Tick Season in Washington: What to Know Before You Head Outdoors
March 31, 2026
Washington state offers some of the most breathtaking outdoor landscapes in the country — from the dense forests of the Cascades to the sweeping grasslands of the east. But spending time in those beautiful spaces also means sharing them with ticks.
Tick season in Washington is a real concern for hikers, hunters, campers, and anyone who enjoys time outdoors. Although Washington reports relatively few tick-borne disease cases each year compared to other parts of the United States, changing climate patterns are altering the ranges of ticks and the diseases they carry. That makes it more important than ever to understand what you’re dealing with before you step outside.
In this guide, you’ll learn exactly when tick season peaks in Washington, which tick species to watch for, what diseases they can transmit, where risk is highest, and how to protect yourself, your children, and your pets every time you venture out.
When Is Tick Season in Washington
Ticks are present year-round in Washington but are most active in the warmer months of spring and summer. If you’re planning outdoor activities between March and October, tick awareness should be part of your routine.
Ticks are most commonly encountered during the spring and early summer months. This is when adult ticks are actively seeking hosts, and when nymphs — the tiny, harder-to-spot juvenile stage — are also on the move. Nymphs are particularly concerning because their small size makes them easy to miss during a tick check.
Tick season in western Washington is generally April through October/November; however, year-round treatment and awareness is recommended. In eastern Washington, the pattern is similar, with peak activity concentrated in the warmer months when residents spend more time hiking, camping, and working outdoors.
Key Insight: Don’t assume the cold months make you completely safe. Ticks can remain active on mild winter days, especially in western Washington’s moderate climate. Year-round vigilance is the safest approach.
If you enjoy trout fishing in Washington or dove hunting season, both of which put you in grassy, brushy, and wooded habitats during prime tick activity months, incorporating tick prevention into your outdoor routine is especially important.
Types of Ticks Found in Washington
Washington is home to several species of ticks. While the global tick population encompasses over 800 species, Washington hosts a smaller variety, with a few posing health risks to humans and animals. Knowing which species you’re most likely to encounter — and where — helps you stay prepared.
According to the Washington State Department of Health, there are four types of ticks commonly found in the state. Here’s a closer look at each one:
| Tick Species | Primary Location | Primary Hosts | Key Disease Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Black-legged Tick (Ixodes pacificus) | Western WA & eastern Cascades slopes | Deer, rodents, humans | Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis |
| Rocky Mountain Wood Tick (Dermacentor andersoni) | Eastern WA woodlands & grasslands | Large mammals, humans | Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, tick paralysis |
| American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis) | SW WA grasslands & scrub areas | Dogs, large mammals, humans | Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia |
| Soft Tick (Ornithodoros hermsi) | Eastern WA mountain cabins | Rodents, sleeping humans | Tick-borne relapsing fever |
The western black-legged tick is found in western Washington and along the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains. This tick is the state’s primary vector of Lyme disease and anaplasmosis.
The Rocky Mountain wood tick is commonly found in wooded areas and grasslands, especially in the eastern parts of the state. Adult males and females favor medium to large-sized mammals like deer, elk, and livestock as hosts, and they readily bite humans. Of particular concern is their ability to transmit diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Colorado tick fever.
The American dog tick is a common sight in Washington’s grasslands and scrub habitats in the southwest region. While it doesn’t carry Lyme disease, it can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia.
Soft ticks are much more stealthy than their hard-shell counterparts. They lack a hard protective shell, so they feed mostly at night, remain attached for a short time, and make a painless bite that is often unnoticeable. They are mostly encountered by humans only when sleeping in mountainous areas in a rustic, rodent-infested cabin. You might not even know you’ve been bitten until or unless you develop symptoms of a disease.
Pro Tip: To better understand how ticks reproduce and why populations can surge in certain seasons, it helps to know that ticks require a blood meal at each life stage — meaning a single wooded trail can support multiple generations simultaneously.
Tick-Borne Diseases in Washington
In the Pacific Northwest, relatively few tick-borne disease cases are reported each year in comparison to other regions of the United States. That said, the diseases that do occur in Washington can be serious, and knowing the symptoms helps you act quickly if something feels wrong after a tick bite.
In Washington, the tick-borne diseases known to be acquired include anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tick-borne relapsing fever, tick paralysis, and tularemia.
Here’s what you need to know about each:
Lyme Disease: Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the United States but is rare in Washington. Only zero to three Lyme disease cases per year are reported to be acquired within the state. The first sign of Lyme disease is usually an expanding circular rash that starts at the site of the tick bite. The rash may have a target shape or “bull’s-eye” appearance. Fever, headache, muscle aches, and joint pain may also occur. Learn more about Lyme disease prevention from the CDC.
Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever: Symptoms include relapsing (recurrent) periods of fever lasting two to seven days, disappearing for about four to fourteen days, and then reoccurring. One to 12 cases of tick-borne relapsing fever are reported each year in Washington. Most people become infected while staying in rural, mountainous cabins of eastern Washington during the summer months. You can find more detail in our overview of tick-borne encephalitis and related illnesses.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF): Transmitted by the American dog tick or the Rocky Mountain wood tick, RMSF may cause fever, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, lack of appetite, and severe headache. These symptoms are often accompanied by a rash, abdominal pain, joint pain, and diarrhea. Zero to three cases occur in Washington each year.
Anaplasmosis: Anaplasmosis is caused by a bacterium called Anaplasma phagocytophilum, typically transmitted by the bite of an infected black-legged tick. Symptoms typically begin within one to two weeks after the bite and can include chills, fever, severe headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Anaplasmosis has been diagnosed in numerous dogs in Washington State, and the first human case likely exposed in Washington was reported in 2022.
Babesiosis: Babesiosis typically causes chills, fatigue, fever, muscle pain, and anemia. In Washington, babesiosis is generally believed to be transmitted by the western black-legged tick.
Tick Paralysis: Tick paralysis is a rare disease thought to be caused by a toxin in tick saliva. Symptoms include progressive paralysis that begins after the tick has fed for four to seven days, usually starting in the legs with muscle weakness, loss of coordination, numbness, and difficulty standing or walking, and progressing upward.
Tularemia: Up to 10 cases of tularemia are reported each year in Washington. It is transmitted by several Dermacentor tick species and can cause fever, skin ulcers, and swollen lymph nodes.
Important Note: If you develop a rash, fever, or flu-like illness within several weeks of a tick bite, contact your healthcare provider right away and mention the tick exposure. Early treatment significantly improves outcomes for all tick-borne diseases.
High-Risk Areas and Habitats in Washington
Ticks are found throughout Washington, from its dense forests and coastal areas to urban parks and backyards. Their presence varies with geography, climate, and season, but certain areas, especially those with lush vegetation and wildlife, harbor higher tick populations.
Understanding the geographic divide within the state helps you assess your personal risk:
- Western Washington: The western black-legged tick lives in forested, oak savannah, or brushy areas across parts of western Washington and the eastern slopes of the Cascades, like the eastern section of the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Highway.
- Eastern Washington: The western dog tick and Rocky Mountain wood tick are vectors of Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia, and these ticks are common in eastern Washington. All tick-borne relapsing fever exposures in one study were in eastern Washington, most in Okanogan and Spokane counties.
- Central Washington: The most tick sightings in Washington are in Central Washington, based on data from the Washington Tracking Network’s tick surveillance dashboard.
- Kitsap Peninsula: This area, including towns like Poulsbo, Bremerton, Silverdale, and Bainbridge Island, has a high tick population due to its deer habitats.
In terms of specific habitat types, ticks tend to concentrate in:
- Tall grasses and meadows along trail edges
- Brushy, shrubby areas at the transition between woods and open land
- Leaf litter and low-lying vegetation in forested areas
- Summer cabins and vacation homes, especially in Eastern Washington, where rodents and their ticks may be present.
Pro Tip: The Washington State Department of Health maintains a Tick Data Dashboard that shows where ticks have been submitted and reported across the state. Check it before planning trips to new areas.
Hunters and their dogs face especially elevated risk. Hunters and their dogs are especially vulnerable to tick-borne diseases because of time spent in tick-infected areas. If you spend time in the field during hunting seasons, be sure to check out our tips on preventing tick-borne diseases in your dog and learn about animals that naturally eat ticks and help keep populations in check.
How to Protect Yourself, Children, and Pets During Tick Season in Washington
The good news is that most tick bites — and the diseases they can cause — are preventable. Your best defense against tick-borne infections is to reduce exposure to ticks. A few consistent habits go a long way.
Protecting Yourself and Children
Wear appropriate clothing when in tick habitats — light-colored, tightly woven long pants and a long-sleeve shirt. Tuck your pant legs into socks or boots, and your shirt into your pants. This helps keep ticks on the outside of your clothing where you can spot them more easily.
Use tick repellent when necessary, and carefully follow instructions on the label. Apply an EPA-registered repellent effective against ticks, such as those containing DEET, to clothes and exposed skin, and permethrin to clothes and gear. Take care when applying repellent on children.
When hiking, avoid wooded and brushy areas with tall grass and leaf litter. Walk in the center of trails, particularly in spring and summer when ticks feed.
Shower soon after being outdoors. Showering within two hours of being in tick habitat can reduce your risk of getting Lyme disease and may be effective in reducing the risk of other tick-borne diseases. Showering can wash off unattached ticks and is a good opportunity to do a tick check.
Check your body and your child’s body thoroughly for ticks. Carefully inspect areas in and around the hair, head, neck, ears, under arms, inside the belly button, around the waist, between the legs, and behind the knees. Ticks can be very small before they feed — look for what may appear like a new freckle or speck of dirt. Continue checking for two to three days after returning from areas with ticks.
Protecting Your Pets
Check clothing, gear, and pets after being in potential tick habitats. Ticks can hitch a ride into your home on clothing and pets, then attach to you or a family member later. Carefully examine coats, camping gear, and daypacks.
Keep dogs and cats out of wooded and tall grassy areas to prevent pets from bringing ticks home. Tick control products are available for pets — follow label instructions and talk to your veterinarian if you have questions. For dogs that spend time in the field, the CDC’s tick prevention guidance is a helpful reference alongside your vet’s recommendations.
Reducing Ticks Around Your Home
You can make your yard less attractive to ticks. Focus your management of tick habitat to areas frequently used by your family, not necessarily your entire property. Remove leaf litter, brush, wood piles, and trash near your home and yard to reduce the likelihood that deer, rodents, and ticks will live there. Clear tall grasses and brush from around your home.
A three-foot-wide barrier of wood chips or gravel between wooded areas and patios or play equipment can reduce tick migration to these areas.
Common Mistake: Many people only check themselves for ticks immediately after returning indoors. Since ticks can be very small before feeding, doing a second and even third check over the following two to three days significantly improves your chances of finding one before it’s been attached long enough to transmit disease.
What to Do If You Find a Tick in Washington
Finding a tick on your body is understandably alarming, but staying calm and acting quickly is the right approach. The sooner you remove it, the lower your risk of disease transmission.
How to Remove a Tick Safely
- Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as possible.
- Pull upward with steady, even pressure.
- Don’t twist or jerk the tick — this may cause the mouthparts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouthparts with clean tweezers. If you are unable to remove them easily, leave the area alone and let the skin heal.
- After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
- Note the date that you found the tick attached to you, just in case you become ill.
Important Note: There is a lot of misinformation about the best ways to remove a tick. Do not use hot matches or coat the tick with oil, petroleum jelly, soap, or nail polish to get the tick to detach. These methods can cause the tick to release more saliva, increasing your risk of disease.
What to Do With the Tick After Removal
Don’t squish the tick — the state health department recommends that you save it for identification, if possible, by putting it into a crush-proof container. If you aren’t able to submit the tick or leave it behind in an outdoor location, the health department recommends flushing it down the toilet.
As the health department notes, “because different tick species transmit different diseases, knowing the tick species may help a health care provider diagnose an illness that could be associated with a tick bite.”
Monitoring for Symptoms
If you develop a rash, fever, or flu-like illness within several weeks of removing the tick, see your healthcare provider. Tell the healthcare provider about your recent tick bite, when the bite occurred, and where you most likely acquired the tick.
For pet owners, it’s worth reviewing our guide on preventing tick-borne diseases in dogs — the same removal principles apply, and prompt removal is equally critical for your animals.
Reporting Tick Bites and Tick-Borne Illness in Washington
Washington state has built one of the more accessible tick-reporting systems in the country, and your participation genuinely makes a difference for public health research and risk mapping.
Submitting a Tick for Identification
The Washington State Department of Health encourages the public to submit ticks for identification. By submitting a tick, you help track species distributions, seasonal activity trends, and determine risk for tick-borne disease in your area.
You can submit ticks found on yourself or your pet for identification. Safely remove the tick and place it in a crush-proof container. Follow the instructions provided on the submission form on how to handle and ship the tick. You will be emailed information on what tick species it is and what diseases that species can carry.
Tick submission data is publicly viewable. Public tick submission data collected since 2011 can be viewed at Washington Tracking Network’s Tick Data. This online Tick Data Dashboard shows where ticks have been found across the state.
Key Insight: The Washington State Department of Health can identify tick species. Because different tick species transmit different diseases, knowing the tick species may help a health care provider diagnose an illness that could be associated with a tick bite.
Reporting a Tick Encounter (Even Without a Specimen)
In 2024, Washington’s tick-reporting program was expanded to allow reporting tick encounters, even if someone didn’t keep the tick to submit. This means you can still contribute valuable data even if you didn’t save the tick.
Hikers are encouraged to report their tick encounters at the Washington Trails Association website. Everyone is also encouraged to report their tick encounters directly to the Washington State Department of Health.
Reporting Tick-Borne Illness
If you think you have symptoms of a tick-borne disease, contact your doctor. Doctors are asked to notify local health departments of suspected or confirmed cases of tick-borne disease. This reporting chain is what allows the state to track disease trends and direct public health resources appropriately.
If you’ve been bitten during an outdoor activity like dove hunting or a fishing trip, mention that specific activity and location to your doctor — it helps them assess your likely tick exposure and determine the right course of care.
Staying informed, taking simple precautions, and knowing how to respond if you find a tick are the most effective tools you have. Washington’s outdoors are worth exploring — just make tick awareness a standard part of every adventure.