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 treaty 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
3906 Hikes
Tolmie Peak Lookout - Eunice Lake
Mount Rainier Area -- NW - Carbon River/Mowich
7.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1100 ft.
Highest Point: 5900.0 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed: The road accessing this trailhead is closed for the 2020/2021 winter season.
Hike to an old fire lookout with in-your-face views of Mount Rainier and a sapphire blue lake below. Tolmie Peak and Eunice Lake pack a one-two punch when it comes to scenery, but stopping at the picturesque lake is a perfectly acceptable destination as well.
Mount Ellinor
Olympic Peninsula -- Hood Canal
6.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3300 ft.
Highest Point: 5944.0 ft.
Rating:
Mount Ellinor is the southern-most prominence on the eastern front of the Olympics. This makes its peak easy to point out to your friends when you say, ”I was up there.” Mount Ellinor also gives you two trailheads to choose from. The lower trailhead at 2,600 feet welcomes you to the ascent with an easy grade at the outset. The route from the upper trailhead at 3,500 feet starts out with a nearly immediate upward jolt. The trails merge well before the summit and continue upward at a character-building grade.
Cape Flattery
Olympic Peninsula -- Pacific Coast
1.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 200 ft.
Highest Point: 250.0 ft.
Rating:
Trail currently closed
The furthest northwest tip of the contiguous United State, Cape Flattery provides a dramatic backdrop to a surprisingly accessible hike. It's managed by the Makah Tribe, who provide permits for parking here at Washburn's General Store, The Makah Museum, and many other locations in Neah Bay. As you drive through on the way to the trailhead, be sure to purchase yours -- they're good for the year, and you can also use it for Shi Shi Beach.
Shi Shi Beach and Point of the Arches
Olympic Peninsula -- Pacific Coast
8.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 200 ft.
Highest Point: 200.0 ft.
Rating:
Trail currently closed
This stunning Olympic coastal hike is one of the more photographed places in Washington for good reason.
Lacamas Park - Lacamas Creek
Southwest Washington -- Vancouver Area
4.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 350 ft.
Highest Point: 400.0 ft.
Rating:
Lacamas Lake Park is a diverse natural area with a surprisingly 'wild' feel for a park this close to town. Picnic by the lake, check out the Camas meadow in bloom, or explore the forest and creeks along the many trails. This hike describes a "lollipop" loop starting at the south end of the park, visiting the Lower Falls, then circling around through the park past Round Lake and returning along Lacamas Creek.
Mount Walker
Olympic Peninsula -- Hood Canal
4.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2000 ft.
Highest Point: 2804.0 ft.
Rating:
Approachable throughout the year, the Mount Walker trail’s average 20% grade makes it a go-to route for hikers and trail runners looking for a short, brisk tromp. (While it is also a designated stock trail, riders and pack animals rarely make an appearance.) Spring, summer, and fall the 2-mile trail is both ascended and descended by those on foot. In the winter, when the Mount Walker road is gated closed to vehicles, many will pursue the then 2.25-mile jaunt up to the north viewpoint, saunter over to the south viewpoint and then descend on the more gentle grade of the road.
Twanoh State Park
Olympic Peninsula -- Hood Canal
2.3 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 375 ft.
Highest Point: 400.0 ft.
Rating:
Enjoy an easy hike along a salmon-spawning stream in a lush emerald ravine. Twanoh is derived from the Skokomish people, meaning "gathering place."Twanoh State Park protects 182 acres of prime Hood Canal real estate-a perfect place for hikers and wildlife to gather.
Lake 22
North Cascades -- Mountain Loop Highway
5.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1350 ft.
Highest Point: 2400.0 ft.
Rating:
The curiously-named Lake Twentytwo is the center of an oasis of alpine wetland nestled on the northern shoulder of Mount Pilchuck. The hike to the lake combines the best of mountain rainforests, old-growth, wetlands, and mountain views, yet it is readily accessible. In winter the route lends itself to snowshoeing.
Mount Pilchuck
North Cascades -- Mountain Loop Highway
5.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2300 ft.
Highest Point: 5327.0 ft.
Rating:
Despite its intermediate difficulty, Mount Pilchuck sees a slew of visitors in a given year, as hikers flock to the trail for its grand panoramic views and historic restored fire lookout. Easily one of the most rewarding hikes in the area, its relatively short 2.7 mile, 2,300 feet ascent gifts you 360-degree views of Mount Baker, Mount Rainier and the Olympics from its shelter lookout, which sits nestled on a summit that tops out around 5,300 feet. This calf-friendly journey is all made possible by a high elevation trailhead, which sets you off on your travels around 3,000 feet, cutting what would otherwise be an arduous ten mile roundtrip in half.
Rattlesnake Mountain
Snoqualmie Region -- North Bend Area
10.5 miles, one-way
Gain: 2520 ft.
Highest Point: 3500.0 ft.
Rating:
If you've hiked to Rattlesnake Ledges and beyond from Rattlesnake Lake, this is a delightful alternative. Thanks to the handiwork of various groups in the outdoor community, hikers can now reach Rattlesnake Mountain from the west, starting from a trailhead at Snoqualmie Point.
Duckabush River
Olympic Peninsula -- Hood Canal
10.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2300 ft.
Highest Point: 1750.0 ft.
Rating:
Explore one of the quieter Olympic Peninsula river valleys. Quiet, that is, if you don't count the Duckabush River's constant belching, crashing, and churning as it tumbles over giant boulders and squeezes through narrow rocky clefts.
Baldy Mountain
Central Washington -- Yakima
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1972 ft.
Highest Point: 3212.0 ft.
Rating:
This hike in the Yakima River Canyon is an excellent conditioning hike for anyone looking to train in the winter months.
Peshastin Pinnacles State Park
Central Cascades -- Leavenworth Area
1.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 400 ft.
Highest Point: 1450.0 ft.
Rating:
Largely used as a climbing park, Peshastin Pinnacles also makes an ideal stop on Highway 2 to stretch your legs, or as a destination during a visit to Leavenworth, Wenatchee, Cashmere or Chelan. A short trail system offers a nice zigzag, moderately steep loop tour of the base of the climbing areas, and a picnic area makes for a great way to finish the visit off.
Saddle Rock
Central Washington -- Wenatchee
2.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 920 ft.
Highest Point: 2000.0 ft.
Rating:
This is an excellent location for folks in Wenatchee looking to get some conditioning in during the winter months, or just wanting to stretch their legs after a long day behind a desk.
Horse Lake Reserve
Central Washington -- Wenatchee
5.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 700 ft.
Highest Point: 2410.0 ft.
Rating:
Horse Lake Reserve is a 1,500 acre reserve located just west of Wenatchee. Accessing this beautiful section of the Foothills is done from the north end of town on Horse Lake Canyon Road. The trailhead is three miles from where the pavement ends and the climb up the well kept dirt road offers some great views.
Ancient Lakes
Central Washington -- Potholes Region
12.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 625 ft.
Highest Point: 1200.0 ft.
Rating:
View one of the best examples of a recessional-cataract canyon. Potholes Coulee caught the attention of J Harlen Bretz in the early 20th century, which led to his “outrageous hypothesis” of Ice Age flooding.
Sage Hills
Central Washington -- Wenatchee
5.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 650 ft.
Highest Point: 800.0 ft.
Rating:
Just adjacent to the equally popular Horse Lake Reserve, the Sage Hills is home to great trails for hiking, running, or mountain biking. The rolling hills found at Sage Hills offer wonderful views of the Columbia River, the Wenatchee Valley and the North Cascades. Springtime brings vibrant color to the area with wild sage, yellow arrowleaf balsamroot, Indian paintbrush and purple lupine abound.
Kirkland Watershed Park
Puget Sound and Islands -- Seattle-Tacoma Area
1.6 miles of trails
Rating:
Explore the upland forest areas and hiking trails with interpretive signs at the 73.37-acre Kirkland Watershed Park. There are a few hiking options to choose from Check out the Cochran Springs Creek trail or take a hike to the old reservoir. From the reservoir near the top of the park, there are two more loop options to explore.
Pyramid Lake
North Cascades -- North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
4.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1500 ft.
Highest Point: 2500.0 ft.
Rating:
This is a nice, quiet little forest hike, where the journey is half the destination. The lake is pond sized, and surrounded by large boulders. It is pretty in its own way, a still lake with nice reflections, yellow waterlilies and silvered logs floating on the surface. The clumps of grasses and moss growing on the floating logs create a mini ecosystem to observe up close.
Snow Mountain Ranch
Central Washington -- Yakima
9.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1140 ft.
Highest Point: 3376.0 ft.
Rating:
For a flat riparian ramble or a great workout to a scenic summit, Snow Mountain Ranch is a walking wonderland just outside of Yakima.
Rowena Plateau and Tom McCall Point
Southwest Washington -- Columbia River Gorge - OR
3.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1200 ft.
Highest Point: 1750.0 ft.
Rating:
For the 2021 season this trail is open to the public between April 1 and October 31
Rowena Crest is a fabulous place to pull off the road and enjoy the sweeping views of the Columbia River. Grasslands, basalt cliffs, and scrub oak forests form the landscape you'll hike through on a trail that climbs steadily with ever-increasing views.
Chinook
South Cascades
300.0 miles, roundtrip
Rating:
The Chinook Trail is a vision and work in progress. Once completed it will be a 300+ mile rim-to-rim loop encircling the Columbia River Gorge across both southern Washington and Oregon. To date the Chinook Trail Association (CTA) has completed a 30 mile stretch northeast of Vancouver that received National Recreation Trail status in 2005.
Palisades
Mount Rainier Area -- Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
15.9 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2680 ft.
Highest Point: 5300.0 ft.
Rating:
This trail has it all, from beautiful forests, beautiful waterfalls, good climbing and fun descents to technical sections with views of Mount Rainier from cliffs that will inspire you.
Kraus Ridge
South Cascades -- Mount St. Helens
6.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1570 ft.
Highest Point: 2370.0 ft.
Rating:
Krause Ridge Trail offers a textbook example of a Pacific Northwest forest nearing succession climax. Whether you are a jaded forest trekker or an ecologist, this is a classical forest with big trees towering as a sunshade with a lush understory and an easy day hike.
Merrill Lake Conservation Area - Kalama River Falls
South Cascades -- Mount St. Helens
7.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 500 ft.
Highest Point: 2120.0 ft.
Rating:
There are two routes to Kalama Falls. One is a single-track forest trail that is 3.8 miles long and the other is a two-track road that’s 1.9 miles long. Both are easy to walk, with some elevation change, and both reach the same destination: Kalama River Falls.
Kanaskat-Palmer State Park
Puget Sound and Islands -- Seattle-Tacoma Area
3.0 miles, roundtrip
Rating:
A popular destination for whitewater rafters and kayakers, Kanasket-Palmer State Park is 320 acres of forest surrounding the Green River. Visitors can hike through the trees, go rafting or kayaking on the river, view wildlife, fish for trout, wade in the pools, and camp in tents, RVs, or yurts to take advantage of everything the park has to offer.
Stafford Falls via Deer Creek
Mount Rainier Area -- SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
4.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 375 ft.
Highest Point: 3250.0 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed: The road accessing this trailhead is closed for the 2020/2021 winter season.
The hike to Stafford Falls drops steeply from the road, requiring a climb to return to your vehicle. But after 0.4 miles, it follows crystal-clear Chinook Creek as it cascades down a gentle slope, with small plunges, narrow chutes, beautiful blue-green pools, and a 25-foot punch-bowl waterfall. Such beauty and serenity are seldom this easy to get to.
Glacier Basin
Mount Rainier Area -- NE - Sunrise/White River
6.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1600 ft.
Highest Point: 5900.0 ft.
Rating:
Floods in 2006 severely damaged the Glacier Basin trail, but after four years of work, WTA completed a new trail in Glacier Basin at Mount Rainier National Park in the summer of 2011. Since then, hikers of all stripes have had the pleasure of enjoying a brand-new route to one of the mountain's most iconic glaciers on an easy-to-hike trail.
Grand Park via Sunrise
Mount Rainier Area -- NE - Sunrise/White River
14.0 miles, roundtrip
Rating:
Road Closed: The road accessing this trailhead is closed for the 2020/2021 winter season.
Grand Park provides one of the absolute best views of The Mountain from any of the trails in the park. Though longer than the access from Lake Eleanor, this route is more scenic, passing through the stark rocky landscape of Sunrise to flower-filled Berkeley Park and then climbing gradually through cool forest before getting to alpine meadows and majestic Grand Park itself.
Greenwater Trail to Lost Lakes
Mount Rainier Area -- Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
12.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2700 ft.
Highest Point: 5700.0 ft.
Rating:
Take the trail less traveled by and visit some quiet lakes near Mount Rainier. Or, continue on to extensive views afforded by Noble Knob.