My family and I have always enjoyed hiking. However until recently, the kids were not old enough to do anything too serious. Usually some short, moderate hikes on tent trailer camping excursions. This year, my 12 year old (soon to be 13) and I are gearing up for some overnight backpacking. For conditioning, we have been doing some hikes on the weekends. I had been wanting to try out Mt. Walker and on this day, the weather and timing was perfect for the opportunity. Bluebird, sunny skies in the low 50s. So, my daughter and I threw own our hiking boots and headed out. I needed to get some passes. So, we stopped at Fred Meyers on the way out. We were able to get a Discovery Pass there but no National Forest/Park passes. I planned then to stop at the ranger station in Quilcene, which is just a few miles north of the trail head. However when we pulled into Quilcene, the ranger station was closed and the parking lot blocked off. They were doing some kind of timbering. Not sure what that was about. When we got the trail head, I checked other cars to see what passes they had. Some had no passes, some had a Discovery Pass and another had a National Forest pass. I parked in the shoulder along the road and hoped for the best. The road was gated off, but there was no snow. We walked up the 1/4 mile to the trail head and stepped into the forest for our hike. When we parked, I had noticed a lot of cars. So, I thought the trail would be packed. However, it wasn't bad at all. We encountered other people (and some dogs) on the trail, but I was surprised at how few and far between they were. It was beautiful in the tall cedars and very quiet. The trail was very well maintained, basically clear and no mud. There were some roots and rocks, but mostly dirt. The way up is just that. "Up" all the way. At first, it's definitely noticeable but not bad at all. However, it intensifies the farther you go. On the way down, we counted approximately 23 switchbacks. I think we had eaten too soon before embarking on our hike, which made my 12 year old's stomach feel a little upset. It didn't subside until about half way up. To her credit, she kept pushing up the trail, determined to see the summit. I asked several times on the way up if we needed to turn around, but she wasn't having any of that! We took frequent rest stops on the way up and were glad we brought water with us. It took us two hours to reach the summit. My daughter was ecstatic when we finally got there. High fives abounded and she had a smile from ear to ear. The view was amazing. Photos don't do it justice. The trip back down the trail took only 45 minutes. We shuffled-jogged down some sections, but had to be careful not to slip. We also stopped a moment to adjust our laces. My daughter's feet were sliding to front of her shoes. I highly recommend this hike, but be very aware that it's a solid climb the entire way up. Bring plenty of water and don't eat too soon before hitting the trail. Bring a camera of phone with you. You're going to want to take a lot of photos at the top.

An excellent day hike! Fairly strenuous but short, as the stats would suggest. The trail is in such great condition that while it was strenuous, it never felt unfair - just switchback after switchback. The views from the top were excellent! The trail was surprisingly empty given the excellent views and the great weather. I chose to take the road down instead of the trail, figuring that the long way would be longer but the shallower descent would be more pleasant. I regretted this - it was really long. I wished I could have just been done with the descent. The road might be great for trail runners though - you would have to be very fit to run the actual trail. It did have some nice views that the main trail didn't have, in its defense.

The road to Mount Walker remains gated, so park at the gate and walk approximately 1/3 mile to the well-marked trailhead on your right. The trail is steep but well-maintained. The views at the top are worth it. This is a great little conditioner hike.

Decided to trek up Mt. Walker on the only sunny day of the week. I am just getting back into the swing of things and this hike sure tested my endurance. It is quite steep and doesn't have too many breaks. You seem to be at a constant incline throughout the entire hike, but the glimpses of mountains keep you going. There was no snow on the trail and no real wash outs from recent rains. Made it up to the top and down in 2 hours. It is a little rough on your knees coming back down. This is a rewarding hike and you will get a work out!

Finally! Clear skies and good views from the South Summit after 4 previous winter attempts :) I've included 2min of video highlights in the link below. Mount Walker's 2 summits are crowded with picnickers and tourists when the summit road is open. But in winter, we hikers get it all to ourselves! And at 1000ft per mile elevation gain, it's a favorite of mine to help lose holiday pounds. Just park at the locked gate and the trail sign is about 1/3 mile up the road on the right side. Today was gorgeous with sunny views from both summits.