Hiking Guide
WTA's hiking guide is the most comprehensive database of hikes in Washington, and comprises content written by local hiking experts and user submitted information. All data is vetted by WTA staff. This resource is made possible by the donations of WTA members.
We respectfully acknowledge the lands we are visiting are the homelands of Indigenous tribes of the Pacific Northwest, some of whom have reserved rights on these lands. Tribes continue to rely on and share in the management of these lands today. Please tread gently and treat these places with respect.
Results List
4202 HikesTwin Falls
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
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Length
- 2.4 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 500 feet
-
Highest Point
- 1,000 feet
12.16.25 Twin Falls trail and trailhead are closed due to storm damage.
Visit a trio (yes, trio) of waterfalls just off I-90 on this sure-to-please short trail, perfect for families.
Coal Pass Snowshoe
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
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Length
- 10.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 2,400 feet
-
Highest Point
- 4,500 feet
12.15.25 - Trailhead inaccessible due to a washout on Glacier Creek Road.
Following a series of winding, snow-covered forest roads, the route to Coal Pass culminates in sweeping views of Mount Baker’s glaciated northwest flank.
Heliotrope Ridge
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
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Length
- 5.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,400 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,100 feet
12.15.25 - Trailhead inaccessible due to a washout on Glacier Creek Road.
If you'd like nose-to-nose access to Mount Baker, this first-rate woodsy walk delivers. Over a relatively short, well-maintained trail with mild elevation gain, you can be glacier-side in no time... if the creek crossings allow.
Spruce Nature Trail (Hoh)
Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast
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Length
- 1.2 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 230 feet
-
Highest Point
- 706 feet
12.12.25: The Hoh Rainforest area is closed until further notice due to flooding.
Enjoy an easy 1.2-mile loop near the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center. Pair it with the Hall of Mosses for a couple of nice, flat exploratory leg-stretchers in the Hoh. Both make for an interesting introduction to the area, and will be a hit with the kids!
Anderson and Watson Lakes
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
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Length
- 6.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,100 feet
-
Highest Point
- 4,900 feet
12.15.25 - Trailhead inaccessible due to a washout of the Anderson Watson Road.
This trail features plenty of variety, with destinations spaced perfectly for families or first-time backpackers. Beautiful hemlock forest, meadows dotted with wildflowers, gleaming lakes, mountain views, juicy berries and excellent camping are all available. Wait until later in the hiking season though, as this area is known for its bugs.
Frog Mountain
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 7.4 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 2,166 feet
-
Highest Point
- 4,852 feet
12.13.25 Trailhead inaccessible via FR 23 (Index-Galena Rd.) due to a washout.
Built with the help of many WTA work parties, the Frog Mountain trail is the newest trail on the Skykomish Ranger District. It offers views of the Skykomish Valley from the summit and a great shoulder-season hike.
Jumpoff Ridge
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 8.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,800 feet
-
Highest Point
- 2,600 feet
12.12.25 Trailhead inaccessible - road closed due to flooding and water over Index-Galena Road
A brushy hike up an abandoned logging road to Jumpoff Ridge.
Trout Creek
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 3.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 500 feet
-
Highest Point
- 1,400 feet
12.12.25 Trailhead inaccessible - road closed due to flooding and water over Index-Galena Road
This is a walk up an old mining and logging road that follows beautiful Trout Creek up to the old Sundown Mine.
Troublesome Mountain
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
-
Highest Point
- 5,433 feet
12.12.25 Trailhead inaccessible - Index-Galena Road is washed out near Troublesome Creek.
Troublesome Mountain is a modest peak scramble that can be reached via the Index-Galena Road.
Troublesome Creek Nature
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
-
Length
- 1.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 104 feet
-
Highest Point
- 1,420 feet
12.12.25 Trailhead inaccessible - Index-Galena Road is washed out near Troublesome Creek.
A short but scenic nature trail that begins and ends at the Troublesome Creek Campground. Hikers and campers will enjoy the walk along and over the turquoise creek, which indeed could be troublesome without the bridges spanning the shores.
Quartz Creek
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
-
Length
- 8.4 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,500 feet
-
Highest Point
- 4,000 feet
12.13.25 Trailhead inaccessible via FR 23 (Index-Galena Rd.) due to a washout. Via FR 25 (Beckler River Road), there is a washout about 1/4 mile before the Blanca Lake Trailhead.
Hike through shady forest, accompanied by the sound of Quartz Creek, little waterfalls, wildflowers and interesting things to see (and eat) on this trail.
Pass Creek
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
-
Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,000 feet
-
Highest Point
- 3,250 feet
12.13.25 Trailhead inaccessible via FR 23 (Index-Galena Rd.) due to a washout. Via FR 25 (Beckler River Road), there is a washout about 1/4 mile before the Blanca Lake Trailhead.
Pass Creek is an easy access point to the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and provides opportunities for longer loop hikes open to stock when conditions permit.
West Cady Ridge to Benchmark Mountain
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 14.4 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 3,700 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,816 feet
12.13.25 Trailhead inaccessible via FR 23 (Index-Galena Rd.) due to a washout. Via FR 25 (Beckler River Road), there is a washout about 1/4 mile before the Blanca Lake Trailhead.
Climb through rich, old growth forest to miles of some of the finest ridge walking available in Washington, where alpine meadows and jaw-dropping views abound.
North Fork Skykomish River
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 10.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,000 feet
-
Highest Point
- 4,000 feet
12.13.25 Trailhead inaccessible via FR 23 (Index-Galena Rd.) due to a washout. Via FR 25 (Beckler River Road), there is a washout about 1/4 mile before the Blanca Lake Trailhead.
This hike is a tree hugger's paradise. Huge old growth Douglas firs and hemlocks soar into the sky from a lush green forest floor dotted with woodland flowers. The trail gently ascends only 700 feet in the first four miles, and the slope you hike up is laced by many clear flowing streams bridged by old puncheons.
Blanca Lake
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
-
Length
- 8.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 3,400 feet
-
Highest Point
- 4,600 feet
12.13.25 Trailhead inaccessible via FR 23 (Index-Galena Rd.) due to a washout. Via FR 25 (Beckler River Road), there is a washout about 1/4 mile before the Blanca Lake Trailhead.
Visit one of the most striking lakes in the Henry M. Jackson wilderness. The vibrant blue of the glacier-fed lake provides the perfect rest stop for hikers who have braved the thirty-odd, steep switchbacks that lead to the lake.
Wallace Falls - Lake Loop
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 9.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,544 feet
-
Highest Point
- 1,844 feet
This fine loop trail gives you scenery, mileage, and some elevation gain, with the bonus of being hikeable year-round. Start by wandering along the Wallace River as it tumbles down from the famous falls. Get your pictures of the falls, then continue your hike by including the large forested Wallace Lake. Return through a green shag carpet of moss, sword ferns and hemlock, following the North Fork Wallace River as it rushes to meet the main Wallace River and your return trail.
Jumbo Peak
South Cascades > Dark Divide
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Length
- 6.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,300 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,801 feet
Jumbo Peak's wide, grassy slopes and seemingly endless trailside views make hikers feel like they're trekking through a storybook landscape. With huge extinct and active volcanoes in your sights, and an unbelievable bounty of flowers in the spring and huckleberries in the fall, Jumbo lives up to its name--big and impressive on a grand scale.
May Creek Trail
Issaquah Alps
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Length
- 3.5 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 585 feet
-
Highest Point
- 398 feet
This pleasant woodland trail follows the historic route of the Seattle-Walla Walla Railroad, which transported coal from the mines once operating in present-day Cougar Mountain Park.
Larrabee State Park - Chuckanut Falls
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 2.6 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 640 feet
-
Highest Point
- 540 feet
Take a short hike to a pleasant waterfall tucked away on the northeast corner of Larrabee State Park.
Green River Natural Area
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 4.32 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 500 feet
-
Highest Point
- 500 feet
The 1,000-acre Green River Natural Area is a wonderful gateway to the middle stretch of the Green River. Composed of steep valley walls and a broad valley floor, the natural area provides trails for hiking and horseback riding as well as access to the most dynamic reach of the Green River in King County.
Ryan Lake
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
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Length
- 0.7 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 165 feet
-
Highest Point
- 3,465 feet
What was once a nice, short loop hike for families on the east side of Mount St. Helens National Volcanic monument has been lost to downed trees and heavy brush. Thankfully, the lake is still visible from an overlook partway up.
Quartz Creek Big Trees
South Cascades > White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley
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Length
- 0.4 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 15 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,000 feet
An almost-completely-forgotten nature loop near Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. You won’t see the mountain here, but two giant trees remain from time gone by, and are impressive enough for a visit if you’re in the area.
Norway Pass
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
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Length
- 4.5 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 860 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,500 feet
Witness the destructive force and the restorative power of nature on this hike in the blast zone of Mount St. Helens’ 1980 eruption. The rocky ash and treeless areas are testaments to the devastation caused by the explosion, while wildflowers and shrubs signal the return of vegetation to the denuded landscape.
Mount Margaret
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
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Length
- 11.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 2,820 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,780 feet
On maps, Mount Margaret doesn’t seem impressive enough to warrant its namesake Mount Margaret Backcountry. It is not the tallest nor the most majestic peak in the area. However, it is easily summited and it offers clear unobstructed views of Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, and Mount St. Helens (in three different directions), and expansive views of much more, including legendary Spirit Lake.
Iron Creek Campground Loop
South Cascades > White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley
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Length
- 1.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 0 feet
-
Highest Point
- 1,200 feet
Lose yourself amid ancient giants on this 1.5 mile flat loop around the Iron Creek Campground.
Green River
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
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Length
- 11.6 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 940 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,850 feet
Walk in the deep shade of towering, ancient Douglas-firs and western redcedars and become humbled in the presence of these survivors of volcanic eruption.
Ghost Lake
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
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Length
- 5.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 640 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,000 feet
Hike to a lovely, glittering, quiet little lake that at Mount St. Helens that few visit. You’ll have to work for it, of course. But it’s a neat little treat to share with friends, or head to it solo for some solitude.
Goat Mountain and Deadman's Lake
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
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Length
- 11.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,400 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,025 feet
Hike along a lofty ridge at the demarcation of the blast zone. Look south at blown-down and toppled forests and a series of sparkling alpine lakes surrounded by silver snags. Look north at alpine meadows flush with wildflowers and hillsides cloaked in verdant old-growth canopies. One of the best trails for comparing before and after the eruption landscapes, Goat Mountain is also one of the best for views.
Plains of Abraham - Windy Pass Loop
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
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Length
- 9.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,000 feet
-
Highest Point
- 4,850 feet
This hike is closed (except for the Loowit Trail segment) all M-F between May 15 and Oct 31 through the end of 2027. The trail will remain open on all weekends and federal holidays.
Hike a challenging loop outside of the Windy Ridge area of Mount St. Helens, including a route-finding scramble to the pass. For your efforts, you’re rewarded with expansive, ever-changing views of one of the world’s most dynamic landscapes.
Mosquito Meadows
South Cascades > Dark Divide
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Length
- 2.2 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 350 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,350 feet
This mile-long gentle climb in the Dark Divide brings you to the Boundary Trail, where you can turn left towards Badger Lake or right towards Mount St. Helens.