India, Jan. 4 -- Seattle is an outdoor lover's paradise packed with things to do in all four seasons, from summer hiking and fall leaf-peeping to winter snow sports and ambling around downtown in the spring, when the rain starts to ease up and summer crowds haven't yet arrived.

Jewelia Rosenbaum, director of the Stonington Gallery, which showcases contemporary works by Indigenous artists of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, says mid-autumn is her favorite time in Seattle. "The rain is back, and the city becomes lush and green again. If you head up into the foothills, you can still catch the last of the salmon spawning in the streams and rivers of the Cascades."

But for you, the best time to go might be different. A good starting point i...