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
3890 Hikes
Fallen Leaf Lake
Southwest Washington -- Vancouver Area
1.4 miles, roundtrip
Rating:
This city park provides an excellent retreat from the busy area of Vancouver and Portland in the small suburb of Camas.
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.
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.
Ira Spring Trail - Mason Lake
Snoqualmie Region -- Snoqualmie Pass
6.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2420 ft.
Highest Point: 4320.0 ft.
Rating:
Sun drenched ridgelines, blooming trillium, and sparkling alpine waters define this fitting tribute to one of Washington’s greatest trail advocates.
Davis Peak
Snoqualmie Region -- Cle Elum Area
10.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 4000 ft.
Highest Point: 6400.0 ft.
Rating:
A challenging summit with a big payoff: a 360-degree panorama of more than 10 Cascades peaks.
Dirty Harry's Balcony
Snoqualmie Region -- Snoqualmie Pass
4.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1600 ft.
Highest Point: 2600.0 ft.
Rating:
Get a workout and experience rock work completed by Department of Natural Resources and WTA volunteer crews on this hike. Your reward is a rocky overlook from which you can marvel at Mount Kent, McClellan Butte, and Mount Washington, the behemoths forming the south rim of the west entrance to Snoqualmie Pass.
PJ Lake
Olympic Peninsula -- Northern Coast
1.8 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 825 ft.
Highest Point: 5020.0 ft.
Rating:
PJ Lake is a short but steep primitive trail to a subalpine tarn teeming with jumping trout. The lake’s beautiful color draws anglers, day hikers, and campers alike. However, the trail is so steep that the short mileage to get there is eclipsed by the vertical exertion and lingering leg pain.
Upper Twin Lake
Central Cascades -- Leavenworth Area
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 300 ft.
Highest Point: 2850.0 ft.
Rating:
This is an ideal ‘multi-modal’ kid hike, featuring a two mile bike ride, followed by an easy and quite pretty half mile hike. We did the bike and hike with our kids when they were four and six, and they enjoyed it.
Sultan River Canyon Trail
Central Cascades -- Stevens Pass - West
4.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 900 ft.
Highest Point: 1700.0 ft.
Rating:
If you don’t mind descending first, then ascending later, the Sultan River Canyon trail is a nice alternative for the shoulder season when snow is still too deep in the mountains. Drop to the sparkling Sultan River, then climb back up on nicely graded switchbacks in the shade.
Hidden Lake Lookout
North Cascades -- North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
8.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3300 ft.
Highest Point: 6900.0 ft.
Rating:
Highway 20 Closure: Highway 20 is closed between Silver Star (Milepost 170) and Early Winter Campground (Mileposte 177) while crews fight an active wildfire in the area. This closure is dated 7.12.21
The Hidden Lake trail is one of the crown jewels of hiking in Washington State. No other trail offers so much as Hidden Lake Lookout: forest, wildflowers, a true alpine environment of stark granite well above treeline, breathtaking summit views of the heart of North Cascades National Park, and a fire lookout with a sweeping history almost as big as the mountainous landscape it gazes over.
Gobblers Knob
Mount Rainier Area -- SW - Longmire/Paradise
11.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2565 ft.
Highest Point: 5485.0 ft.
Rating:
A clear, sparkling lake, up-close views of Mount Rainier, and a historic fire lookout await you on the Gobblers Knob Trail. This route is an eastern approach to the lookout via Westside Road.
Granite Creek Trail to Granite Lakes
Snoqualmie Region -- North Bend Area
8.8 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2270 ft.
Highest Point: 3070.0 ft.
Rating:
Granite Creek courses through the gorge between Mailbox Peak and Russian Butte. Ascend through the creek’s ravine, immersed in mountain rainforest, alongside whitewater rapids, waterfalls, wildflowers, and mushrooms, while you take in majestic views of the mountains of the Middle Fork valley. Seasonal treats include berries and fall colors.
Taylor Mountain
Issaquah Alps
30.0 miles of trails
Gain: 550 ft.
Highest Point: 1100.0 ft.
Rating:
The extensive trail system at Taylor Mountain Forest is used by equestrians, hikers, and mountain bikers. This working forest is intended to demonstrate environmentally sound forest management, protect and restore ecological systems and provide passive recreational opportunities. Taylor Mountain is dominated by mature red alder trees. Trail users will see recent efforts to convert some of the forests from red alder to conifers.
Lake Serene
Central Cascades -- Stevens Pass - West
8.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2000 ft.
Highest Point: 2521.0 ft.
Rating:
Lake Serene and Bridal Veil Falls compete for attention on this 7.2 mile trip. Either would be a worthy destination by themselves and combined they are a great day on the trail.
Anacortes Community Forest Lands - Little Cranberry Lake
Puget Sound and Islands -- Whidbey Island
1.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 125 ft.
Highest Point: 250.0 ft.
Rating:
Set off for a hike in the Anacortes Community Forest Lands (ACFL), a 2,800-acre preserve within the city limits of Anacortes.
Sharpe Park - Montgomery - Duban Headlands
Puget Sound and Islands -- Bellingham Area
1.9 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 425 ft.
Highest Point: 370.0 ft.
Rating:
Follow well-signed but sometimes rough trails to a great viewpoint near the water's edge at Porpoise Point. Enjoy views of distant islands, and on a clear day of the distant Olympic Mountains. Sightings of seals, eagles, waterfowl, and sometimes otters are likely.
Washington Park
Puget Sound and Islands -- San Juan Islands
2.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 280 ft.
Highest Point: 250.0 ft.
Rating:
Washington Park sits at the northwestern tip of Anacortes. When viewed from the sea the area is referred to as Fidalgo Head. The terrain varies from rain forest on the north to open, stony hillsides with few trees on the south.
Kukutali Preserve
Puget Sound and Islands -- Bellingham Area
2.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 200 ft.
Highest Point: 230.0 ft.
Rating:
Thanks to a partnership between Washington State Parks and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Kukutali Preserve in Similk Bay near La Conner opened to the public on June 16, 2014. Believed to be the first park in the United States to be co-owned and managed by a tribe and another government, management of the area focuses on conservation and research, public education and limited recreational use, including hiking!
Mount Stuart
Snoqualmie Region -- Salmon La Sac/Teanaway
11.1 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 6309 ft.
Highest Point: 9416.0 ft.
Rating:
Mount Stuart is a popular climb in the Enchantments area of Washington State. Have gear and climbing expertise before you attempt this.
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:
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.
Spray Park Loop
Mount Rainier Area -- NW - Carbon River/Mowich
16.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 5100 ft.
Highest Point: 6375.0 ft.
Rating:
Considered one of the best loop hikes in Mount Rainier National Park, the trail through the alpine meadows of Spray and Seattle Parks blazes with a bounty of seasonal wildflowers. Throw in an ample serving of glassy tarns, a couple of wispy waterfalls, an optional side trip to Carbon Glacier and a forested stroll up Ipsut Creek, and you have a photographer’s dreamland.
Eastside Loop
Mount Rainier Area -- NE - Sunrise/White River
36.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 7430 ft.
Highest Point: 6800.0 ft.
Rating:
A multi-night backpacking trip around the eastern edge of Mount Rainier National Park.
Columbia National Wildlife Refuge - Rimrock Lake
Central Washington -- Potholes Region
3.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 200 ft.
Highest Point: 1060.0 ft.
Rating:
Formerly the Frog Lake Trail, this area is breathtakingly scenic, compensating for the fact that there is no actual lake en route. Frog Lake dried up years ago, leaving a seasonal marsh that occupies a small basin below the trail's ultimate destination; a broad mesa with a 360 degree view of the surrounding scablands of the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge.
Park Butte
North Cascades -- Mount Baker Area
7.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2200 ft.
Highest Point: 5450.0 ft.
Rating:
On Park Butte, hike to an historic fire lookout and come face-to-face with Koma Kulshan. Along with unobstructed panoramic views of Mount Baker, the Twin Sisters, and the rest of the North Cascades, the route to Park Butte offers campsites, wildflower-filled alpine meadows, rushing waterfalls, and a stunning variety of mushroom species.
Granite Mountain
Snoqualmie Region -- Snoqualmie Pass
8.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3800 ft.
Highest Point: 5629.0 ft.
Rating:
In winter the trail up Granite Mountain crosses a large avalanche chute early in the hike. Please have experience navigating avalanche terrain and the proper equipment when hiking this trail in the winter
The astounding views from the summit of the Granite Mountain trail come at a price. A nearly-1000-feet-of-elevation-gain-per-mile price. But views of pointed Kaleetan Peak, deep blue Crystal Lake, the climber-dotted Tooth, and Mount Rainier dominating the skyline to the south make it all worth it.
Heather Lake
North Cascades -- Mountain Loop Highway
4.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1034 ft.
Highest Point: 2430.0 ft.
Rating:
After you've explored a few trails with your little one, the Heather Lake trail makes a wonderful next step. It's the perfect place to take children on their first ‘real’ hike. The trail is short, but steep and challenging--it'll give a child a real sense of accomplishment once they reach the lake. The lake itself is a scenic little lake located on the northeastern slope of Mount Pilchuck.
Thornton Lakes and Trappers Peak
North Cascades -- North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
10.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2900 ft.
Highest Point: 5000.0 ft.
Rating:
Highway 20 Closure: Highway 20 is closed between Silver Star (Milepost 170) and Early Winter Campground (Mileposte 177) while crews fight an active wildfire in the area. This closure is dated 7.12.21
Incredible views and beautiful alpine lakes are your reward if you can ascend this steep trail in the North Cascades. At the top, you can choose between taking in sweeping panoramic views of North Cascades National Park and the Pickets Range, or relaxing near the lowest of the Thornton Lakes, both of which make a rewarding destination.
Tamanos Mountain
Mount Rainier Area -- SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
10.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3080 ft.
Highest Point: 6790.0 ft.
Rating:
Tamanos is a moderately strenuous 10 mile round trip hike that goes through forest, meadows, rock and ridge scrambles ending in glorious up close views of Mount Rainier.
Deer Creek Falls to Owyhigh Lakes
Mount Rainier Area -- SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
10.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2200 ft.
Highest Point: 5400.0 ft.
Rating:
Access the Owyhigh Lakes Trail via Deer Creek Falls on this slightly longer hike than the one from the Sunrise Road. This trailhead is marked on the right of southbound Highway 123, across the street from the parking area. Quickly cross the road (watch for traffic, it’s a busy road on a blind corner) to the marker and you will finally see the trailhead, which is mostly invisible from the road due to brush and low hanging tree branches.
Bridal Veil Falls
Central Cascades -- Stevens Pass - West
4.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1000 ft.
Highest Point: 1600.0 ft.
Rating:
A beautiful waterfall flows out of Lake Serene and cascades below the rugged east wall of Mount Index at the end of a trail on the west side of Bridal Veil Creek. Take time to see and enjoy a stunning view of Bridal Veil Falls and climb flights of steps paralleling the falls.