Plants loosely or densely cespitose, without rhizomes. Culms 40–70(100) cm, smooth, glabrous throughout; nodes usually not exposed. Sheathsclosed for less than 1/2 their length, glabrous or scabrous, persistent or slowly shredding into fibers; collars glabrous; ligules (0.2)0.3–0.5 mm; blades1.5–3 mm in diameter, loosely conduplicate to flat, persistent, abaxial surfaces glabrous and smooth, adaxial surfaces scabrous or pubescent on the ribs, veins 7–13, ribs 7–10(13), blades of the lower and upper cauline leaves similar in length and stiffness; abaxial sclerenchyma in strands opposite and about as wide as the major veins; adaxial sclerenchyma often present opposite the major veins; pillars or girders often developed. Inflorescences 8–12(15) cm, loosely contracted, with 1–2 branches per node; branches lax, spreading or loosely erect, lower branches with 2+ spikelets. Spikelets 8–15(18) mm, with (3)4–6(10) florets. Glumes exceeded by the upper florets, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, scabrous distally; lower glumes (2)3.5–5.5 mm; upper glumes (4)5.5–7(8) mm; calluses wider than long, glabrous, sometimes slightly scabrous; lemmas (5.5)8–10(11) mm, lance-olate, scabrous or puberulent at least distally, attenuate, sometimes minutely bidentate, awns 1–3(3.5) mm, terminal or subterminal, straight, occasionally absent; paleas about as long as the lemmas, intercostal region scabrous or puberulent distally; anthers (3)3.7–5.7 mm; ovary apicessparsely or densely pubescent. 2n = unknown.
Festuca washingtonica grows in subalpine to low alpine regions of British Columbia and Washington. It has also been reported from Oregon and northern California; these records have not been verified.