WTA Hiking Guide
September 2009 Update: Select content from the Mountaineers Books'
"Day Hiking" series comprising titles covering six regions in
Washington is now incorporated into the Hiking Guide. Sales of the
full books from this website, which include maps, elevation
profiles, photos and more, benefit WTA and help protect and
maintain our trails.
Search for a hike...
Locate hike descriptions and trip reports for more than 2500 hikes in Washington. Because the search features are new, use hike name or region for most comprehensive results. And please consider adding missing descriptions and hike data to the Hiking Guide to help make this the most useful online resource for hiking in Washington!
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hikes
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Hike through a landscape that almost appears lunar (except for the vegetation of course). Weave in and out and even over a few of the hundreds of 4- to 6-foot mounds scattered across this Thurston County prairie. How did they get here? Who or what made them? You'll most certainly be pondering these thoughts while hiking through this geologically intriguing landscape.
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Boulder Lake
(3 votes)
Olympics -- North
(Department of Natural Resources, Northwest Region Office, Sedro-Woolley)
Boulder Lake (#57)
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Hike to an emerald lake in a subalpine setting. The trip is long, but the terrain is welcoming and the surroundings peaceful. Miles of magnificent old growth shade the way. Come in midsummer and enjoy a swim. Visit in late summer and reap a bounty of succulent huckleberries. Make the trip on a chilly autumn day and look forward to a hot-springs soak on the way out.
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Rocky Brook Falls
(1 votes)
Olympics -- East
(Olympic National Forest, Quilcene Ranger District)
(#)
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This is more of a walk of about 200 yards, but the falls is beautiful when flowing heavily and well worth a visit when in the area.
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Waterfalls
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Capitol State Forest - Capitol Peak
(3 votes)
Olympics -- SW Washington
(Capitol State Forest - Washington Department of Natural Resources)
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Come for the views: they're quite extensive, from Rainier to the Pacific. Come for the trail: it's well built, not heavily used, and it runs a high ridge for miles. Clad in communication towers, however, the peak may be the highest point on this hike, but it's certainly not the highlight.
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Mountain views, Summits
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Known for its craggy peaks, wilderness coast, and deep lush forests, Olympic National Park contains quite an array of spectacular natural features. But when it comes to alpine lakes, the park seems lacking. Sure, scores of aquatic gems sparkle in the backcountry, but compared to the Cascades, the Olympics come up short. Lake-loving day hikers need not shy away, however, for there are a handful of attainable alpine gems. Lake Angeles is one of them. It's also one of the largest lakes in the Olympics, and the most popular.
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Lakes
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Upper South Fork Skokomish River
(3 votes)
Olympics -- South
(Olympic National Forest)
Upper South Fork Skokomish River (#873.1)
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Venture up a valley as wild as any in the adjacent national park. Marvel at the sheer height, girth, and biomass of some of the biggest trees you'll ever lay eyes on. Watch in awe as the churning, tumbling Upper South Fork Skokomish crashes and squeezes through a narrow box canyon. And while the Upper South Fork lacks federal wilderness protection, this area is nothing but pure Olympic wilderness.
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Rivers, Old growth
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Big trees, a big river, and a big chance of seeing some big elk if you venture far enough up this well-built and well-maintained trail. You won't be alone on this popular path; mountain bikers and equestrians like it too. But if you saunter during the week or in the quiet months of the year, only the roar of the river will interrupt the silence.
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Rivers, Waterfalls, Mountain views, Wildlife
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Ranger Hole - Interrorem Nature Trail
(4 votes)
Olympics -- East
(Olympic National Park - Hood Canal Ranger District)
Ranger Hole (#824), Interrorem Nature (#804)
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From a historic ranger station, travel back into the early days of the Olympic National Forest. Then amble under moss-draped trees to an isolated gurgling fishing hole on the Duckabush River.
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Rivers, Old growth
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Hike a short and to-the-point trail to an isolated peak on the fringe of the Olympics. Enjoy views out over glistening Puget Sound, with its ferries and Seattle skyline. But there's more. From Zion's summit follow a ridgeline trail to a series of ledges, a promised land of sweeping views of lofty Mount Townsend and the towering and jagged Gray Wolf Ridge. Make a pilgrimage in June and be rewarded with a kingdom of brilliantly blooming rhodo-dendrons.
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Big trees, a narrow canyon, and a little taste of the Enchanted Valley Trail, a 19-mile path deep into the Olympic interior. Explore the same primeval rainforest valley that explorers of the 1890 O'Neil Expedition set out across. Witness a wilderness not unlike the one those intrepid souls experienced. Come here in the heart of winter and find yourself among one of the largest elk herds in America.
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Rivers, Old growth, Wildlife
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Stand in awe watching the swift-moving waters of the North Fork Skokomish River barrel and thunder over a series of cascades. A great hike anytime of year, Staircase Rapids is especially impressive during the spring runoff. Hikers of all ages will be delighted on this easy and captivating hike.
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A flat and easy hike through a rich Columbia River bottomland: explore snaking sloughs and observe a slew of bird and wildlife, including the federally endangered Columbian white-tailed deer.
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Quinault National Recreation Trails
(3 votes)
Olympics -- West
(Olympic National Forest)
Quinault Rain Forest Loop (#854)
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The Quinault National Recreation Trail system offers a melange of hiking options to choose from. With nearly 10 miles of well-maintained interconnecting trails, your choices are as varied as spring wildflowers on these popular paths. Trails lead from campgrounds and a historic lodge to waterfalls, cedar bogs, monster trees, and along crystal-clear creeks and a scenic lakeshore. Spend a half day or half a week exploring this delightful area. The Rainforest Lake Loop is one suggestion. Feel free to expand, contract, or combine it with other trails.
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Ozette Triangle: Cape Alava - Sand Point Loop
(5 votes)
Olympics -- Coast
(Olympic National Park)
Cape Alava-Sand Point Loop (##31)
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With sea stacks, sea otters, sea lions, and ocean scenery for as far as you can see, the 9.4-mile Ozette Triangle is one of the finest hikes on the Olympic Coast. Easily accessible and a loop hike, the Triangle (named for the loop's shape) is a perfect introduction to America's wildest coastline south of Alaska. You won't be alone on this section of wilderness beach, however, for Ozette's admirers are legion. But there's plenty of room, and if you venture this way on a winter weekday you might just find yourself alone with the harlequin ducks.
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Coast, Established campsites
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Saunter out on this small peninsula for stunning views of Mount Rainier rising over Puget Sound. Let eagles and kingfishers announce your passing. Admire contorted bluffs, big Doug-firs, and a procession of passing watercraft.
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Two adventures in one await you at Striped Peak. First, hike to a 1000-foot peak rising above the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Watch liners and vessels ply this passageway connecting Puget Sound to the Pacific against a backdrop of craggy peaks on Canada's Vancouver Island. Then head directly to the strait to explore a series of tide pools up close. Hike a steep trail down to a remote cliff-enclosed cove, or leisurely wander across a sandy beach on a picturesque bay.
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Consider Ruby Beach to be Olympic wilderness coast lite. You'll get the same great wilderness taste as Cape Alava, Shi Shi Beach, and Third Beach, but for a lot less calories. The hike to Ruby Beach is a mere 0.25 mile, but it's a glorious 0.25 mile. Through a wind-blasted maritime forest, follow a well-groomed trail lined with salt-sprayed shrubs to the mighty Pacific. Emerge behind a barrier of surf-tossed logs and consider your options: south to Beach 6 or 3 lonely miles north to the mouth of the Hoh River
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Spend a couple of hours or all day exploring a wildlife-rich estuary at the farthest reaches of fjordlike Hood Canal. Let eagles, osprey, herons, otters, and deer captivate you on this hike through grassy wetlands and along the Union River.
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Wildlife
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The Sol Duc River may be a happening place with its hot springs resort, riverside campgrounds, and miles of popular trails, but not so for the North Fork. Here you're likely to run into only elk and deer. Is the trail rough? Hardly. It's one of the most enjoyable riverside trails on the peninsula. It's just that it really doesn't go anywhere-no peak, no lake. And in today's goal-oriented society, these types of trails are overlooked. But if it's miles of solitude you're seeking, and peace of mind that only wilderness can instill, this is your trail.
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Climb the second-highest peak on the Kitsap Peninsula for good views of Puget Sound, the Seattle skyline, and Mount Rainier. Of course there are views of the Olympics too, and on the way down you'll get a pretty darn good look at them. This is a working forest, but most of the way is shaded by a cool canopy of evergreens.
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Roam for miles on a high ridge carpeted in a mosaic of brilliant wildflowers. Catch your breath not from climbing (although it's tough), but from watching a continuous reel of premiere showings starring glistening white Mount Olympus and deep-blue Lake Crescent. If that's not enough to slack your jaw, Mount Baker hovering over the Strait of Juan de Fuca will most certainly captivate you. Constructed in 1994, the Mount Muller Loop is one of the newest additions to our trail system and among the all-time supreme scenic high-country romps.
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Climb a prominent peak on the western edge of the Olympic Mountains. From this 4000-plus-foot aerie above the saturated Quinault Valley, stare down upon sprawling rain forest. Enjoy an unobstructed view of shimmering Lake Quinault too, and from Mount Olympus to the Pacific take in an ocean of peaks and peek at the ocean. It's a tough climb to this rugged outpost on the periphery of the Olympics, but the panorama it provides is a worthy pursuit.
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Mount Townsend Snowshoe
(1 votes)
Olympics -- East
(Olympic National Forest - Hood Canal Ranger District)
Mount Townsend (#839)
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Starting with a road walk, this snowshoe trek leads through steep clearcuts, virgin forest, and up to some near-vertical alpine meadows, but throughout it all, one aspect is constant: incredible, staggering views.
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Mountain views, Summits
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Stunning views of Elk Mountain, Maiden Peak, Blue Mountain, and the deep Cox Creek valley lie off to the southeast.
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Mountain views
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Hike a prominent peak that hovers over the crystal-clear waters of Lake Crescent. A World War II enemy airplane spotter cabin still teeters on the precipitous summit. Trees have overtaken the wide views once afforded to lookout personnel, but nearby ledges still offer breathtaking glimpses straight down to the lake and out across to Mount Storm King. Graced with a microclimate of mild temperatures and moderate precipitation, the trail to Pyramid Mountain melts out early, providing peak-probing hiking in la primavera.
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Lakes, Old growth, Mountain views
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Hurricane Ridge is the preeminent destination for folks who want to see the beauty of Olympic National Park any time of the year. When winter rolls in and the broad, sweeping meadows of the ridge are blanketed in snow, and the high jagged peaks of Bailey Range are swaddled in white, the area is unbelievably beautiful.
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Mountain views
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Big trees, a wilderness valley flourishing with wildlife, and no crowds. The peninsula's wildest rainforest valleys are up the Queets River, and many a hiker has never ventured into this enchanting corner of Olympic National Park. The main deterrent is accessibility, both to and on the trail. The gravel 14-mile Queets River Road can often be agonizing to drive. And once you reach the trailhead, you'll find there's no bridge over the river! This keeps more than a handful of adventurers from ambling up the trail. But if you persist you're guaranteed a lonesome journey.
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With the sweeping line of white mountains that ends at glacier-capped Mount Olympus stretching before them, snowshoers will wonder why they ever bothered visiting this area in the summer.
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Mountain views
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Klahhane Ridge towers over the Hurricane Ridge Road, providing outstanding views of Mount Angeles and the long sweep of Hurricane Ridge. The trail climbs steeply, but once the work is done, snowshoers can trek along the long ridge stretched between Mount Angeles and Rocky Peak.
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Mountain views
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Lena Lake - Valley of Silent Men Snowshoe
(1 votes)
Olympics
(Olympic National Forest - Hood Canal Ranger District)
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The Lower Lena Lake Trail doesn't offer panoramic vistas, but there is a pretty forest surrounding the route, with a nice creek basin to cross and the beautiful lake to enjoy.
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Old growth
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