Winter Hikes

With the high country socked in with snow for the next several months, many Washington hikers find themselves with an unmistakable case of the winter blahs. Get out your hiking boots (and an extra warm pair of wool socks) and get ready to chase them away with one of these great winter hikes. Clear alpine lakes and panoramic views might still be months away, but you can keep on hiking right through the winter on these seven trails.

Great Winter Hikes

Boulder River Trail

Boulder River in February by David Inscho

Why Go: Towering old-growth trees in an unspoiled river valley with exquisite waterfalls — this is the subtle beauty of Boulder River. It's truly one of the best winter hikes if you're looking for an easy but rewarding day. The trail follows the path of an old railroad grade until the old trees begin, and at one mile you'll cross into the Boulder River Wilderness. A bit further up the trail are two glorious waterfalls pouring into the Boulder River on its far bank. Benches have been constructed in a viewing area here, making it a great place to rest and enjoy the falls. You'll also find small, steep side trails leading down to the river's edge. At 1.5 miles, cross and admire the very fine piece of puncheon built in 1997 by a WTA crew. The trail continues for 4.5 miles before disappearing at a ford of the Boulder River, where you'll turn around and go back.

For More Information:  Day Hikin: North Cascades, by Craig Romano (Mountaineers Books).  Contact Darrington Ranger District (360) 436-1155. Check out Boulder River in our Hiking Guide.

Coal Creek Falls/Cave Hole/Wildside Loop

Coal Creek Falls by Gary Masnica

Location:  Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park
Distance:  4.0 miles round trip
Elevation:  400 feet elevation gain to about 1000'
Map:  Green Trails Cougar Mountain No. 203S

Why Go:  Cougar Mountain is the largest urban wildland park in the U.S., and it's right in the backyard of Seattle and its environs. If you like hiking to old coal mines, you'll enjoy this hike that takes you to the historic Red Town mining area. From the parking lot, follow the Red Town Trail (W-2) uphill to an unsigned junction with C-3, the Cave Hole Trail. Hike less than a half mile, then go right onto the Coal Creek Falls Trail, C-4. It winds up and down, past fern-filled ravines and bowls. Alders, maples, and different varieties of pines tower above you as you come into the Coal Creek Valley.

The trail winds downwards to a narrow bridge over Coal Creek. You can see the falls to the left of the bridge, but the best view can be had if you go up along the creek for a few yards. From the bridge, the way switchbacks up 3 times over a small ridge. At the top of the switchbacks, come to a junction with the Quarry Trail, C-6, and start to switchback down. Look for a "cave hole" on your right. It was formed when one of the old coal mines collapsed, and formed a hole in the hill-side. Some pieces of coal and bits of wood and nails can be found alongside the trail. Past a meadow, go left onto the wide, smooth Wildside Trail, W-1.

There's a neat side-trip to an exhibit showing a blocked up mine, rusty pipes and tools used in it, as well as an old mine-cart full of coal. A bit past here, on puncheon across a very wet marsh, are the remains of the steam-hoist that was used to pull the mine-carts out of their shafts. Back at the exhibit, the way goes a few yards back to the trailhead. 

For More Information:  The Issaquah Alps Trail Club (425-369-1725) publishes a nice guide to the trails of Cougar Mountain. Check out Coal Creek Falls and Wildside-De Leo Wall in our Hiking Guide and Trip Reports for more information.

Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge

Bittern at Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge by Ulrich Fritzsche

Why Go: Nisqually is an excellent destination from autumn through spring for wildlife viewing and photography. Although Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is not open to hunting, waterfowl hunting does occur on Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife land immediately adjacent to the trail. In winter, bring binoculars to enjoy the many species of dabbling and diving ducks that stop to feed in the wetlands or the several species of raptors, such as owls, harriers and kestrels, that survey the fields for prey. Enjoy the one-mile Twin Barns Loop Trail or the new half-mile Nisqually Estuary Trail that opened in November 2009 along the new exterior dike. Good views can be seen from there. Do note that the 5 mile Brown Farm Dike Trail permanently closed in May 2009.

For More Information:  Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge (360) 753-9467. Check out Nisqually NWR in our Hiking Guide.

Quinault River - Pony Bridge (Enchanted Valley)

Black bears are not uncommon along the Enchanted Valley Trail. Photo by Shawnie Vedder.

Why Go:  Perhaps you've heard about the magical splendor of Enchanted Valley. Start the hike along the river under an open canopy of alder and maple, then ascend leisurely through a forest of fir that have reached massive size. If you're lucky, you'll see elk and maybe even black bear, which are rather thick in here. This valley was once a lake that formed when a glacier retreated after the last ice age. This isn't a loop hike, so make it as long as you want by turning around at your own desired midpoint.  Pony Bridge is a good turn-around - it straddles the deep East Fork Quinault canyon.  Alternatively, you could continue for miles; if you make it all the way to the end of this long valley, you'll come to a large alpine cirque surrounded by 3000-foot cliffs.

For More Information:  Olympic National Park (360) 565-3100; Day Hiking Olympic Peninsula by Craig Romano (Mountaineers Books). Also check out Quinault River - Pony Ridge in our Hiking Guide for more information.

Cape Alava - Sand Point Loop

Sand Point at Dusk , By Daniel Ewert.

Location:  Olympic Coast
Distance:  9.3 miles round trip
Elevation:  No elevation gain (sea level)
Map:  Green Trails Ozette No. 130S

Why Go:  Winter is a great time to hit the beach, especially a trail this popular, where you'll have some seasonal solitude. It's also a superb hike for exploring petroglyphs and artifacts. Two trails, one leading to Cape Alava and another leading to Sand Point, begin at the Ozette Loop trailhead. The loop makes an excellent day trip and an even better overnight at one of the many campsites at Cape Alava, Sand Point, or farther north along the beach at the mouth of the Ozette River. It begins on the Cape Alava trail and follows a series of boardwalks (warning: the boardwalks can be particularly slippery when wet!)  through the shaded coastal forest for two miles before opening to a grassy bog called Ahlstrom's Prairie. This area was settled by Scandinavian homesteaders in the late 19th century. The meadow will blend into a short forested section, then into another smaller meadow. Travel into another forested section of hemlocks and cedars. A spruce forest picks up where the hemlocks and cedars left off. The trail will pass through forests of hemlocks, cedars and spruce and past campsites as it reaches the beach. Just slightly north, a Makah Indian Village site in the Ozette Indian Reservation offers a look at numerous artifacts. Tskawahyah Island, an ancient burial site, lies just off the north point of Cape Alava. After you have spent time exploring here, take the beach route of the loop south to Sand Point. Only one section may impede your travel at high tide, but there is an overland trail around this. Once at the point, take the boardwalk trail back to the trailhead, through large Sitka spruce and into western red cedars and hemlocks.

For More Information:  Olympic National Park (360) 565-3100; Day Hiking Olympic Peninsula by Craig Romano (Mountaineers Books). Check out Cape Alava - Sand Point Loop in our Hiking Guide for more information.

Beacon Rock Trail 

Location:  Beacon Rock State Park, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area

Beacon Rock, photo by Gren Bjork

Distance:  2 miles round trip
Elevation:  600 feet elevation gain

Why Go:  Located in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area east of Vancouver, WA is Beacon Rock, an enormous Basalt monolith that is actually the core of an ancient volcano. Named by the Lewis and Clark expedition, hikers today can do something that Lewis and Clark could not: walk on a trail that takes you up 600 feet to the top of this great monolith. The mile-long trail to its summit provides outstanding panoramic views of the Columbia River Gorge. The trail begins with an easy climb through mixed forest, then ascends paths that were blasted out through solid rock and along wooden catwalks. Handrails line the route for the safety and comfort of hikers. The trail gradually climbs its way up a onto the sheer basalt cliffs of the rock itself, where the views are sensational.

For More Information:  Call Beacon Rock State Park, (509) 427-8265 to check conditions before you head out. Winter Hikes of Western Washington (Romano - Mountaineers Books). Check out Beacon Rock in our Hiking Guide for more information.

Twin Falls

Location:  Near North Bend, off I-90
Distance:  3 miles roundtrip
Elevation:  500' gain up to 1000'
Map:  Green Trails Rattlesnake Mountain/Upper Snoqualmie Valley No. 205S

Twin Falls, photo by Dr. JD Hascup.

Why Go:  Twin Falls is a great year-round hike to a beautiful waternfall. With it's big pay-off at trail's end, Twin Falls is an ideal hike for small children, novice hikers, or anyone wishing for an easy low elevation walk in the woods. The area gets massive amounts of rain, which makes for lots of mossy forest growth and a spectacular waterfall display.

For More Information:  Day Hiking: Snoqualmie Region by Dan Nelson (Mountaineers Books). Check out Twin Falls State Park in our Hiking Guide for more information.