Since joining Seattle Met in 2011, Allison Williams has overseen the magazine’s travel and outdoor coverage, and has contributed to all sections of the magazine. Allison was raised in Olympia and earned degrees from Duke University and University of Alaska. She began her career in New York City in the newsrooms of Metro newspaper and Time Out New York, then hightailed it back to her native habitat so she could write guidebooks and climb mountains.

Tread Lightly

Trail Running Is Taking Over (and It's Not as Hard as You Think)

Sometimes running means walking.

05/22/2018 By Allison Williams

No Chihuahua Left Behind

Northwest Adventure Dogs Have Their Very Own Search and Rescue

Dog in danger? Call WASART at 425-681-5498. The policy: Call sooner rather than later.

05/22/2018 By Allison Williams

Pooch Perks

Dogs Are Gearheads, Too

Taking Fido on an adventure? You need more than a leash. Check out how many toys there are to kit out your canine for Northwest extremes.

05/22/2018 By Allison Williams

Guns on Board

Who Packs a Gun When They're Backpacking? More People Than You’d Expect.

And you might say it's a bit controversial.

05/22/2018 By Allison Williams

Bear With Us

Grizzlies Might Return to the Cascade Mountains

And for that we may have to thank…the Trump Administration?

05/22/2018 By Allison Williams

Judgment Calls

Should You Be Doing That on the Trail?

We weigh the arguments for and against controversial outdoor activity.

05/22/2018 By Allison Williams

Feature

White Users Dominate the Outdoors Nationwide, and the Pacific Northwest Is No Exception

The outdoors are for everyone—but getting everyone outside isn't going to happen on its own.

05/22/2018 By Allison Williams

Gear Guide

Here in Seattle, Our Gear Better Be Next Level

Outdoor togs and toys have to clear a high bar these days. We expect multifunctional gear that’s loaded with extras, and Seattle makers’ newest offerings oblige.

05/22/2018 By Allison Williams

Best of the Northwest

The New Classics: 25 Amazing Washington Hikes

Guys, we don’t all need to hike Mount Si this weekend. Once you’ve explored Washington’s busiest trails, make these your to-do list. Plus: our favorite weekday and kid-friendly hikes.

05/22/2018 By Allison Williams

Lottery Life

Permits Are Changing Everything

Welcome to the great outdoors. Do you have a reservation?

05/22/2018 By Allison Williams

Room with a View

Four-Star Campsites in Washington's Wilderness

We expect more from our campgrounds than a few dirt clearings in the woods. High-end amenities from ice cream stands to volleyball courts pop up next to scenic sites across the state.

05/22/2018 By Allison Williams

Cover Story

The Insider's Guide to Pacific Northwest Hiking

Welcome to the age of next-level gear, dog rescue squads, and campsites with hot tubs—and a new list of do’s and don’ts. Dig into our guide to the brave new world of playing outside.

05/22/2018 By Allison Williams

Society by Starbucks

Is Starbucks Still America's Town Square?

It's what the coffee giant set out to be—but its racial bias fiasco may place that in jeopardy.

05/22/2018 By Allison Williams

Light a Fire 2018: Extraordinary Board Member

Rachel Prusynski Is a Catastrophe Survivor with a Mission

05/22/2018 By Allison Williams

Light a Fire 2018: Extraordinary Volunteer

Ted Neill Is Wise in the Ways of Recovery

"At closing time he stacks chairs and mops floors so staff can leave—he remembers nonprofit burnout."

05/22/2018 By Allison Williams

A Better Place

Light a Fire 2018: Honoring Seattle's Best and Brightest Nonprofits and Volunteers

05/22/2018 By James Ross Gardner, Stefan Milne, Hayat Norimine, Rosin Saez, Allecia Vermillion, and Allison Williams

Tiger Mountain High

So You Want to Try Paragliding

On a scenic hillside in Issaquah, pilots take flight wearing little more than a backpack and a kind of parachute. It may resemble an extreme sport, but paragliding is more about hang time than radical dives.

04/24/2018 By Allison Williams

Explainer

How to Save an Orca Whale

The governor has assembled a task force to address Washington’s killer whale crisis. But saving our shrinking orca population is no small task.

04/20/2018 By Allison Williams

Northwest Travel

20 Perfect Spring Day Trips

Treks, tours, and garden getaways to celebrate the end of winter: Pet a wallaby, haunt a ghost town, or hunker down in a hotel that might as well be in Hawaii.

03/29/2018 By Allison Williams

Around the World in Many Days

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race Is Headed for Seattle

When a fleet of globe-sailing yachts arrives in April, don’t be surprised if you decide to join a crew.

03/23/2018 By Allison Williams