Quietest Places in WA...Least Man-Made Noise? (Spokane, Vancouver: home, landscaping)

[runningfromnoise82]

At minimal:
-Loud Exhaust/ATVs/Modified Mufflers...None to very minimal --no more than a sum total of a few minutes a day, no more than 15 instances per day, most/all at least 1/4 mile away.
-Motorized noise/Compressors (landscaping, agricultural): No more than 3 hours per week at audible distance
-No sonic booms
-No low miltary aircraft (nothing against the military, just don't want to live under their training routes ever again)
-Minimal air traffic in general
-No distant humming noises from compressors/motors
-No train noise

Research so far:
There is relatively little flight traffic over Northern WA from North Cascades National Park to Colville National Forest. But, I also noticed there is an AF base in Spokane, so now I'm wondering over what areas they flyover?

[Hemlock140]

Here in Sammamish, once you get away from the main arterial traffic sounds (228th) it's very quiet. We are about 1/2 mile uphill from it, and maybe 5-6 cars go by us all day long. My game camera catches cars going by and most nights there are no cars at all from 6pm-6am. No loud exhausts, or any of the other noises you mentioned at all except for the usual lawnmowers, leaf blowers, and pressure washers, but those are not frequent, less than 3 hours per week. Also a few generators when we have a rare power outage, once or twice a year. At night it's totally silent except for the occasional hoot of an owl once in a while.

[homesinseattle]

In King County, Vashon Island can be very quiet.

[Diana Holbrook]

Originally Posted by runningfromnoise82

At minimal:
-Loud Exhaust/ATVs/Modified Mufflers...None to very minimal --no more than a sum total of a few minutes a day, no more than 15 instances per day, most/all at least 1/4 mile away.
-Motorized noise/Compressors (landscaping, agricultural): No more than 3 hours per week at audible distance
-No sonic booms
-No low miltary aircraft (nothing against the military, just don't want to live under their training routes ever again)
-Minimal air traffic in general
-No distant humming noises from compressors/motors
-No train noise

Research so far:
There is relatively little flight traffic over Northern WA from North Cascades National Park to Colville National Forest. But, I also noticed there is an AF base in Spokane, so now I'm wondering over what areas they flyover?

Trying to measure noise with measurements of time is confusing, I think. You need to measure quietness in terms of distance.

There are lots of places in SW WA that are very remote. Look deep in the middle of the quadrant South of HW 12 and West of I-5... All the way out to the ocean. Also up on the Peninsula. There are lots of remote areas there where you may go for days without hearing other people... but you need to be in the middle of a sizeable parcel to be "sure". If you can see a road, you'll have occasional traffic on it. If you see another house, they will occasionally make noise. I live pretty remote, only one neighbor I can see from our property, our other neighbors are a thousand acres of trees and a river... but we still hear people from time to time. But only from time to time. Not daily or regularly, but when there's something happening.

Buy a big patch of timber - as big as you can afford, mark it no hunting and gate it - and build your sanctuary in the middle of it. Of course, it costs money to run wires out there if you want to be on the grid.... but success depends on how far away from other people you can get, not trying to find people who are nearby who only make predicable amounts of noise. The other people who find remote places sometimes do that because they want to enjoy their property and hunt or ride their ATV without being told they can't.


I have said before on this forum, there are two kinds of people who live out in the middle of nowhere. Those who love peace and quiet, and those who wouldn't be tolerated in town. The key to peace for both, is distance.

[flyingsaucermom]

Originally Posted by Diana Holbrook

I have said before on this forum, there are two kinds of people who live out in the middle of nowhere. Those who love peace and quiet, and those who wouldn't be tolerated in town. The key to peace for both, is distance.

Haha! Now I really GET THIS. On my street we have the "organic farmer" and a flat-out hoarder. For the unaccustomed it can be challenging to separate the two, but I suspect which of your two categories both fall under.

And I'm still unsure about my next door neighbors if I'm being frank.. he had a (non-disclosed) accident and on disability. Instead of a job he takes his cats out for short walks (on leash) about a dozen times a day. I also suspect the remainder of the day he's looking at me through one of his bedroom windows..

I don't necessarily blame him if he were... the previous owner was in the home since the early 1950's. I can only imagine how exciting and what a great curiosity it is to have me around...

There are nice, thick blinds on the side wall windows. Though I like lots of natural light I use them frequently.

[Diana Holbrook]

Originally Posted by flyingsaucermom

Haha! Now I really GET THIS. On my street we have the "organic farmer" and a flat-out hoarder. For the unaccustomed it can be challenging to separate the two, but I suspect which of your two categories both fall under.

And I'm still unsure about my next door neighbors if I'm being frank.. he had a (non-disclosed) accident and on disability. Instead of a job he takes his cats out for short walks (on leash) about a dozen times a day. I also suspect the remainder of the day he's looking at me through one of his bedroom windows..

I don't necessarily blame him if he were... the previous owner was in the home since the early 1950's. I can only imagine how exciting and what a great curiosity it is to have me around...

There are nice, thick blinds on the side wall windows. Though I like lots of natural light I use them frequently.

The one good thing people have going for them, is they ARE fascinating! Every single one of us!

[StealthRabbit]

Large acreage will not protect you from aircraft / and distant train / barge noise.

Do your research. I would look at Republic, WA area.

[texasdiver]

Stealth is right. Probably way up in the NE corner of the state in the Okanagan or Colville Reservation area around Republic. That would be the part of the state furthest away from any population centers or industry.

[StealthRabbit]

but... be sure to know the Boeing, Whidbey NAS, and Fairchild, ANG test / training flight routes (as is possible to know).

IIRC they utilize Ione, WA airport from some back-country / wilderness training.

We have a really quiet area at Cape Horn, WA (between PDX approaches and NOT under departure routes. ) but a neighbor only 6 miles away is always protesting PDX flight patterns / noise. We had a lot more aircraft noise in Southern Hazel Dell. (The Vancouver Lake approach to PDX)... (Freeway noise as well ~ 2 miles away each direction). Most of our surrounding land (large parcels) is bought and donated to NFS as 'set-aside' for Gorge preservation. Distant train and barge rumble on summer nights with windows open. Lifeflight copter ~ 2-3x / week. more frequent during Snow Ski Season.

Owls, Coyotes, and Bigfoot crashing around in the forest.
https://skamania.org/experience-skam...h-sightings-2/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/n...rrets-bigfoot/

[wolfdog]

Avoid Whidbey Island. The sounds of freedom are all over the place.