WTA Hiking Guide

It's time to go back to high school. Or maybe flight school. This Tiger Mountain path starts at Issaquah High School and ends at Poo Poo Point, where many paraglider pilots learn to fly their featherweight crafts. In between, you'll find wonderful old forests to explore and a grand path to follow.

A great hike for shade and well-maintained trails with views of waterfalls and rock-faces. It is an ideal hike for starting out with a family.

Pigs can't fly, but can they whistle? These pigs can, because they're actually marmots, named whistling pigs by early prospectors, loggers, and trappers. And in the Whistling Pig Meadow you'll probably stumble upon one, as well as an old cabin, acres of showy blossoms, reflecting pools, and classic Mad River high-country beauty

Hikers from around the globe find their way to the Hoh rain forest. After all, it is world famous. But if your idea of experiencing the Olympic rain forest is sans bucketloads of people, cast your attention to the Hoh's little known South Fork. Local fly fishermen are familiar with this wild and lonely valley, but most hikers aren't. Getting to the trailhead can be confusing, but the hike is easy and not very long. The payoff is solitude.

This quiet, little-used trail wanders through a lowland forest and up the South side of Squak Mountain along Bullitt Creek.

At this high and lonely outpost among the craggy giants of the Chelan Mountains, views are grand and company is rare. Pugh Ridge sits smack dab in the middle of the North Fork Entiat watershed, a de facto wilderness sans motors and quite a quiet contrast to the Entiat Valley. It's a grueling grunt to the flower gardens and breathtaking belvederes of Pugh, but worth every calorie spent.

The northernmost section of the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monu-ment sees far fewer visitors than any other part of the monument, or so it seems to us. There's no real reason for this, as far as I know, other than it's a bit more remote. But it's certainly no less scenic. The Green River-Vanson Peak section of the monument offers some great hiking scenery to explore, and the Goat Creek Trail provides a great introduction to the region.

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. Land managers estimate that Si draws between thirty thousand and fifty thousand visitors a year, making it the most heavily used trail in the state. As a result, on any sunny summer weekend the trail will be crowded--almost to the point of having to take a number and get in line. Really, it's not that bad, and the steep trail soon separates the serious hiker from the casual mall walker. And Si's payoff is incredible: views of the Upper Snoqualmie Valley, the Puget Sound basin, and far beyond.

This hike has a little bit of everything (trout-filled lake, views, forest, flowers) and surprisingly a good dose of solitude.

A short and steep hike to a restored lookout provides views long and sweet. From this outpost high above the Beckler River valley feast on alpine views in every direction. Savor Rainier, Glacier Peak, the serrated summits of the Wild Sky, and the massive Monte Cristo massif. And if the views don't spin your senses, the dazzling array of wildflowers carpeting the way most certainly will!

Crowds abate once past Denny Creek's waterfalls--the hordes thinning to a respectable number of serious hikers looking for an alpine lake experience. And what an experience! The trail finally crests Hemlock Pass and descends moderately to Melakwa Lake, a broad alpine wonder with rocky slopes leading straight down into the crystal water. Those bright waters also reflect the craggy peaks that ring the lake: Chair and Kaleetan Peaks, most notably.

The first half of this trip is a brutally steep, brushy at times, curse-inducing slog. The second half? Absolutely breathtaking! After ascending pine-dotted knolls and traversing pumice plains and rock gardens bursting with blossoms, reach a lofty shoulder on 7526-foot Garland Peak. From this vantage high in the Entiat Mountains, prepare for visual and mental overload taking in ridges and peaks for as far as the eye can see and for as long as the mind can tally.

Savor spectacular views of glistening glaciers gracing massive Mount Logan. Peer straight down into a valley of jungle greenery embracing Fisher Creek, or up to rock, crag, and ice adorning Fisher Basin. Come in midsummer for a cornucopia of wildflowers, or early autumn when larches set the high ridges aglow. Despite its name, this hike will cost you some sweat. But it's easily one of the prettiest hikes in the North Cascades.

Climbing just 800 feet in 2 miles, this is one of the best trails in the South Cascades for families and kids. Not only is the going easy, but it's also a pretty hike that ends at a beautiful alpine wilderness lake. The trail follows Glacier Creek through old Douglas-fir and hemlock forest to a rock-filled basin around the cold, clear waters of Glacier Lake. Late-summer hikers find bushels of huckleberries growing along the route, and anglers can try for the big rainbow trout that lurk in the depths of the lake.

From this high, barren, snow-blotched plateau that resembles a giant anvil wedged between "the great white one"(Baker) and "the rocky and precipitous one" (Shuksan), savor some of the finest horizon-spanning views this side of the Mississippi. And while room at the Table is often at a premium on late summer weekends, beware: this hike can be dangerous if snow-covered, and parts are steep and somewhat exposed. If the route looks unnerving, turn around and enjoy the much mellower nearby Artist Point Trail instead.

It's appropriate that this hike begins in the heart of Issaquah. In the language of the native tribes, Ishquowh means "sound of water birds." The raspy name of this mountain destination, meanwhile, comes from the raucous calls of the herons that migrate through this area in the spring and fall--their mighty squak, squak, squak! echoes off the forested slopes of Squak Mountain.

A lovely-but-rough hike that uses established trail and old logging roads, the Circle Peak Trail has seen a lot of maintenance from the Darrington Ranger District in the past several summers. Please note that the trailhead is currently inaccessible due to washouts on the White Chuck Road.

Easton Ridge once sported a wonderful trail along its entire length. Hikers can still enjoy that long high route, but the trail disappears in the middle and the southern end is hard to access. Fortunately, the best of the trail is the northern end, where you'll find grand views, rich huckleberry brambles, and endless opportunities to enjoy wildlife--especially the feathered variety. The Easton area is home to one of the largest populations of turkey vultures in the state, and the massive birds of prey (or birds of opportunity, if you prefer) soar en masse over the thermal-producing faces of Easton and Kachess Ridges. Of course, those big birds of opportunity are here for a reason--the region has healthy populations of mammals, big and small, from marmots to mountain goats, beavers to bull elk. Keep your eyes open and you'll see a wide range of critters.

Hike along a raucous waterway into a quiet corner of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Amble aimlessly through groves of cedar, cottonwood, and towering ponderosa pines resembling pillars holding up the sky. Always within sight and sound of the crashing creek, you will find no dearth of great lounging-away-the-afternoon spots along the Chiwaukum.

Berkeley Park may be the best place in the whole Sunrise area to throw yourself down on a patch of earth and simply sit and contemplate your good fortune. This is, after all, one of the richest wildflower gardens in the world. By late July, when the heavy mantle of snow has finally pulled away, Berkeley Park explodes in a rainbow of color. Other meadowlands around the mountain likewise boast of bright wildflower carpets, of course. But Berkeley, for some reason, seems special. Perhaps it's the north-facing bowl of the park that keeps Mount Rainier largely out of the picture, forcing you to focus on the splendor underfoot. Or perhaps it's because this park gets fewer visitors than the other broad swathes of green in the area. Regardless, Berkeley Park is a special place that's easily reached by folks looking for a moderate day hike.

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.

There's nothing common about Commonwealth Basin. This deep canyon nestled in the shadows of Red Mountain and Kendall Peak offers a great opportunity to explore the wild heart of the Cascades with minimal driving and easy hiking. The trail starts just off the most heavily used highway in the Cascades, yet you'll soon find yourself caught deep in the wilderness experience as you stride into the fragrant forests, scrambling over the tumbling creeks of crystal-clear snowmelt waters and climbing through the rocky meadows in this mountain valley.

Bear with us. This may not be the type of trail most hikers think of when they plan a "wilderness" outing. Yes, this isn't wilderness. This is a forest that has been heavily impacted by humans, but which still has a wild beauty that is worth the effort to enjoy this long, forest ramble. The thick forest canopy here effectively shuts out most of the potential views from the early part of the trail, but that's okay. This is a beautiful forest to hike in. The old-growth fir, hemlock, and cedar forest is home to countless species of wildlife. If you want more to look at than forest, you will enjoy the small flower-filled meadows dotting the route. These lush green fields also offer the best long-distance views; the top of Mount Rainier occasionally "peaks" up in the north.

Cave Ridge is a steep, exciting hike that is quick to do from Seattle with good route finding and many options for future trips.

Rolling along the lower slope of Mount Adams, this trail offers mountain views and, during the early season, a forest floor carpeted with lush clumps of beargrass with bulbous white flowers. Though much of the trail is under the old fir and pine forest canopy, there are enough breaks and clearings to keep Mount Adams fre-quently in view. The best panoramas of the peak are found from the saddle between 5272-foot Crofton Butte and its little sibling to the south, Lower Butte (4870 feet)

Spectacular sandstone spires and scenic views that extend all the way out to the sprawling Columbia Plateau are just a couple of the delights that Mount Lillian graciously offers. Brilliant wildflowers erupt in spring, and larches turn golden in fall, but do avoid this hike in the heart of summer when the sun is relentless. And avoid this area on weekends too, when it's opened to wheels, opting for quieter and much more enjoyable ambling on weekdays instead.

The rewards are grand views, wonderful lessons in geology, and easy hiking. The only drawback of the route is the potential for crowds--the hiking is relatively easy, leading out of a popular car campground, so the masses flock to this scenic trail. Fortunately, the broad trail can handle the pressure. In fact, it once handled hordes of tourists in Model Ts and Park Service buses, so a bit of foot traffic won't be a problem. The road-turned-trail offers easy walking for the most part, close to the river. Look up at the hulk of Rainier looming to the southwest as you hike, and you can enjoy the towering wall of Goat Island Mountain to the south.

This trail is the first section of the Siouxon Creek Trail; it makes a great day hike and is often ignored by those planning to hike the length of the main trail. This short route parallels the access road and links the upper and lower trailheads.

The Bells Mt. trail is a non-motorized, multi-use trail constructed by the Chinook Trail Association (CTA) and managed by the DNR. It is part of a 30 stretch of the Chinook Trail that was awarded National Recreation Trail Status in 2005.

A great loop any time of year: explore quiet maritime forest and the bird-saturated Willapa Bay shoreline on the wild northern tip of the Long Beach Peninsula. Chances are good that you'll sight bear, deer, or otter along the way.