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
3903 Hikes
Potholes Wildlife Area
Central Washington -- Potholes Region
4.0 miles, roundtrip
Highest Point: 1050.0 ft.
Rating:
The Potholes Wildlife Area is enclosed in the nearly 40,000-acre Potholes Reservoir Unit near Moses Lake. Part of the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project, anyone who has driven cross-state has zipped through this enormous irrigation project, but few stop to enjoy the wide variety of wildlife it supports.
Goldmyer Hot Springs
Snoqualmie Region -- North Bend Area
24.0 miles, roundtrip
Rating:
The way to Goldmyer Hot Springs is a delightful forest walk through deep woods, along the rushing Snoqualmie River, and ultimately to a beautiful privately owned hot springs tucked against the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Because it is privately owned by a non-profit, reservations are strongly recommended and are the only way to assure access to the property and hot springs.
Franklin Ghost Town
Mount Rainier Area -- Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
2.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 200 ft.
Highest Point: 800.0 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.
Big Creek
Olympic Peninsula -- Hood Canal
4.3 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 850 ft.
Highest Point: 1850.0 ft.
Rating:
This low-key loop in the shadow of Mount Ellinor makes for a great respite on a hot summer day or a low-country winter ramble when it's rainy.
Big Four Ice Caves
North Cascades -- Mountain Loop Highway
2.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 220 ft.
Highest Point: 1938.0 ft.
Rating:
Trail closed: The bridge over the Stillaguamish River has been removed for repairs rendering the Big Four Ice Caves inaccessible
Never go into or climb on top of the Ice Caves
This is an easy walk on a wide gravel and boardwalk path to views of Big Four Mountain and the caves beneath the snow. Hikers of all ages and abilities can enjoy this trail.
Orangegate Park
Puget Sound and Islands -- Seattle-Tacoma Area
2.5 miles of trails
Highest Point: 400.0 ft.
Rating:
Orangegate Park Is a large greenspace managed by Pierce County Parks. This parcel has a trail network that is still under development. WTA volunteers have worked here to develop these trails.
Antoine Peak Conservation Area - Etter Ranch
Eastern Washington -- Spokane Area/Coeur d'Alene
Rating:
Etter Ranch is the newest addition to the Antoine Peak Conservation Area. The 230-acre parcel extends south, making it the closest entry point from the city of Spokane Valley. From the Trentwood Trailhead, head north on flat tread for less than half a mile, before linking up with the Arrow Leaf Trail.
Nick's Lagoon
Olympic Peninsula -- Hood Canal
Rating:
Nick’s Lagoon is a small greenspace managed by Kitsap County Parks. The lagoon sits in the nook of Seabeck Bay.
Senator Rosa Franklin Park
Puget Sound and Islands -- Seattle-Tacoma Area
1.0 miles of trails
Gain: 50 ft.
Highest Point: 375.0 ft.
Rating:
Senator Rosa Franklin Park borders Franklin Elementary school in Central Tacoma. The park features a playground, a baseball field, picnic areas, a sprayground, restrooms and several paved paths.
China Lake
Puget Sound and Islands -- Seattle-Tacoma Area
1.0 miles of trails
Gain: 50 ft.
Highest Point: 300.0 ft.
Rating:
China Lake is a natural area wedged between Highway 16 and a residential neighborhood right next to Tacoma Community College. This small lake park includes a few different access points with sparse parking that connect to a series of trails that go around the lake and connect to the surrounding streets.
Horseshoe Bend
North Cascades -- Mount Baker Area
2.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 220 ft.
Highest Point: 1200.0 ft.
Rating:
Trail Closed 11.18.21: Horseshoe Bend Trail is closed at 0.1 mile due to erosion and land slide hazards until further notice.
Here's a Mount Baker Highway gem that's low enough to be passable all year and at the same time easy enough for the whole family. It's also a terrific spot to witness the power of water.
Red Town Meadow & Trails
Issaquah Alps -- Cougar Mountain
1.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 150 ft.
Highest Point: 800.0 ft.
Rating:
Hike easy, very green trails in the northwest corner of Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park. View artifacts from the coal mining era. As optional hike extensions, look in on Far Country Falls, or check out the ongoing downstream Coal Creek Trail.
Mount Margaret
Snoqualmie Region -- Snoqualmie Pass
5.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2000 ft.
Highest Point: 5459.0 ft.
Rating:
Hike up an abandoned road, through a logged area, and into mature forest on the edge of the Alpine Lakes wilderness. What the trail lacks in ruggedness is more than made up for by the quantity of berries that line the trail.
Grove of the Patriarchs Loop
Mount Rainier Area -- SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
1.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 50 ft.
Highest Point: 2200.0 ft.
Rating:
Trail Closed: As of 11.17.21 this trail is closed because of winter storm damage to the suspension bridge.
Some of the biggest, oldest trees in the Washington Cascades stand tall in the Grove of the Patriarchs. These silent old men of moss tower overhead, with a few lying down to show us just how massive the trunks really are. The Grove resides in a low, boggy area across the Ohanapecosh River, so you'll need to cross a sweet little suspension bridge to get there, offering you a chance to enjoy a bit of adventure on this simple little trail. Youngsters typically love the bridge, and kids of all ages marvel at the massive trees.
Anderson Glacier
Olympic Peninsula -- Hood Canal
0.8 miles, one-way
Gain: 735 ft.
Highest Point: 5200.0 ft.
Rating:
The Anderson Glacier Trail is a backcountry trail located in the eastern reaches of Olympic National Park. This short spur trail starts at Anderson Pass and ascends in a series of steep switchbacks to a moraine that overlooks a lake and the former site of Anderson Glacier.
Tatoosh Lakes
South Cascades -- White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley
6.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3400 ft.
Highest Point: 5750.0 ft.
Rating:
Tatoosh Lakes are not open to camping any more, but they are much easier to get to than they used to be, and still a good bet for solitude and the peaceful sounds of nature.
Moraine Park - Mystic Lake
Mount Rainier Area -- NW - Carbon River/Mowich
25.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 4400 ft.
Highest Point: 6100.0 ft.
Rating:
Trail Closed: As of 11/16/21 The entire Carbon River area is closed due to a road washout making it unsafe to access this area. Please respect this closure.
Mystic Lake is a charming emerald tarn nestled in a subalpine basin along the Wonderland Trail. A scenic saddle separates it from Moraine Park, an expansive mountain meadow threaded with gurgling brooks under the dome of Mount Rainier. Getting there requires first hiking or biking the 5 miles of closed Carbon River Road and then hiking to the Carbon Glacier. This route is longer than starting at Sunrise, but backpackers will appreciate the numerous streams and forest shade.
Wonderland Trail - Ipsut Creek to Mystic Lake
Mount Rainier Area -- NW - Carbon River/Mowich
24.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 5500 ft.
Highest Point: 6000.0 ft.
Rating:
Trail Closed: As of 11/16/21 The Carbon River area is closed to all visitors due to a road washout making it unsafe to access this area. Please respect this closure.
A section of the Wonderland Trail between Ipsut Creek and Mystic Lake, starting from the Carbon River trailhead.
Old Mine Trail
Mount Rainier Area -- NW - Carbon River/Mowich
3.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 425 ft.
Highest Point: 2150.0 ft.
Rating:
Trail Closed: As of 11/16/21 this trail is closed due to a road washout making it unsafe to access this area. Please respect this closure.
An infrequently-visited trail off the Carbon River Road, the Old Mine Trail follows a short but steep roadbed to a mineshaft. It's a good outing for kids, if they're willing to make the short push up the steep section.
Green Lake
Mount Rainier Area -- NW - Carbon River/Mowich
9.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1500 ft.
Highest Point: 3270.0 ft.
Rating:
Trail Closed: As of 11/16/21 this trail is closed due to a road washout making it unsafe to access this area. Please respect this closure.
The Green Lake Trail is a moderately strenuous but relatively short hike to a pocket lake set among a rare high-elevation rain forest. The trail's wide, ambitious grade rewards accordingly for your efforts, ascending through stands of humbling firs, passing a picturesque waterfall, and ending on the shore of a lovely mountain lake.
Carbon River Rain Forest Nature Trail
Mount Rainier Area -- NW - Carbon River/Mowich
0.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 20 ft.
Highest Point: 1780.0 ft.
Rating:
Trail Closed: As of 11/16/21 this trail is closed due to a road washout making it unsafe to access this area. Please respect this closure.
The Carbon River Rain Forest Nature Trail is a pleasant and easy stroll that offers two short segments which can be combined to create a 0.6 mile roundtrip walk. Both paths penetrate primeval rain forest where giant ferns, maples, and spruce tower above charming cedar puncheon bridges and babbling brooks. This hike is great in any season, and takes on particular wildness in winter. Interpretive signs and photo opportunities abound.
Chenuis Falls
Mount Rainier Area -- NW - Carbon River/Mowich
8.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 500 ft.
Highest Point: 2200.0 ft.
Rating:
Trail Closed: As of 11/16/21 this trail is closed due to a road washout making it unsafe to access this area. Please respect this closure.
A long walk (or short mountain bike ride!) leads to a rolling falls that feeds into the rushing Carbon River.
Carbon River to Ipsut Falls
Mount Rainier Area -- NW - Carbon River/Mowich
10.8 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 500 ft.
Rating:
Trail Closed: As of 11/16/21 this trail is closed due to a road washout making it unsafe to access this area. Please respect this closure.
Due to the permanent closure of the Carbon River Road, hikers can now park at the closure and venture to the end of the road to the viewpoint for Ipsut Falls. Along the way, you'll hike through magnificent old-growth forest, and many opportunities to see the power of the Carbon River.
Carbon Glacier
Mount Rainier Area -- NW - Carbon River/Mowich
18.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1800 ft.
Highest Point: 3500.0 ft.
Rating:
Trail Closed: As of 11/16/21 this trail is closed due to a road washout making it unsafe to access this area. Please respect this closure.
The Carbon Glacier is a dramatic expanse of slow-moving ice beneath the shadow of Mount Rainier’s north face. While the glacier sits at a relatively low elevation, the approach is long due to the additional 5 miles of road that must be walked or biked to reach the trailhead. The trail to reach the glacier is equally as exciting as the scenery along the way, including seasonal foot logs and a suspension bridge over the raging Carbon River.
Yellowstone Cliffs and Windy Gap
Mount Rainier Area -- NW - Carbon River/Mowich
24.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3500 ft.
Highest Point: 5800.0 ft.
Rating:
Trail Closed: As of 11/16/21 this trail is closed due to a road washout making it unsafe to access this area. Please respect this closure.
Yellowstone Cliffs and Windy Gap offer a chance to experience a side of Mount Rainier National Park like no other. Most trails in the park highlight views of the main mountain, but here, it’s more about the surrounding peaks, which make the area seem more like somewhere in Alaska or Montana, rather than Washington. Add to that the fact that accessing this area now requires an approach hike in the double digits, and you’ve got a remote, high mountain valley where relatively few people come, despite the fact that it’s in Washington’s most popular national park.
Wonderland Trail
Mount Rainier Area
93.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 22000 ft.
Highest Point: 6750.0 ft.
Rating:
Trailhead Access Limited: As of 11/13/21 The Carbon River area is closed to all visitors due to a road washout.
The Wonderland Trail is a 93-mile hiking trail that encircles Washington's most famous volcano. Each year, hikers vie for permits to embark on a backpacking trip on it, with only a handful scoring the permits to undertake this strenuous hike.
Ape Caves
South Cascades -- Mount St. Helens
2.8 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 350 ft.
Highest Point: 2450.0 ft.
Rating:
Ape Caves is closed for the 2021/2022 winter season. When it reopens in the spring reservations will be required. Find details below
The full experience at Ape Cave includes the easy exploration of a spacious lava tube, followed by more difficult travel through a smaller, longer, and more rugged lava tube to an exit. Then, enjoy an easy return hike winding through shady forest and crusty lava formations.
Innis Arden Reserve Park
Puget Sound and Islands -- Seattle-Tacoma Area
1.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 225 ft.
Highest Point: 215.0 ft.
Rating:
This hike is in a minimally-developed park in the City of Shoreline, north of Seattle. It offers steep hillsides and some fine mixed forest. Trails descend into the park from both a northern and a southern trailhead, with the northern trail being longer.
Ashland Lakes
North Cascades -- Mountain Loop Highway
5.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 800 ft.
Highest Point: 3000.0 ft.
Rating:
Hike a trail built mostly of boardwalk planking through peaty bogs beside three quiet little lakes. Established campsites with fire pits, benches and tent platforms await a weekend of camping with the kids. This trail also makes a pleasant weekday hike for those with creaky knees, as it is not difficult. As you hike, enjoy the many plants and animals that make the lowland bog environment home.