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
170 HikesPuget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
1.9 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 425 feet
Highest Point: 370 feet
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.
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 200 feet
Highest Point: 300 feet
Rating:
As the largest urban park in Pierce County, the network of roads and trails weaving through the forest preserve provides a quiet retreat for joggers, cyclists, and hikers.
Olympic Peninsula > Kitsap Peninsula
1.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 25 feet
Highest Point: 25 feet
Rating:
This is an easy loop trail, wandering nearly one mile through a forest of bigleaf maple and cedars on the shores of Carr Inlet in Gig Harbor. With less than fifty feet of elevation gain and plenty of picnic tables, it makes the perfect destination for families with small children.
Southwest Washington > Long Beach Area
0.6 miles, roundtrip
Highest Point: 40 feet
Rating:
Right on the Pacific Ocean, Grayland Beach State Park offers visitors easy access to miles of sandy beach via their choice of multiple small trails.
Southwest Washington > Long Beach Area
4.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 0 feet
Highest Point: 10 feet
Rating:
With four miles of beach walking and water on three sides, Damon Point is one of the best places to hike and view wildlife in the North Beach area of Washington's Pacific Coast.
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
1.9 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 121 feet
Highest Point: 41 feet
Rating:
The Pigeon Creek Trail is closed on weekdays during the winter months
The Pigeon Creek Trail takes you for a stroll along Everett's industrial waterfront. Watch the Port of Everett operate, relax on the beach, watch for trains, and enjoy bird watching from the end of the trail.
Olympic Peninsula > Northern Coast
2.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 0 feet
Rating:
On the shore of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, you can walk a fine sandy beach between high bluffs and two access points to reach the Point Wilson Lighthouse at Fort Worden State Park.
Olympic Peninsula > Olympia
3.5 miles of trails
Rating:
With five miles of shoreline in South Puget Sound, the Woodard Bay Conservation Area includes forests, wetlands of freshwater, as well as historic and cultural resources that are a valuable diversion in the area.
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
1.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 0 feet
Highest Point: 0 feet
Rating:
Here, find spectacular views of Mount Baker, Twin Sisters and other peaks. Activities include beachcombing, birdwatching, and picnicking.
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
4.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 30 feet
Highest Point: 30 feet
Rating:
This estuary at the saltwater edge of the Skagit River delta is eight miles long and three miles across, and you can travel along a portion of it. This hike can be enjoyed in any season. The easy flat trail make this an ideal hike for many hikers. Birders will definitely want to bring the binoculars! Before you start, be sure to check out the large tree on the road to the trailhead, there is a pair of bald eagles that sometimes hang out here.
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
1.85 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 160 feet
Highest Point: 160 feet
Rating:
Located on the western edge of West Seattle, Lincoln park offers 5 miles of trails, including a loop hike with bluff and beachfront views of Puget Sound, Vashon Island, and the Olympic Mountains.
Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast
1.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 200 feet
Highest Point: 250 feet
Rating:
The furthest northwest tip of the contiguous United State, Cape Flattery provides a dramatic backdrop to a surprisingly accessible hike. It's managed by the Makah Tribe, who provide permits for parking here in Neah Bay. As you drive through on the way to the trailhead, be sure to purchase yours -- they're good for the year, and you can also use it for Shi Shi Beach.
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
4.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 20 feet
Highest Point: 20 feet
Rating:
Hike along the abandoned Bellingham & Skagit Interurban Railway grade between Fairhaven and Bellingham, which has been reclaimed as pedestrian trail. The gentle grade makes it a good option for new hikers, and excellent views of Bellingham Bay make for great trailside distractions.
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
3.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 800 feet
Highest Point: 240 feet
Rating:
Explore forest trails along Piper's Creek and adjoining ridges. Visit a Puget Sound beach and enjoy great views across the Sound to the Olympics. In the fall, observe migrating salmon in the creek.
Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast
6.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 60 feet
Highest Point: 60 feet
Rating:
Ruby Beach offers several miles of beach exploration, with unique rock formations and swirling sun-bleached driftwood.
Southwest Washington > Long Beach Area
2.9 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 60 feet
Highest Point: 35 feet
Rating:
A walk through the coastal forest and tidal flats of Leadbetter Point State Park, the Dune Forest Loop is a nice way to see this low-lying peninsula, but the conditions on trail are heavily dependent on the tides and recent rainfall. Come prepared to wade through at least a little bit of water, and don’t be surprised to find yourself navigating deeper stuff. Bring a tide table, and try to visit at low tide for the driest conditions.
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
6.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 150 feet
Highest Point: 23 feet
Rating:
Ruston Way runs along the Tacoma Waterfront from Jack Hyde Park to Point Defiance Park.
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
2.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 200 feet
Highest Point: 200 feet
Rating:
This is more of a stroll than a hike . It is of historical interest with interpretive signs along the way. Beach walking is also present. Fort Casey was one of three forts chosen in 1896 to form a triangle for protection of Puget Sound. Fort Worden and Fort Flagler were the other two. All have become State Parks. Their use for coastal protection proved to be impractical so their use became a place for instruction and training of troops during both of the world wars.
Puget Sound and Islands > Whidbey Island
4.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 259 feet
Highest Point: 105 feet
Rating:
Looking for a great day at the beach with the dog? Double Bluff is the place to be! Time it just right and at low tide you could walk for miles!
Puget Sound and Islands > San Juan Islands
1.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 40 feet
Highest Point: 60 feet
Rating:
Just outside the little town of Eastsound on Orcas Island is a sweet little beach that offers some nice rambling; the perfect place to walk off a meal, or simply take in low tide and the lovely animals that come with it.
Puget Sound and Islands > San Juan Islands
3.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 100 feet
Highest Point: 110 feet
Rating:
Hike shoreline trails in both directions from this Anacortes trailhead. Take in views of distant islands, ferries, seabirds, eagles, historic displays. All on good trails suitable for all ages.
Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast
4.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 310 feet
Highest Point: 220 feet
Rating:
Shorter than the hike to Third Beach, the access to Second Beach is also a little more interesting, thanks to the ups and downs and a set of switchbacked stairs leading down to a coastline dotted with seastacks and a hole in the mainland that wind whistles through eerily.
Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast
4.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 25 feet
Highest Point: 25 feet
Rating:
Wild and mercurial, the Olympic Coast has a special appeal in the spring and fall. Grassy bluffs, cliffside caves and tidal pools are all to be found along this four-mile beach hike near the Kalaloch Campground. So shrug on your rain gear and enjoy the bird watching, sense of solitude and stunning seascapes.
Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast
3.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 280 feet
Highest Point: 280 feet
Rating:
The trail to Third Beach provides plenty of suspense for hikers. It’s a 1.3 mile trek through high trees, sometimes shrouded in fog, giving the forest here a spooky aura. But popping out onto the coast at the log-choked mouth of a creek and seeing the grand Pacific Ocean provides the perfect payoff.
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
2.0 miles of trails
Rating:
This popular state park is nestled on a stretch of shoreline between the urban centers of Seattle and Tacoma, so unsurprisingly, it's a frequently-visited location. Share the beach, share the views, and enjoy the atmosphere here.
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
2.8 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 140 feet
Highest Point: 325 feet
Rating:
Seattle's Discovery Park Loop Trail is a designated National Recreation Trail, 2.8 miles long with an elevation change of just 140 feet. It passes through both forest and open meadows, offers extensive views, good prospects for bird watchers, and it can be hiked or jogged year-round.
Olympic Peninsula > Olympia
1.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 238 feet
Highest Point: 201 feet
Rating:
In Washington, trails can be found just about anywhere. This one takes off from Parking Lot F on the campus of Evergreen State College! A short hike down to a lovely little beach, this is just the ticket for students and families alike.
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
1.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 360 feet
Highest Point: 257 feet
Rating:
With nearly 300 acres and a mile and a half of shoreline along Boundary Bay, Lily Point Marine Park & Reserve is an excellent coastal retreat for adults and children alike.
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
1.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 367 feet
Highest Point: 229 feet
Rating:
A half-mile loop off Highway 20 in Deception Pass State Park, the Lottie Point loop is a nice forest walk in this popular location.
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
2.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 345 feet
Highest Point: 229 feet
Rating:
This trail connects Fort Ward Park Park to Blakely Harbor Park via a forested corridor.