Hiking Guide
WTA's hiking guide is the most comprehensive database of hikes in Washington, and comprises content written by local hiking experts and user submitted information. All data is vetted by WTA staff. This resource is made possible by the donations of WTA members.
We respectfully acknowledge the lands we are visiting are the homelands of Indigenous tribes of the Pacific Northwest, some of whom have reserved rights on these lands. Tribes continue to rely on and share in the management of these lands today. Please tread gently and treat these places with respect.
Results List
1520 HikesMiddle Fork Snoqualmie River
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
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Length
- 12.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,650 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,100 feet
This long, meandering hike heads upstream along the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River, offering a long day hike, or a great beginning backpacking experience.
Pear Lake via Meadow Creek
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 16.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,375 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,225 feet
A rambling trail that provides easy access from the Beckler River Road near Skykomish to the Pacific Crest Trail and Henry M. Jackson Wilderness through the Meadow Creek Valley to sweet little Pear Lake for an overnight.
McKenzie Conservation Area
Eastern Washington > Spokane Area/Coeur d'Alene
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Length
- 6.0 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 500 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,600 feet
Visit McKenzie to take in the wild side of Newman Lake, where one can watch for moose in the shallows along the 3,000 feet of lakeshore, or possibly see an eagle nab a fish before returning to its nest in the nearby cottonwoods. Mount Spokane and Ragged Ridge make the backdrop for this mellow loop trail system.
McGarvey Park
Issaquah Alps
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Length
- 5.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 400 feet
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Highest Point
- 851 feet
Acquired by King County in 2000, McGarvey Park Open Space is a 400-acre multiuse forest connecting King County’s Petrovitsky Park with Wetland 14 Natural Area and Spring Lake/Lake Desire Park.
Maury Island Marine Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 3.0 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 500 feet
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Highest Point
- 500 feet
Maury Island Marine Park is located on the east side of Maury Island which is connected to Vashon Island. There is more than one mile of natural shoreline with stunning views of Mount Rainier and the Cascade Mountains. The park is a former gravel mine and contains rare stands of the Pacific Madrone tree. The accessible shoreline allows for scuba diving and an excellent beach walk to observe marine life with a salt marsh at the north end.
Coyote Wall - Moab/Maui Loop
Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
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Length
- 3.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 850 feet
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Highest Point
- 900 feet
The Maui Loop is more of an adventure than a hike. You get to go up, over and around mogul-like mounds peppered with volcanic rock, explore the upper rim of Coyote Wall, and descend a grassy slope with uninterrupted views of the Columbia River Gorge. In the spring there is a steady progression of wildflowers, making this an especially good early-season hike.
Marmot Pass
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 11.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,489 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,000 feet
Marmot Pass offers great views and a gentle hike through old-growth forest as well as high meadows. It is a great day hike, but also offers a great starting place for a variety of overnight options.
Maple Creek Loop Trail
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
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Length
- 1.4 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 250 feet
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Highest Point
- 850 feet
Maple Creek Park is a 73-acre Whatcom County Park sitting just outside the town of Maple Falls. It contains a section of the developing Bay to Baker Trail, as well as a 1.4 mile-long loop trail. Along the loop are several junctions, none of them marked. To keep on the main loop, the hike is best done counterclockwise.
Lower Dungeness River
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 12.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,500 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,700 feet
The Lower Dungeness Trail travels through mostly conifer forests high above the river with a fair bit of elevation gain for a river hike.
Lower Big Quilcene River
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 12.9 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,890 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,943 feet
The Lower Big Quilcene Trail begins just outside the Buckhorn Wilderness and follows the lower Big Quilcene River along a mostly non-technical tread for approximately 6.5 miles. The moss-lined route starts on an old road bed through younger forest and then winds past large old-growth cedars. In spring and summer, blooming rhododendrons add vibrant color to your journey. This trail is also a great choice during the fall and winter months because the trees provide shelter from precipitation.
Lord Hill Regional Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 6.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,000 feet
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Highest Point
- 633 feet
Lord Hill Park is a wonderful wild park and an excellent place to hike, covering about 1,463 acres of wetland and forest. Hikers can roam all day on the network of trails leading through the forest, down to the Snohomish River and up to views of the Cascades and Snohomish Valley.
Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 4.0 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 578 feet
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Highest Point
- 306 feet
This West Seattle urban trail features a peat bog, public art, a salmon stream that runs through front yards, and a shopping center parking lot.
Lone Fir Loop
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 2.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 100 feet
An easy, short loop hike out of the Lone Fir campground. The first bit is paved before giving way to a dirt trail that follows Early Winters Creek. After a creek crossing (log bridge) it loops back to the campground.
Little Wenatchee River
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - East
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Length
- 3.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 250 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,500 feet
This trail travels along the valley floor of the Little Wenatchee River for several miles before switchbacking up 1500 feet through intermittent slide alder and mature forest to Meander Meadows. While the trail does receive occasional brushing, the lower section can be challenging.
Waikiki Springs Nature Preserve
Eastern Washington > Spokane Area/Coeur d'Alene
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Length
- 4.8 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 588 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,790 feet
This is a lovely urban trail system outside of Spokane and near the Little Spokane River.
Little Ranger Peak via Ranger Creek
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
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Length
- 12.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,500 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,010 feet
This infrequently visited trail is the perfect hike early in the season, because the snow melts off the south-facing flanks of the peak early. If you miss the springtime, save it for fall, because the deciduous trees that line the path make it ideal for a shot of fall color. Enjoy a moderately graded that leads you to a summit that boasts views of Rainier and the White River valley from the summit.
Little Mountain Park - Darvill Loop
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 4.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 860 feet
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Highest Point
- 934 feet
An old trail made new! The land on this southwest side of the park was recently donated to the Skagit Land Trust and Mount Vernon Parks to prevent it from becoming a big housing development. Now, the land will be kept for posterity for all to enjoy. Hike this loop for some fine forest walking on the south slope of Little Mountain.
Little Mountain Park - Bonnie and Clyde Loop
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 1.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 300 feet
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Highest Point
- 934 feet
Aptly named Little Mountain is easily accessible year-round. This 522-acre forested park—just a few miles from Mount Vernon’s downtown area—feels much farther from the city. A narrow road leads to the sub-1,000-foot summit, where Skagit Valley views await. While driving to the top is pleasant, it is far more rewarding to hike.
Lime Kiln Trail
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 625 feet
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Highest Point
- 750 feet
Here's an unusual hike through a very mossy forest and along a narrow river canyon, past sites that were important in local history. A railroad once ran along the canyon, passing through small communities. Logging was done in the area, and lime once was produced from limestone here, in a kiln that still stands. The railroad and communities are gone now, and much has disappeared over the past eighty years. But a few artifacts still remain and can be seen near the trail.
Lily and Lizard Lake Loop
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 7.15 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,400 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,120 feet
This is a loop made up of several well signed trails on Blanchard Mountain in the Chuckanuts. The trail offers that other-world ancientness with its dark forests, moss and house-sized boulders. It makes a good year-round hike, with a route that passes by waterfalls, swamps, two lakes, wildlife activity, old growth and evidence of logging operations from the nineteenth century.
Lewis River Falls
Southwest Washington > Lewis River Region
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Length
- 8.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 450 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,300 feet
Step into the moss-cloaked forest of the Lewis River, where giant cedars, nurse logs, ancient stumps and rushing water abound.
Lena Lake
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 7.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,300 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,000 feet
The hike to Lena Lake is doable for nearly every type of hiker, and the traffic on the trail is evidence of it. A wide path switchbacks gently at first and then just a little more steeply uphill through old- and second-growth forest to a large lake ringed by silent sentinels--huge old-growth fir trees that keep watch over day hikers and campers who elect to stay overnight at this wilderness refuge.
Lemei Lake
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
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Length
- 5.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 500 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,100 feet
Tucked in the heart of the Indian Heaven Wilderness. The short and sweet Lemei Lake trail takes you through open meadow to a calm lake ringed with lush evergreens and grasses.
Leadbetter Point State Park - Dune Forest Loop
Southwest Washington > Long Beach Area
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Length
- 2.9 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 60 feet
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Highest Point
- 35 feet
A walk through the coastal forest and tidal flats of Leadbetter Point State Park, the Dune Forest Loop is a nice way to see this low-lying peninsula, but the conditions on trail are heavily dependent on the tides and recent rainfall. Come prepared to wade through at least a little bit of water, and don’t be surprised to find yourself navigating deeper stuff. Bring a tide table, and try to visit at low tide for the driest conditions.
LBA Park
Olympic Peninsula > Olympia
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Length
- 4.0 miles of trails
The LBA of LBA Park stands for Little Baseball Association, but there is much more to do than just play baseball at this urban park. There are 4 miles of gentle walking trails in the adjoining LBA Woods and more.
Lake Wenatchee State Park
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - East
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Length
- 4.0 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 75 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,800 feet
A short detour off Highway 2 east of Stevens Pass will lead you a montane masterpiece tucked in the foothills of the Central Cascades. Gentle meandering hiking trails along the 489-acre state park offer scenic views of Nason Ridge, Dirty Face Mountain and the iconic Emerald Island.
Lake Valhalla
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - East
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Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,500 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,050 feet
Lake Valhalla is a gem, tucked under Lichtenberg Mountain and Mount McCausland on the PCT North of Stevens Pass. The lake is a great day hike in summer or fall and accessible by snowshoe in the winter. Wildflowers abound in early summer, berries in late summer and fall colors make vivid surroundings in autumn.
Lake Serene
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 8.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,000 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,521 feet
Lake Serene and Bridal Veil Falls compete for attention on this hike. Either would be a worthy destination by themselves and combined they are a great day on the trail.
Lake Padden Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 7.7 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 400 feet
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Highest Point
- 800 feet
Enjoy a stroll on the main loop trail that goes around Lake Padden or lengthen your trip by exploring some of the short trails at the east end of the park. To find a little solitude take a turn off the beaten path to rise above the south side of the lake on a less-trodden upper trail.
Lake Janus and Grizzly Peak
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - East
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Length
- 16.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,525 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,550 feet
A stroll north on the Pacific Crest Trail to tranquil Lake Janus and neighboring Grizzly Peak offers panoramas of the Central Cascades’ finest peaks and undulating meadows blanketed with wildflowers as far as the eye can see. Traveled by sauntering day hikers, first-time backpackers and dedicated thru-hikers bound for Canada, this well-graded trail has a little something for everyone.
