Visit Kurt Cobain’s hometown on the banks of the Chehalis River.
If you’re a fan of 90s grunge-rock band Nirvana, you may have heard of Aberdeen, Washington This small city that straddles both sides of the Chehalis River is where the band got their start, and many of Aberdeen’s key attractions are related to the short life of the band's frontman, Kurt Cobain. Aberdeen is also a popular stopover point for road-trippers heading toward the coast from Olympia, and its proximity to the beaches and natural areas on and around the North Bay make it a good spot to pick up supplies or stop for a meal.
Located between Aberdeen and Olympia, this forest is known for its recreation opportunities, with 150 miles of nature trails and seasonal campgrounds, some of which have corrals for people who want to bring their horses along. Popular activities here include mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding, and off-road vehicle driving.
Aberdeen is sometimes positioned as the gateway to the Olympic National Park, which encompasses much of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. Encompassing nearly a million acres of protected land, this park is best known for its ecological variety, from the mystical Hoh Rain Forest, which protects majestic old-growth trees, to Sol Duc Hot Springs, a popular spot to soak away your aches and pains.
Encompassing 560 acres, and only a half-hour drive from Aberdeen, the day-use-only Westport Light State Park is a fan favorite among surfers, offering fantastic winter surf conditions. The park has two beaches, a paved boardwalk, and picnic tables galore, but many visitors come to check out the state's largest lighthouse—Grays Harbor Lighthouse—which is situated right inside the park.
Aberdeen is not exactly known for its weather, and it’s wise to expect cooler temperatures and lots of rainfall no matter when you visit. With that in mind, the best months to visit are in July and August, when temperatures typically reach the upper 60s and rainfall and cloudy days are limited to a couple of days a year. Winters are cold, but rarely freezing, and get tons of rainfall, typical to the Pacific Northwest.