Hiking Guide
WTA's hiking guide is the most comprehensive database of hikes in Washington, and comprises content from eight guidebooks, user submitted info, and data compiled by WTA.
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Olympics -- North
Deer Lake (#37), Seven Lakes Basin (#39), High Divide (#38), Sol Duc River (#40)
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Stunning views, stargazing, backcountry lakes and plentiful wildlife await you on this classic 19-mile loop on the Olympic Mountains’ stunning Seven Lakes Basin and High Divide Trail.
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Snoqualmie Pass -- Salmon La Sac/Teanaway
Lake Clarice Trail (#1066)
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This challenging four-mile hike within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness starts at Deception Pass and heads north to Marmot Lake and Lake Clarice.
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Central Cascades -- Stevens Pass - West
Johnson Ridge (#1067)
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One of the best meadow-traversing, ridge-walking, view-granting trails in the Skykomish Valley, Johnson Ridge is also surprisingly one of the quieter trails in the region. Sure, it's a long gravel road to the trailhead. And yes, the trail has some steep ups and downs. But the tread is good and the vertical suffering short-lived. Culminating on a peak named Scorpion Mountain, the hike gives a panoramic payoff of jagged peaks and emerald ridges that will leave you momentarily paralyzed.
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South Cascades -- White Pass / Cowlitz River Valley
Tatoosh Lakes (#161.2), Tatoosh Ridge (#161)
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Pretty lakes with grand Rainier views in a blueberry-strewn basin below Tatoosh Ridge
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Eastern Washington -- Yakima
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For a flat riparian ramble or a great workout to a scenic summit, Snow
Mountain Ranch is a walking wonderland just outside of Yakima.
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Eastern Washington -- Tri-Cities
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Wallula Gap is an easy hike near Tri-Cities with minimal and gradual elevation gain. Hikers will enjoy breathtaking views of towering cliffs, interesting rock formations, a deep river gorge at Wallula Gap and a look at the mighty Columbia River.
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South Cascades -- Mount Adams
Riley Camp (#64)
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This route is the perfect gateway to Mt. Adams spectacular high country on its less-visited western side. It climbs through dense forests, past a small lake, then across Riley Meadows (great campsites!) before joining the PCT. From there you can continue on to Sheep Lake or head off-trail to check out Crystal Lake at the edge of the tree line.
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South Cascades
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A deep-forest experience without the drive. Whipple Creek Park is a 300-acre green oasis in the midst of farmlands to the west of the Clark County Fairgrounds. This hike loops through colossal Douglas fir trees and waist-high sword ferns to provide a primordial experience where you are dwarfed by nature. There is a small meadow for a picnic and the remnants of a grist mill to explore. This hike is a great way to escape urban life and be immersed in a peaceful forest environment.
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North Cascades -- West Slope
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Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (PNNST) segment that runs from Alger through Squire Lake Park has a divergence to the top of "Alger Alp". There are two routes to it: From the North through Squires Lake Park or South from Alger-Cain Lake Road.
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South Cascades -- Columbia Gorge
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This rugged hike is bound to become a classic, if it isn’t already. The full trail loop provides fantastic views of the Columbia River Gorge, an intimate look at the Cape Horn Falls and a challenging workout as it climbs and descends the rocky slopes of Cape Horn.
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Eastern Washington -- Tri-Cities
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Eastern Washington -- Yakima
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Begin with a walk over a bouncy suspension bridge above the trout-rich waters of the Yakima River. This trail meanders up an ever-narrowing canyon, but it also seems to be a path to the past.
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Eastern Washington -- Spokane Area
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Easy trails wander through 410 acres of ponderosa pine forest jutting out into a bend of the "Long Lake" section of the Spokane River. Established as key wildlife habitat along the river, it's a nice little spot right outside Spokane for bird-watching. Keep your eyes peeled for nesting osprey.
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Puget Sound and Islands -- North Sound
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With two small lakes and numerous branching trails that sport views to Mount Baker and the Puget Sound, this moderate trail through shady forest can be hiked or backpacked year round. Trails circle both of these lakes, and on nice days you’ll find people out fishing or canoeing here.
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Snoqualmie Pass -- North Bend Area
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Twin Falls run year-round for one very good reason: the area around North Bend receives more than 90 inches of rain each year. Seattle--just 35 miles west--gets half that much. The South Fork Snoqualmie River takes that massive amount of rainfall and puts it to use entertaining hikers. The river squeezes into a narrow rocky gorge before tumbling over a very impressive stairstep falls. Then, when the water has been churned into a frothy torrent, it plunges over a 150-foot rock wall, creating the stunning cascade of the Lower Twin Falls.
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Central Cascades -- Stevens Pass - West
Tonga Ridge (#1058)
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Amble aimlessly along an easy ridge on the edge of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Scrounge for berries or lounge in sun-kissed meadows. Then follow a faint path to a long-ago lookout site still flush in stunning alpine views. Come in summer for dazzling floral displays or in autumn for carpets of crimson unfurled along the way. But no matter the season, come during the week, for Sawyer's admirers are legion.
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Central Cascades -- Stevens Pass - West
Surprise Lake (#1060)
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Wedged between craggy Thunder and Spark Plug mountains, these two lakes are set in a truly electrifying environment, flanked by towering evergreens and slopes of shiny granite ledges and talus. But even more stimulating than these aquatic gems is the forest that lines the trail leading to them. It's one of the finest tracts of old growth along the US 2 corridor.
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Central Cascades -- Stevens Pass - East
Spider Meadows (#1511)
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This long but easy valley romp follows boisterous Phelps Creek to a mile-long broad flower-bursting meadow and a giant cirque beneath a formidable wall of towering peaks. But don't expect solitude, for Spider Meadow crawls with backpackers-brigades of them! The valley is large enough to disperse in, though, and Phelps Basin offers a quiet retreat from the meadow's loungers and shutterbugs and their tent cities.
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Snoqualmie Pass -- Snoqualmie Pass
Snow Lake (#1013)
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If there's such a thing as a wilderness superhighway, this is it. The Snow Lake Trail is Washington's most heavily used trail within a designated wilderness area. On any given summer weekend, you can expect to share the area with upward of two hundred hikers. Fortunately, midweek the route is virtually deserted, and after Labor Day the number of weekend hikers drops to more reasonable levels.
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Snoqualmie Pass -- North Bend Area
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Mount Si should be experienced at least once by every hiker. In fact, a significant number of Puget Sound residents do just one hike per year, and these annual hikers almost invariably turn to Mount Si every time. In the early spring, mountain-loving backpackers and climbers use the trail as a tune-up for the coming season. Others come because the trail is one of few that becomes snow-free early in the year. And Si's payoff is incredible: views of the Upper Snoqualmie Valley, the Puget Sound basin, and far beyond.
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North Cascades -- Mountain Loop Highway
Lake 22 (#702)
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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.
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Central Cascades -- Stevens Pass - West
Lake Serene (#1068)
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Towering and formidable, Mount Index is perhaps the most awesome and fiercest sight and site along US 2. But softening its stark appearance is Bridal Veil Falls. Emanating from beneath the mountain's austere crags, the tiered and tumbling cataract drapes over granite slabs. To really appreciate this plummeting waterway, however, you'll need to leave your vehicle and hit the trail. And in your journey, discover a secret - there's a beautiful lake perched beneath those rugged spires feeding those falls.
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Central Cascades -- Leavenworth Area
Enchantment Lakes (#1553)
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A high alpine basin full of lakes, larch, mountain goats, and fantastically stark granite that is considered by many to be the best hike in the state. Options abound - plenty of places to camp, side trails, summits, and more ensure that you will be wishing you had marked a few extra days on your backpacking permit!
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Snoqualmie Pass -- North Bend Area
Denny Creek to Melakwa Lake (#1014)
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Denny Creek may be the most family-friendly trail in the region. The popular path leads to a series of waterfalls and to a smooth natural waterslide - a massive rock face over which the creek flows, providing a slippery summertime escape from the heat of the lowlands. Just beyond, hikers will find a couple more falls--most notably the beautiful Keekwulee Falls.
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Central Cascades -- Stevens Pass - West
Blanca Lake (#1052)
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Set in a large cirque in the rugged Monte Cristo peaks and fed by the Columbia Glacier and icy snowfields hanging and clinging to the surrounding steep slopes, Blanca's location is as dramatic as any in the Cascades. But what really strikes all who toil up the steep trail to witness this marvel is the lake's cobalt blue water. Its sheen and tone constantly change, depending on the amount and angle of sunlight shining down on it.
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Eastern Washington -- Spokane Area
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Close enough to Spokane for a quick afternoon hike but far enough away to find a little solitude, Dishman Hills has it all. With grand granite rock, wildflowers and the chance of Morel mushrooms, this area is thriving with life.
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Puget Sound and Islands -- San Juan Islands
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Part hike, part wander, this 20-acre sculpture garden is an outdoor gallery of nature-oriented artwork. There are few paths, but more than 100 pieces of artwork to discover in this special place adjacent to Roche Harbor on San Juan Island and managed by the San Juan Islands Museum of Art.
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Puget Sound and Islands
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The Port Susan Bay Preserve, owned by Nature Conservancy, is a 4,122-acre preserve which encompasses much of the Stillaguamish River estuary. A short mile-long dike trail takes you through tidelands and farmlands to the Stillaguamish River, provide the opportunity to view many varieties of birds and other wildlife.
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Puget Sound and Islands -- San Juan Islands
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Hike a small piece of the new San Juan Islands National Monument! This section of BLM land is one of 75 sections throughout the islands (most are on uninhabited islands) and the site of the Cattle Point Lighthouse. This lighthouse was erected in 1935, but a navigational lantern has stood here since 1888.
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Puget Sound and Islands -- San Juan Islands
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Most people come to Lime Kiln State Park for the whale watching. It's one of the best places in the country to view orcas from land. But don't stop there; venture beyond to see a century-old lighthouse and an historic lime kiln.
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