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
3975 HikesCentral Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
14.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3300 ft.
Highest Point: 4900 ft.
Rating:
Visit any of several beautiful alpine lakes, in rocky basins. The day can be as easy as a 3.6 roundtrip hike to Trout Lake, or as strenuous as the nearly 15-mile hike to Big Heart Lake as you like. Good options exist both for day-hikers and for backpackers.
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
40.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 7000 ft.
Highest Point: 6000 ft.
Rating:
Try a multi-day backpack up the tumbling, boisterous, river-like Thunder Creek from the Colonial Creek Campground to just beyond its headwaters at Park Creek Pass. Backpackers can turn around at Park Creek Pass (45.6 miles) or do a traverse to Cascade Pass (41.8 miles).
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
2.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 200 ft.
Highest Point: 800 ft.
Rating:
Follow a gentle old railroad grade into the coal-mining ghost town of Franklin, along the Green River near Black Diamond. It’s an easy walk up to the coal cart and sealed mine shaft. Follow the narrow footpath beyond to discover the powerhouse foundation and cemetery.
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 50 ft.
Highest Point: 182 ft.
Rating:
Once the largest hospital for mentally ill people in Washington State, Northern State Mental Hospital was a town unto itself. Parts of the site are still in use and off-limits, but the farm is now a recreation area. It is located just north of the Skagit River near the town of Sedro-Woolley. Stroll along the wide pastoral trails amongst the buildings and cemetery.
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
7.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 625 ft.
Highest Point: 750 ft.
Rating:
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.
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
12.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1650 ft.
Highest Point: 1100 ft.
Rating:
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.
Olympic Peninsula > Olympia
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 150 ft.
Highest Point: 200 ft.
Rating:
With amenities aplenty, Squaxin Park (formerly Priest Point Park) serves a wide community of users. Take a picnic and explore its many nature trails, let your kids play on the playground, or simply relax and enjoy the surroundings.
Southwest Washington > Lewis River Region
0.88 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 50 ft.
Highest Point: 1012 ft.
Rating:
Hike a short, sweet, ADA-accessible trail on a reservoir to a waterfall.
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
4.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1160 ft.
Highest Point: 2078 ft.
Rating:
This is a fine hike on a well maintained, albeit busy trail through a cool forest with views of the Cedar River watershed, Mount Si, Mount Washington, Rattlesnake Lake and Chester Morse Lake.
Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich
6.1 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1300 ft.
Highest Point: 5800 ft.
Rating:
This popular summer trail offers wildflower-filled meadows, a glistening alpine lake, big mountain views and wildlife sighting aplenty.
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
8.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2700 ft.
Highest Point: 4600 ft.
Rating:
The way to Melakwa Lake is like two different trails: first a wide gentle trail through old growth forest beneath an elevated and noisy Interstate freeway. And second, a rocky steep trail that follows a waterfall and a precipitous gorge upstream to get to a pair of clear alpine lakes flanked by rocky peaks. Is it about the journey or the destination? You decide.
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
3.7 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1300 ft.
Highest Point: 1550 ft.
Rating:
Companion piece to neighbor and big brother Mount Si, the small rocky bluff known as Little Si is a moderate grade 3.7 mile trail located in the hike rich North Bend area. Although relatively steep inclines bookend this hike, this primarily North/South route is perfect for beginners who are looking to get back in shape, while still accommodating veterans with opportunities to cut away on the Boulder Garden Loop (at .3 miles and .5 miles) to merge with the more challenging Mount Si trail. Expect crowds, even in winter, as New Year’s resolutions (the two Si mountains are sometimes colloquially referred to as the “Resolution Peaks” for the deluge of hikers that appear after January 1st), proximity to the city and a degree of refuge from the elements often divert heavy foot traffic to this mini-mountain to keep it busy year round.
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 450 ft.
Highest Point: 705 ft.
Rating:
Hike along old logging roads to a 25-foot tall waterfall on Cherry Creek just outside of Duvall. Note that access to this area is part of an agreement with nearby homeowners, and part of the trail is on private land, so please remain on the main path, observe leash laws and keep noise to a minimum as a courtesy to homeowners along trail. There are no toilets at the trailhead. Plan ahead.
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
8.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3150 ft.
Highest Point: 3900 ft.
Rating:
There are many reasons – besides its proximity to Seattle – why Mount Si is the most popular hike in the state: beautiful views, wildlife (some of it not so wild), old growth forest, and a dramatic summit worthy of a more remote peak. Rising dramatically above the Snoqualmie Valley, it serves as a literal and figurative gateway to the Cascades for thousands of hikers.
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
8.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3250 ft.
Highest Point: 4450 ft.
Rating:
This easy-access day hike delivers comparable—if not superior—panoramic views and lung-busting switchbacks to Mount Si, with significantly less foot traffic.
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
6.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2420 ft.
Highest Point: 4320 ft.
Rating:
Sun drenched ridgelines, blooming trillium, and sparkling alpine waters define this fitting tribute to one of Washington’s greatest trail advocates.
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - East
13.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1700 ft.
Highest Point: 4800 ft.
Rating:
A popular summertime destination for many hikers and backpackers, Lake Valhalla also makes a rewarding advanced snowshoe route.
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
2.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 850 ft.
Highest Point: 1700 ft.
Rating:
Heybrook Lookout is a short and moderately steep hike through a fern and moss covered forest to a fun, staircase-ridden lookout with great views of the nearby mountains. If you are introducing someone to hiking, limited on time, or trying to add on another hike or activity in the area, this is the hike for you.
Puget Sound and Islands > Whidbey Island
4.3 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 484 ft.
Highest Point: 484 ft.
Rating:
Deception Pass State Park is one of the most popular Washington state parks and it is easy to see why. There are beautiful beaches, mature woodlands, great views, lakes, and a beautifully built bridge high on rocks above two narrow waterways. This nice trail will take you through all of this.
South Cascades > White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley
9.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2625 ft.
Highest Point: 6835 ft.
Rating:
In addition to broad views, Shellrock Peak features some interesting rock formations for the geology buff. Constant elevation changes along the trail, lack of water, and the need for minor off-trail routefinding make solitude likely.
Eastern Washington > Selkirk Range
0.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 100 ft.
Highest Point: 3468 ft.
Rating:
A short hike to an historic mining camp and recently restored buildings on the Colville National Forest.
Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich
4.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 500 ft.
Highest Point: 1100 ft.
Rating:
Three waterfalls, multiple viewing areas, and two different trailheads provide great choices for an excursion to Little Mashel Falls. The tallest waterfall plunges over 90 feet.
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
7.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 150 ft.
Highest Point: 1300 ft.
Rating:
Located on the White River near Mount Rainier, the Mud Mountain Dam is both a flood control dam operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a recreation facility. At about 3.5 miles from the trailhead, Scatter Creek makes the trail impassable.
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
0.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 260 ft.
Highest Point: 1300 ft.
Rating:
Located on the White River near Mount Rainier, the Mud Mountain Dam is both a flood control dam operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a recreation facility. The Vista Trail is short but steep.
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
4.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 80 ft.
Highest Point: 1300 ft.
Rating:
Located on the White River near Mount Rainier, the Mud Mountain Dam is both a flood control dam operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a recreation facility. This gentle 2-mile trail will take you along the White River.
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
9.16 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 800 ft.
Rating:
Part of King County’s regional trail network, the Lake Youngs Trail is a soft-surface, rolling, sometimes hilly loop around a reservoir and offers a couple connections to other popular trails in the area.
Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
7.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1300 ft.
Highest Point: 1350 ft.
Rating:
There is an annual closure on Cape Horn for peregrine falcon nesting from February to July. Hikers will need to do an out-and-back instead of a loop when the closure is in effect.
This rugged hike is bound to become a classic, if it isn’t already. The full trail loop provides fantastic views of the Columbia River Gorge, an intimate look at the Cape Horn Falls and a challenging workout as it climbs and descends the rocky slopes of Cape Horn.
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
1.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 192 ft.
Highest Point: 157 ft.
Rating:
This hike boasts a great combination of wetland and sea shore. It is doable by hikers of all ages, and most of the trail is wheelchair accessible
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
10.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2300 ft.
Highest Point: 5300 ft.
Rating:
The snowshoe route into Commonwealth Basin is not clearly marked or blazed. Visitors here should plan their route in advance, go prepared for winter travel, and be able to identify avalanche risk.
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
8.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 500 ft.
Highest Point: 1000 ft.
Rating:
Magnificent old growth forests, stellar views of Mount Baker, turbulent tributaries, and, of course, a beautiful lake make this trail a great path to travel.