Take action: hike a new trail!

Try out a trail near Mount St. Helens like this one, the Plains of Abraham. Photo by trip reporter conrthomas.

We all have some tried-and-true hikes that we love to do over and over and over again. We know what to expect: a beautiful view, some solid conditioning, few people, an easily accessible trailhead... the list goes on.

But here in Washington, we are lucky to have so many amazing places to explore. Sure, sometimes hiking a new-to-you trail can be intimidating, but it can also be exciting.

By hiking a different trail, especially a less-crowded alternative to a popular hike, you are not only expanding your trail knowledge — you are lessening the impact on our trail system. More eyes on more trails also means we can gather more information about which trails need extra maintenance and which roads could use some work. And trails need hikers, too! Without visitors, trails run the risk of becoming lost.

So use our hike finder map to select somewhere new, read the hike description and recent trip reports and start planning your next adventure to a new destination.

So join with us to help our trails by pledging to hike a new one! As a bonus, we'll send you some expert tips for finding new places to explore.