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
1522 HikesSnow Peak
Eastern Washington > Okanogan Highlands/Kettle River Range
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Length
- 10.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 875 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,400 feet
From spring flowers to summer berries to fall colors to winter vistas, this trail through the Columbia Highlands has something new to offer each season of the year. In the warmer months, try the circumnavigation of Sherman Peak plus the bonus excursion out to picturesque Snow Peak cabin. Plan ahead and rent the cabin, which is reservable for $30 per night for up to six people, year-round.
Silver Falls
Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
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Length
- 1.7 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 600 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,050 feet
Hidden in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest near the town of Entiat is a treasure of a trail with a wide graceful waterfall and panoramic views of the Entiat River Valley. Offering a chance to explore the outdoors for all abilities, it will be easy to see why it has been designated a National Recreational Trail and draws locals and travelers from all over the state.
Pine Lake
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 4.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 700 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,830 feet
Walk along a gentle road-to-trail conversion along beautiful old growth groves to a placid lake deep in the Lower Skokomish Valley.
Parkland Prairie
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 0.5 miles of trails
This neighborhood park has a short loop trail that takes visitors through a prairie ecosystem brimming with interesting trees, flowers and grasses.
Gorge Lake Overlook
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 0.53 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 70 feet
This very short trail provides astonishing views of nature’s beauty as well as humanity's technological “improvements” upon it. The first section of this loop is paved, allowing an out-and-back for all family members, while the remaining graveled loop section is never steep nor too challenging.
Palisades Lakes
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,800 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,150 feet
The road to Sunrise is closed for the winter season. It is expected to reopen in July 2026.
Seven lakes, seas of wildflowers, summer huckleberries, a bevy of wildlife and a good chance of quiet solitude await you on this 9-mile out-and-back. What more could you ask for?
Forest Lake
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Length
- 4.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,250 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,920 feet
The road to Sunrise is closed for the winter season. It is expected to reopen in July 2026.
Forest lake is a small lake in the Sunrise area of Mount Rainier.
Shadow Lake - Sunrise Camp Loop
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Length
- 3.7 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 200 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,386 feet
The road to Sunrise is closed for the winter season. It is expected to reopen in July 2026.
This sweet little loop leaves from the Sunrise Visitor Center at Mount Rainier and encompasses a lovely little lake, an unexpected campsite, and views of the mountain's eastern flanks and glaciers.
Oxbow Loop Trail
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
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Length
- 1.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 56 feet
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Highest Point
- 920 feet
Follow a loop trail around Oxbow Lake in the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River valley, where solitude intersects with calm lake waters, ever-present river murmurs of the Middle Fork, mountain views, and Snoqualmie rainforest. Depending on the season, fall colors, wildflowers, or fresh berries may be present for your enjoyment.
Salmon Creek Ravine Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 5.0 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 800 feet
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Highest Point
- 410 feet
Salmon Creek Ravine Park in Burien, located a few blocks north of Seahurst Park, is a large, minimally developed park centered on the drainage of Salmon Creek and its small tributaries. The area is forested and has some very large maples and alders, interspersed with Douglas-fir, redcedar and madrone.
Westcrest Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 2.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 220 feet
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Highest Point
- 340 feet
Hike a network of forest trails in this large park in the southwestern corner of Seattle. Douglas-fir, redcedar, maples, madrone — they are all here in abundance, some of them quite large.
Trail of Two Forests
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
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Length
- 0.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 50 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,885 feet
This trail loops through two forests that stand side by side, but are separated in age by 2,000 years. One forest is old-growth Douglas-fir and western redcedar, and the other is a young forest that was originally engulfed by lava flows from an eruption of Mount St. Helens over two millennia ago.
Panther Lake Trail
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 0.9 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 36 feet
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Highest Point
- 283 feet
Trade the sounds of the city for birdsong and enjoy some quiet time outside just a short distance from the center of Federal Way.
Mima Mounds
Olympic Peninsula > Olympia
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Length
- 2.75 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 10 feet
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Highest Point
- 225 feet
These mysterious mounds inspire imagination and speculation among visitors. With a half-mile ADA accessible path and another two miles of more rugged wandering, the Mima Mounds are a great destination for many hikers.
Klickitat Rail Trail - Swale Canyon
Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
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Length
- 13.0 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 450 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,550 feet
The Klickitat Rail Trail is a 31-mile rails-to-trails conversion managed by Columbia Hills State Park. This linear park goes from Lyle to Warwick (on the Lyle-Centerville Highway) with several access points along the way. Swale Canyon lies on the eastern end of the trail and offers a quiet canyon, a burbly creek, wildflowers and solitude.
Shady Lane
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 1.8 miles, roundtrip
Explore a beautiful riverside forest, perfect for kids and adults alike.
Church Creek Shelter
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 1.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 180 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,060 feet
Church Creek Shelter sits in a delightful clearing near the South Fork of the Skokomish River. The short hike to it was once part of the longer Church Creek Trail that extended from the “Skok” to Satsop Lake. Now just a half mile from the road, the shelter is one of the most easily attained on the Olympic Peninsula.
Camp Pleasant
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 14.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 800 feet
The hike to Camp Pleasant is often included in more lengthy backpacks or dayhikes on the Olympic Peninsula, but hikers will find an easy conditioner when they undertake this early season stroll.
Brown Creek
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 0.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 20 feet
A pleasant 0.8 mile loop around a beaver pond and wetland is ideal for a morning stroll or post-dinner walk while camping at Brown Creek Campground.
Staircase Rapids
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 2.1 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 574 feet
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Highest Point
- 950 feet
Staircase Rapids is a beautiful 2.1 mile loop trail following the North Fork of the Skokomish River. Enjoy the Olympic old growth forests with a lush understory of mosses and ferns.
Dege Peak
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Length
- 4.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 600 feet
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Highest Point
- 7,006 feet
The road to Sunrise is closed for the winter season. It is expected to reopen in July 2026.
Unlike many of the trails out of Sunrise Visitor Center that lead you closer to the hulking presence of Mount Rainier, Dege Peak walks you just far enough away from the mountain to get a little perspective. With stunning 360-degree views ranging from nearby Cowlitz Chimneys to the far-off peaks of Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams, Glacier Peak and Mount Baker, this perch above Sourdough Ridge is terrific for an easy alpine stroll on a clear day.
Sunrise Nature
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Length
- 1.5 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 300 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,773 feet
The road to Sunrise is closed for the winter season. It is expected to reopen in July 2026.
This hike is short but stunning with Mount Rainier keeping watch over a wildflower-filled sub-alpine meadow. You'll see iconic views of Mount Rainier, butterflies fluttering between colorful blooms, and if the sky is clear, a view of the Cascades all the way to Mount Baker.
Silver Forest - Emmons Vista
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Length
- 2.5 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 325 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,400 feet
The road to Sunrise is closed for the winter season. It is expected to reopen in July 2026.
The Silver Forest Trail is a lesser-known and therefore less-crowded alternative at Mount Rainier’s Sunrise. Enjoy mountain, glacier and river valley views along a gentle trail that is mostly out of sight of the bustle of Sunrise.
Sunrise Lake
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Length
- 1.5 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 425 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,150 feet
The road to Sunrise is closed for the winter season. It is expected to reopen in July 2026.
This short, one-mile, downhill jaunt from the hairpin turn on the road to Sunrise makes a great detour when hiking the Palisades Lakes trail, or a nice warm up before tackling longer hikes like Burroughs or Dege Peak from Sunrise.
Naches Trail Preserve
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 0.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 0 feet
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Highest Point
- 340 feet
Spring is the perfect time to enjoy native flowers in bloom and a landscape alive with birdsong in this Pierce County Parks preserve.
Sinlahekin Natural Area
Eastern Washington > Okanogan Highlands/Kettle River Range
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Length
- 8.0 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 0 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,700 feet
Tucked in a lush river valley in the Okanogan region, the Sinlahekin Wildlife Area provides the opportunity to wander at will, through a rich ecosystem harboring hundreds of species of big game, waterfowl, and native plants.
Liberty Ghost Town
Central Cascades
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Length
- 1.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 50 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,682 feet
Liberty, originally named Meaghersville, is a living ghost town. It was the center of a Washington State gold rush in the 1870s and has the look and feel often associated with the term ghost town. There is no formal trail through Liberty, but the open landscape makes it easy to navigate. Since it begins by the roadside, it’s a perfect exploration for all ages and abilities.
Sculpture Rock
Central Cascades > Blewett Pass
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Length
- 0.9 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 200 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,400 feet
This short leg-stretcher winds through old-growth fir and ponderosa forests with amazing geology to entertain even the most curmudgeonly kids in your car.
Red Top Lookout
Central Cascades > Blewett Pass
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Length
- 1.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 350 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,360 feet
Red Top Lookout — built in 1952, restored in 1997 — and still operational today, provides a fine bang for your hiking buck. A short, steep trail leads to the functioning fire lookout, as well as magnificent 360-degree views of the Stuart Range, Teanaway Ridge, Chelan and Entiat Mountains, Mount Rainier and even Mount Adams on a clear day.
Pipe Creek Loop Snowshoe
Central Cascades > Blewett Pass
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Length
- 4.1 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 900 feet
Take this 4-mile trek along an old forest road, to peek-a-boo views of the Teanaway ridges and quiet forest.
