We know Washington's cities are booming, attracting thousands of newcomers each year. But did you know demand for Pacific Northwest campgrounds and trails is growing even faster?

This week on Booming: why landing a good spot outdoors can feel harder than scoring Taylor Swift tickets, and what you can do to get around the campground crunch.

Plus, we'll put our new campsite hunting tools to the test in a race to reserve a spot on one of the hottest weekends of the summer -- and take you inside Seattle's 'ghost mall.'

A special thanks to all you listeners out there who financially support KUOW. You make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/booming. Thank you.

"Booming" is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producer is Lucy Soucek. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.