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
4173 HikesCapitol State Forest - Sherman Creek Loop
Olympic Peninsula > Olympia
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Length
- 7.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 800 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,150 feet
The Lost Valley trail is closed from the McKenny Trail Junction at Fall Creek to the McKenny Junction south of the D4700 Road until further notice.
This is one of the longest hike options in Capitol State Forest -- weaving through wooded valleys and along quietly flowing creeks, visitors here may discover not only natural wonders but also relics from the time that this area was the home of many a logging show.
Copper City Ghost Town
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
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Length
- 0.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 27 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,076 feet
9.5.25: This trail is inaccessible until further notice due to the Wildcat Fire.
Once the center of mining activity in Yakima County, Copper City served 42 active mining claims from 1907 to 1942. The founders of the town hoped to boom when the railroad came through, but the tracks were never put down. Walk the old mine-to-market road into town, where only the collapsed remains of a few buildings remain.
Tubal Cain Mine
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 7.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,600 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,600 feet
This short dayhike also offers campsites near the site of an old B-17 crash site. Please leave what you see so others may discover this historic site as you do.
Sunrise to Mystic Lake
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Length
- 18.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 5,324 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,800 feet
This is a trail where the journey is as interesting as the destination. Enjoy a beautiful waterfall and views of icy Winthrop Glacier. Gaze directly at Mount Rainier and witness the fascinating destruction caused by the floods of 2006. All of this is chased by the peaceful basin of Mystic Lake and surrounding meadows.
Japanese Gulch
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 4.0 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 174 feet
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Highest Point
- 363 feet
Lots of access points to this network of trails right in the heart of Mukilteo makes for great hiking for all ages.
Big Gulch
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 2.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 300 feet
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Highest Point
- 460 feet
Big Gulch includes a system of forested trails in Mukilteo.
White Mountain via Kettle Crest Trail South
Eastern Washington > Okanogan Highlands/Kettle River Range
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Length
- 28.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,500 feet
-
Highest Point
- 6,921 feet
9.4.25: This trail is closed until further notice due to the Snow Peak Fire.
This 28-mile round trip offers the best of the Columbia Highlands as it passes through old-growth ponderosa pine stands, skirts five significant peaks in the Kettle Range, and showcases the effects of the White Mountain Fire of 1988.
Edds Mountain
Eastern Washington > Okanogan Highlands/Kettle River Range
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Length
- 11.1 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,916 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,320 feet
9.4.25: This trail is closed until further notice due to the Snow Peak Fire.
Wildflowers and views of the Kettle River Valley reward hikers of this lightly-used trail not far from Rebublic. After climbing steeply up to the shoulder of Edds Mountain, you'll ramble ridge-tops until you run into the Kettle Crest Trail.
Barnaby Buttes
Eastern Washington > Okanogan Highlands/Kettle River Range
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Length
- 7.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,975 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,534 feet
9.4.25: This trail is closed until further notice due to the Snow Peak Fire.
This remote perch in the Kettle Range grants hikers views of the Kettles and beyond.
Fisher Lake
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 10.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,580 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,171 feet
This is a large lake hidden just south of Tonga Ridge in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Reached by a brushy, boot-beaten fisherman's path, it is less visited than many lakes in the area, but the route is marked on the map, and if you are willing to put up with a bit of inconvenience, this makes a nice day hike or overnight.
Tonga Ridge / Mount Sawyer
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 8.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,200 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,495 feet
An up and down meandering trail that leads through open forest, wildflower meadows and a side trip to some fantastic views. The road up does most of the work, so the climb is not too long, and can be done by most hikers.
West Cady Ridge to Benchmark Mountain
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 14.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,700 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,816 feet
Climb through rich, old growth forest to miles of some of the finest ridge walking available in Washington, where alpine meadows and jaw-dropping views abound.
Red Mountain Lookout via Indian Racetrack
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
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Length
- 6.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,660 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,968 feet
Visit the historic Indian Racetrack in the Indian Heaven Wilderness with the option to continue on to the scenic Red Mountain Lookout.
Redmond Central Connector Trail
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 13 feet
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Highest Point
- 49 feet
An easy walk along a paved rail-to-trail down the Sammamish Valley and through the new urban core of Redmond.
Palouse to Cascades Trail - Cedar Falls to Change Creek
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
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Length
- 11.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 480 feet
The hike from the Cedar Falls trailhead to the junction with the Change Creek route is one through history. You will walk along a decommissioned railroad passing by the remnants of the line. Starting at the Cedar Falls trailhead, begin your hike just past the outhouse, crossing a paved road, and picking up the gravel path.
Pleasant Valley Lake
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
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Length
- 5.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,350 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,740 feet
9.3.25: The trail is closed until further notice due to the Wildcat Fire.
Climb through the forest, including a short burn area from 2017, up to the American Ridge Trail. Enroute there is easy access to an unnamed lake and little-used cross-country access to Pleasant Valley Lake.
Tyee Lookout
Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
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Length
- 8.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,160 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,640 feet
9.4.25: This trail is closed until further notice due to the Lower Sugarloaf Fire.
It is possible to drive all the way to the top of Tyee Ridge for majestic views of the land below. But the last 4 miles of the road to the top is extremely rough, so visitors can make that section a short hike with fabulous views.
Lower Mad River Valley
Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
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Length
- 14.9 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 2,500 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,000 feet
9.4.25: This trail is closed until further notice due to the Lower Sugarloaf Fire.
Hike along the Lower Mad River in a narrow rocky canyon. The first three miles makes an ideal day trip for hikers of all abilities. Looking for more adventure? The trail continues for almost 15 miles where it meets the Upper Mad River trail. Be prepared to share the trail with bikes, horses, and motorcycles.
Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) Section I - White Pass to Snoqualmie Pass
South Cascades > White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley
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Length
- 99.0 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 17,771 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,530 feet
9.3.25: The PCT is closed between Chinook Pass (mile 2326.7) and the junction with the Bumping Lake trail (mile 2311.8) until further notice due to the Wildcat Fire. The Chinook Pass trailhead southbound is also closed.
Starting in well-protected sub-alpine wilderness and descending into heavily-logged, privately-owned land, this stretch of the PCT offers a dramatic illustration of the effects of public land protection and private industry on Washington's landscape.
Fort Simcoe Historical State Park
Central Washington > Yakima
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Length
- 1.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 89 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,443 feet
Fort Simcoe Historical State Park consists of 196 acres in the Yakima Indian Reservation. The Park is closed in the winter from October 1 through March 31.
North Mountain Lookout
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 2.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 600 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,956 feet
North Mountain is home to a network of mountain bike trails which can be accessed at many points along the North Mountain road, but the lookout tower is a destination in itself.
Klonaqua Lakes
Central Cascades > Leavenworth Area
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Length
- 10.0 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 2,700 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,200 feet
A handful of high lakes nestled in a forested cirque below Granite Mountain deep within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Pilot Ridge
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 11.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 5,946 feet
9.3.25: The trail is closed until further notice due to the Red Mountain Fire.
A steep, infrequently maintained trail that is part of the White Pass-Pilot Ridge Loop.
Margaret's Way and Debbie's View
Issaquah Alps > Squak Mountain
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Length
- 6.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,500 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,730 feet
If nature excites you, there's plenty here to be excited about. Cool forest, trickling creeks in deep ravines, and a beautiful new trail built by WTA volunteers await you here.
White Pass - Pilot Ridge Loop
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 29.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 7,500 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,360 feet
9.3.25: North Fork Sauk and Pilot Ridge trails are closed until further notice due to the Red Mountain Fire.
A loop hike, beginning and ending in the old-growth forests of the North Fork Sauk River that traverses high ridges and passes of the Pacific crest, visits beautiful alpine lakes, and finally follows the high and lonesome Pilot Ridge Trail before descending back down to the trail junction on the North Fork Sauk River.
Bald Eagle Mountain
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 13.6 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 3,800 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,800 feet
9.3.25: The trail is closed to Curry Gap until further notice due to the Red Mountain Fire.
Enjoy a peaceful river walk followed by nicely graded switchbacks on the way to Bald Eagle Mountain. Views of Monte Cristo and surrounds will be the reward for your efforts.
North Fork Sauk River
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 18.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 5,078 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,949 feet
9.3.25: The trail is closed until further notice due to the Red Mountain Fire.
Some trails go to lakes, some to high viewpoints. This trail is all about the forest, and what a forest it is! Old-growth trees reach for the sky on either side of a brush-free trail, since understory is minimal when the big old trees block out the light. Find fantastic mushrooms here in the fall and forest wildflowers in the spring and early summer.
Red Mountain Lookout
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 2.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 700 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,800 feet
9.3.25: The trail is closed until further notice due to the Red Mountain Fire.
This seldom-used trail within Glacier Peak Wilderness leads through an old-growth forest with magnificent, large trees to the site of an old fire lookout build in the 1930s.
Harold Engles Memorial Cedars
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 1.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 200 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,800 feet
9.3.25: The trail is closed until further notice due to the Red Mountain Fire.
This is a half-mile loop hike past giant cedar trees preserved by Harold Engles, a famous Forest Ranger.