WTA Hiking Guide

Rugged and spectacular-yes. Gothic, perhaps, for this stark and mysterious basin harbors hidden tarns and disappearing waterways and is surrounded by spiraling peaks. A difficult hike on steep and rocky terrain, Gothic Basin with all its rich beauty can't keep hikers away; just as it couldn't keep miners away a century ago with its lure of riches. It was those hardy folk who built this path. It has been upgraded since-somewhat. The splendor of the basin, however, can't be improved one bit. Past glaciers and the agents of erosion have left it pretty darn near to perfect.

Ranking among the supreme ridge-running, cloud-probing, peak-peering jaunts in all of the North Cascades, the trek to Grasshopper Pass will have you hopping with joy with its nonstop horizon-spanning views of jagged ridges and colossal summits. Best of all, this alpine rapture is achieved with minimal effort. The trail starts high and stays high. And with the trail's gentle ups and down, most hikers young and old, two and four legged will have no problem making the journey.

All you have to do to enjoy this trail is survive perhaps the worst road in the Cascades. But the long, slow drive (crawl) is worth it. You'll ramble through groves of ancient forests, cross massive avalanche chutes choked with slide alder and salmonberries, and enjoy endless views of the stunning peaks of the upper Snoqualmie River watershed. Reap maximum benefit by visiting in late summer through early fall: (1) because by September most of the mosquitoes are dead and gone; (2) because cooler nights add brilliant color to the vine maples and slide alders; and (3) because ripe huckleberries await at the upper end of the valley.

Pack a fishing pole and a camera. There are many meal-sized trout in this basin's lakes, and there are endless views to enjoy both on the trail and at the trail's end. The route pierces the old-growth forest in the valley as it enters the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and leads to glorious examples of the wilderness's namesake lakes. Hester Lake sprawls below Mount Price, and short scrambles are possible to Little Hester Lake and the scenic ridges around the basin.

Following the Wonderland Trail, this route explores the floor of Stevens Canyon, and along the way, you'll find a number of waterfalls along Stevens Creek and its tributaries. The trail is broad and generally well maintained, though the 2006 storms took out some of the bridges and washed out one section of trail. As of this writing, this section of the Wonderland Trail is closed, though repairs are underway. Hikers should contact the park before venturing out.

Hike through forest, then up steep, open slopes to a magnificent ridge top.

This is an abandoned trail that heads south along Rainy Creek off of the downstream side of Middle Fork Snoqualmie Trail.

An easy all-day hike along a roaring wild waterway embraced by coniferous giants, or a very long all-day hike to a pair of subalpine lakes in the shadows of the jagged Sawtooth Range. Neither hike is particularly difficult; they just require endurance and some good aerobic conditioning because of their lengths. No matter your destination, though, you'll have plenty of company. The North Fork Skokomish River valley has been attracting legions of hikers ever since Lieutenant O'Neil and his boys passed this way shortly after Washington became a state.

Sasse Ridge offers views nearly as good as those found from Jolly Mountain without the muscle-ripping climb. You'll work hard for just over a mile, but then you have several miles of ridgetop meandering through meadows and over view-rich peaks. Few hikers visit this trail, so you can stride out and enjoy a quiet hike, stopping as often and for as long as you want to enjoy the fields of wildflowers on the dry (bring water), wind-swept ridge.

After the first mile, you'll climb relentlessly, for much of the way in dense forests with few or no views. But the payoff for this thigh-burning, lung-tearing workout: incredible vistas from atop one of the highest peaks on the easternmost flank of the Goat Rocks.

Perched in a spectacular basin at the base of Mount Pilchuck's sheer northern face, sparkling Lake Twentytwo is a stunning sight. But there's more to this popular hike than the picturesque lake and its backdrop of waterfalls and avalanche chutes. For much of the way the well-constructed trail follows cascading Twentytwo Creek through an exemplary ancient forest of gargantuan cedars. An excellent hike to acquaint children and neophytes with the natural world-just don't expect to be alone on this favorite of many a Puget Sound hiker.

Pine and fir forest fill the valley of Union Creek, providing a cool retreat from the heat of summer. Explore open meadows and shadow-laden forests, watching for the deer and elk that browse through the valley and the birds that swarm the clusters of berry bushes and bug-rich creekbed. Dippers (a.k.a. water ouzels) plunge into the water to snatch up aquatic insects. Hammer-headed woodpeckers and flickers pound out a bass line behind the melody of twittering nuthatches and trilling juncos. Not everyone will hear these feathered musicians--they have to take a break between sets--but everyone can enjoy the fragrant pine forest and, from the end of the trail, the spectacular views over the valley and beyond.

You'll feel jolly on top, but you'll jolly-well earn it. As you climb the trail you'll be questioning the value of the views from the top--are they worth the thigh-burning, lung-popping workout of the ascent? But once you reach the top, you'll forget the sweat and tears of the trail as you soak in the mind-numbing, eye-pleasing panorama encircling you.

Travel along a rugged knolled snowy and rocky spine above glaciers and barren slopes to almost within embracing distance of majestic Baker. Across alpine tundra, and snowfields that never retreat in summer's heat, feel the pulse of the frozen volcano on this hike. But be forewarned: this trail is more of a climbers path, rough and sketchy in spots, buried beneath snow in others. Take ice ax and map and turn around when the going gets spooky. If you're prepared and conditions are good, however, your journey across Ptarmigan Ridge will be one of the most stimulating and exhilarating in your life.

The Bogachiel River snakes through Washington's forgotten rain forest. No main roads run along this major Olympic river, nor penetrate its wild valley. There are no visitors centers here either. No interpretive trails or developed campgrounds amid the towering spruce and fir. There's nothing fancy here at all-just a quiet backcountry trail through pure rainforest wilderness.

A series of falls, nine in all, two that are stunning and one-the tallest at 265 feet-that's absolutely spectacular! As Wallace Falls is one of the best known and loved sets of cataracts in the Evergreen State, expect plenty of company on this hike. And while these falls are grand any time of year, visit on a rainy day. Each raindrop that falls from the heavens and makes its way to the Wallace River enhances the intensity and stimulating beauty of this cavalcade of crashing cascades.

A short .5 mile hike, taking you to the top of Blue Mountain. Views of the Cascades, Vancouver Island/Strait of Juan De Fuca, Gray wolf Ridge, and so much more

The Big Quilcene Trail to Marmot Pass is one of the most popular trails in the Olympic National Forest. What many hikers don't realize is that it was once twice as long. The road delivering them to the trailhead severed it in two. Good news, though, the entire trail still exists, the eastern 6 miles now known as the Lower Big Quilcene Trail. And although not in the Buckhorn Wilderness, it's still quite wild in places. Much of the route runs through a rugged canyon cloaked in primeval forest. And while past logging has eaten away at the periphery, plenty of ancient groves grace the way.

This is one of the most scenic, most accessible (including for kids, at least to the pass), and not surprisingly the most crowded high-country romps in the North Cascades-and the only trailhead in the 684,000-acre North Cascades National Park that you can drive to. Mixed in with the throngs of Puget Sound hikers are folks from Munich, Tokyo, and Kalamazoo. And none of them return disappointed after frolicking among fields of flowers, peaks of ice, and boulders bearing basking marmots-some of the most outstanding alpine landscapes to be found anywhere in the world.

A flat hike through old forests leads to a wide expanse of water. Hyas Lake is actually a pair of pools in the middle of the Cle Elum River. The lower pool is a broad but shallow lake that sprawls nearly all the way across the valley floor and stretches more than a mile from one end to the other. The upper pool is a smaller, even shallower lake. In reality, it's the same lake, but the waters have been divided by a hearty growth of marsh grasses--as the grasses grew, they trapped more and more sediment, until finally a small band of muddy ground stretched across the upper end of the long Hyas Lake, leaving the smaller fragment just a few dozen yards above the lower lake. Plan to venture at least as far as the middle of the lower lake--and the best rest stops are at the upper end of the lake.

The meadows alone make the trek to the top of 6500-foot Green Mountain worth the sweat and energy expended. Acres upon acres of emerald slopes burst with a dazzling display of wildflowers. But it's hard to stay focused on Green Mountain's brilliant floral arrangements when its jaw-dropping scenic sideshow is dominated by the gargantuan snow cone of Glacier Peak. Green Mountain offers one of the finest views in the North Cascades, and did I fail to mention the historical fire lookout to boot?

This is a nice woods trail, but only few views reward the hiker until she/he arrives at Stevens Canyon road in Mt. Rainier N. P. Trail starts alongside a grassy rock slab and works its way to the top of the ridge.

The eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 left this area was inundated with up to 600 feet of mud from the initial landslide, but today is a reminder of nature's strong ability to recover and rebuild. Elk roam the basin, browsing on the lush plant life around the small pothole lakes and ponds.

Spring and fall are the best times to hike Eastern Washington's desert country and Swakane Canyon is an inspired choice. Its rolling hills beckon as you drive north along US 97, and they don't disappoint the few hikers that take the time to visit.

An Olympic classic-bag this peak for one of the most supreme views this side of Hood Canal. From the jagged summit peer deep into the heart of the Olympic wilderness or out across Lake Cushman and Puget Sound to the Cascades spanning the eastern horizon. All of this comes at a price, however-the trail to Ellinor is steep and tough.

You won't find better views anywhere else this close to Seattle. Rattlesnake Ledge is a monolithic block of rock on the eastern end of Rattlesnake Ridge, towering high over the cool waters of Rattlesnake Lake and the Snoqualmie River valley. Looking up from the trailhead, the site is daunting--the rock face looks sheer and impregnable. Fortunately, the cliff face isn't too broad, and hearty Washington Trails Association volunteers have carved a path through the steep forests flanking the rock face. Indeed, the original trail, which was daunting in its own right, has been largely replaced with a new, more secure pathway.

"Paralleling the beautiful Clear Fork of the Cowlitz River, this trail is flat and smooth, making it a wonderful hiking adventure for families with small children or for those who simply want to enjoy the wilderness without a lot of exertion. Over the entire trail length, the elevation gain is less than 300 feet. Walking ease doesn't correspond to a lack of interesting sights, though. The best and most dominant feature of this hike is the ever-beautiful Clear Fork of the Cowlitz River and the smaller Little Lava Creek on the other side of the valley. We enjoy simply listening to the river; watching the cold, clear water roll over the rocks; admiring the thirsty wildlife that gathers on its shores; or casting a fly into the river and feeling the raw energy of the strong, toothy trout that prowl the icy pools and eddies. In addition to the river, the trail leads to Lily Lake, a small mea-dow tarn that is the favorite haunt of muskrats and mule deer.

Don't expect to find much heather growing along the shores of this pretty little subalpine lake. That ubiquitous mountain shrub is pretty hard to find on this hike. But what you can expect to see along the way are some mighty fine old cedars. Expect, too, to be serenaded by babbling brooks, wooed by fine views of Mount Pilchuck's craggy, rocky north face, and charmed by Heather's placid waters. Don't plan on being alone here, however; this easy trail is one of the premier stomping grounds off of the Mountain Loop Highway. On a sunny summer weekend, you'll likely encounter the entire spectrum of the hiking world, from old-timers to neophytes and everyone in between.