
Obviously, at this point you might have realize that I love strolling around town and what better way to soak in the marvelous Seattle foliage than doing so on a stroll at the park. There are plenty of beautiful parks in Seattle that offer a gorgeous view of the leaves changing during the fall. My favorite places to stroll and enjoy the fall foliage is at Green Lake park; mainly because there are plenty of coffee shops near by and there is a paved loop around the lake that is pleasant to walk. Other places include Volunteer Park, Golden Gardens, Gas Works Park, Discovery Park, Olympic Sculpture Park,The Washington Park Arboretum and Seward Park.
7. Eat Your Heart Out
I love eating warm comfort food during the fall season and in Seattle, you will pleased to find so many different types of cuisine to try out. My favorite meals include:
- World class Fukuoka-style Tonkotsu Ramen at Ramen Danbo
- Pho from Pho Bac Sup Shop
- Soup dumplings at Dough Zone
- Brunch at Communion
- Kimchi Mac n’ cheese from Bok a Bok
8. Take Instagrammable Photos in the Fall Foliage
There’s no shame in wanting to snag some Instagrammable photos in your cute fall outfit and if you’ve found this blog, I HIGHLY encourage it, especially because the fall foliage in Seattle is unreal. Here are some instagrammable places to capture the fall foliage:
- Green Lake Park
- Ballard
- Golden Gardens
- Discovery Park
- The Washington Park Arboretum
- Seward Park
- Kubota Garden
- Seattle Japanese Garden
9. Visit Pike Place for Food and Flowers
If you’ve been searching for things to do in Seattle, I’m sure every blog you read had a visit to Pike’s Place on it, and I absolutely agree! Pike’s Place is a vibrant market that has it’s famous fish market, gorgeous seasonal flowers and artisan pop up shops. Pike Place is lined with a gorgeous brick road and has the iconic Pike Place Market sign. It does get busy and can get really crowded. If you’re someone who get’s a little anxious around large crowds (like myself), I’d recommend that you go early (around 8am/9am) to be able to experience the market before all the crowds arrive. It’s very much worth visiting.
10. Visit This Tea Shop in Fremont for Spooky Season Vibes
Next on the list is a tea shop! One of my friends took me to this tea shop a couple years ago and I still go back to it to restock my tea every year. B. Fullers Mortar and Pestle is a vibrant tea shop that captures Spooky Season vibes all year round; which is perfect for the fall season. You’ll find a large selection of hand crafted tea for all kinds of purposes like, to help with sleep, stress reduction, love potions and more. Plus there are plenty of loose leaf variety gift packages to take back to your friends and family back home.
11. Visit Museums to Escape the Rain
Also, who doesn’t like a little respite from the rain like handing out in a museum? Seattle center offers a bunch of museums to escape the rain like The Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Museum of Pop Culture and the Pacific Science Center. There are a plethora of other museums like Museum of Flight, the Original Selfie Museum and Seattle Pinball Museum which are all worth checking out when you’re in town.
The Thomas Dambo Troll art exhibition created huge chatter and crowds when they were secretly installed in summer of 2023. These charming giants fuse together art, nature and environmentalism into an interactive art form for the public to enjoy. The art exhibition are comprised of 5 unique trolls scattered across the greater Seattle area. Some are hidden in the woods and require a short hike or stroll. You know you’re getting close to the enchanted trolls when you begin to see colorful bird house art installation.
Thomas Dambo is a recycle artist and activist with a vision to get more people outdoors. Part of Thomas Dambo’s vision was to make hist art installations one with nature, so that when they decompose, they return sustainably to the Earth. That means that his installations are not permanent and may decompose after a couple winters; so this is a time sensitive art installation to catch! Check out this blog post for all the Thomas Dambo trolls near Seattle.
13. Visit the Fremont Troll
If you yourself visiting Fremont north of Seattle center, you may want to search for this famous landmark. The Fremont Troll is an 18-foot cement sculpture located under the Aurora Bridge that was created by a team of 4 artists. It was installed in 1990 by Steve Badanes, Will Martin, Donna Walter and Ross Whitehead. It’s located a short 5 minute walk from B. Fuller’s Mortar & Pestle Tea shop.
Summary of Things to Do in Seattle in the Fall
In conclusion, whether you’re a foodie, outdoorsy gal or museum junkie, Seattle has so many things to offer, especially when visiting in the fall.
I hope that this blog post helped you brainstorm your trip to Seattle and I’m sure you will find so many things to do in Seattle in the fall! Ready to book your trip to Seattle? Here is your ultimate guide to visiting Seattle for where to stay, eat and play! Additionally, here is a list of useful travel guide and ideas.
- Ultimate Travel Guide to Seattle Washington
- Things to do in the Olympic Peninsula
- Discover the Magic of Thomas Dambo Trolls Near Seattle
- Best Mexico Destinations Non-Stop Flight from Seattle
- Best Day Trips from Seattle
- Best Hidden Gems of Seattle
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Evie
Female solo traveler, blogger and personal finance nerd helping women plan their solo travel adventures!
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