Our Mission and Vision
Discover Your Northwest promotes the discovery of Northwest public lands, enriches the experience of visitors, and encourages stewardship of these special places today and for generations to come.
We envision more residents and visitors as active stewards who understand and care for the unique natural and cultural heritage of Northwest public lands.
Who We Are
Founded in 1974 as the Pacific Northwest National Parks Interpretive Association through the collaboration of local public lands organizations, Discover Your Northwest has since grown to partner with numerous public lands units across the Pacific Northwest. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and an environmental social enterprise, our work, proceeds, and efforts all support education, outreach, and the sustainable enrichment of visitor experiences on public lands.
We believe passionately in the value public lands provide to people and are dedicated to ensuring they remain places of education, recreation, and inspiration for everyone. Our partnerships include the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Reclamation, US Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle Parks and Recreation, and Washington State Parks.
What We Do
We cultivate appreciation of Northwest public lands by operating on-site educational bookstores that provide visitors with high-quality books, educational products, maps, media, and other items that enhance visitor understanding. Our retail sales fund visitor events and programs, state-of-the-art displays, free publications, speakers and performances, habitat cleanup and restoration, and programs for volunteers of all social backgrounds.
Our retail activities provide the foundation for us to successfully fundraise for various projects and administer grants and agreements that enhance visitor experiences across Northwest public lands.
You'll find us in urban industrial locations as well as remote wilderness areas. Whether serving the visitors of the Ballard Locks in Seattle or Montana's historic Lolo Pass Visitor Center, we are proud to serve our mission in well-loved places across the Northwest.
Our History
You may not have heard of us until recently, but we were founded in 1974 when we began our retail activities at a few select Northwest parks and forests. Over the years we've grown into an organization with educational sales operations serving locations across the greater Northwest. If you've purchased a map or trail guide or educational item at Mount Rainier National Park, Olympic National Park, Mount St Helens NVM, or other Northwest parks or forests, you've probably bought it from us! We generate about $1,000,000 in educational funding for visitor programs annually. Our ability to service our mission depends on successful retail operations and visitors like you choosing to purchase from Discover Your Northwest, and for that we thank you!
Recent Activities
We're getting involved in new projects all the time. We are currently fundraising for the Ballard Locks Fish Ladder Viewing Gallery, in need of major renovations to serve the million annual visitors who come to experience Seattle's iconic returning salmon. We've provided foundation building resources to support ongoing local efforts connecting visitors and volunteers with Central Oregon's National Forests through Discover Your Forest. We also help host many programs and events across the Northwest, proceeds are used to help visitors discover and appreciate the rich history and striking beauty of our region's public lands. Want to see some of our featured projects? You can find out more here.
Thank you for your support!