Hikes Near Home

Sometimes, a long drive to the trailhead just isn't in the cards. But luckily, Washington is home to many urban and close-in greenspaces that are available for exploration.

WTA's Favorite Hikes Close to Home

We help you get outside year round, but we know that can get harder in the winter. Get ideas from WTA staffers on where we go (and why) when we need a close-to-home escape.

Walking Through Past and Present

The Redlining Heritage Trail offers a path to understanding, strength and empowerment. By Emi Okikawa

Wastewater Treatment Trails: These Hikes Don't Stink

Want to visit one of the most underrated destinations for year-round hiking? Check out your local wastewater-treatment plant. No, really.

Prescribing the Power of Parks

A new program in Whatcom County is helping doctors prescribe outdoor exercise to their patients | by Jessi Loerch

Escape to Nature Close to Home

Where to find solace in natural areas, even when the snow keeps you from the wilderness.

The Beauty and Power of Urban Forests

Apart from the pleasure of a green view, there are many tangible benefits associated with urban forests, including improved mental and physical health, economic advantages and community health | by Keiko Betcher

Hikes Within 30 Minutes of Spokane

No matter which part of Spokane you live in, there is sure to be a great hike nearby. Whether you're looking for a peak, a prairie or a ponderosa forest on the riverbank, they're all within reach.

Hikes Within 30 Minutes of Vancouver

From stunning views and the cascading waterfalls of the Columbia River Gorge to wide-open reaches of grasslands and marshes, Vancouver and Portland couldn't be more perfectly situated for reaching some incredible Washington trails in no time.

Hikes Within 30 Minutes of Bellingham

From the lofty heights of the Chuckanuts to beach-combing on Padilla Bay, Bellingham is just minutes from an incredible diversity of trails.

Hikes Within 30 Minutes of Seattle

Seattle has some wild refuges right in the city and plenty of nearby trails that can be hiked all year round. Waterfalls, views, old-growth forests thick with ferns — they're all right here.

Hikes Within 30 Minutes of Tacoma

From forested ravines, to ecological rarities, to pebble beaches, to views of the Sound — it's all within reach in Tacoma.