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
162 HikesOlympic Peninsula -- Kitsap Peninsula
2.0 miles, roundtrip
Rating:
This 66-acre preserve sits on the shores of the Kitsap Peninsula overlooking the Hood Canal. There are about 2 miles of trails to wander.
Olympic Peninsula -- Hood Canal
3.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 400 ft.
Highest Point: 425 ft.
Rating:
The 3.5 mile Steam Donkey Loop Trail is an especially good choice in spring, with lots of creeklets, views of the Dosewallips River and silent forest. There is a strong chance that you will see wildlife in winter and spring. An elk herd resides in the area, and with the estuary so close, the area is rife with bird-life. As an added bonus for fall hikers, you can search for and pick chanterelle mushrooms.
Puget Sound and Islands -- Whidbey Island
4.0 miles, roundtrip
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
3.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 100 ft.
Highest Point: 110 ft.
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.
Puget Sound and Islands -- Seattle-Tacoma Area
2.8 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 140 ft.
Highest Point: 325 ft.
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.
Puget Sound and Islands -- San Juan Islands
1.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 40 ft.
Highest Point: 60 ft.
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.
Olympic Peninsula -- Northern Coast
2.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 235 ft.
Highest Point: 180 ft.
Rating:
A lovely protected space on a half-mile of beach along the Strait of Juan de Fuca. This area is just 20 miles west of Port Angeles -- perfect for a picnic or a short day trip.
Olympic Peninsula -- Kitsap Peninsula
1.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 200 ft.
Highest Point: 175 ft.
Rating:
Accessible only by bridge or by boat, Jarrell Cove State Park administers several small recreation areas, including Harstine Island, McMicken Island, Stretch Point, Eagle Island and Hope Island. Harstine Island is a day-use property with beach access via a half-mile trail; the other areas area all only accessible by boat.
Olympic Peninsula -- Olympia
2.0 miles of trails
Gain: 75 ft.
Highest Point: 40 ft.
Rating:
Bayshore Preserve is a 74-acre spread of land on the Bayshore Peninsula which pokes into Oakland Bay. A former golf course, WTA is working on improving the informal trails here so hikers can enjoy an area that is undergoing restoration efforts.
Southwest Washington -- Long Beach Area
10.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 50 ft.
Highest Point: 35 ft.
Rating:
Enjoy a flat, sandy stroll to the mouth of Willapa Bay on the Long Beach Peninsula.
Olympic Peninsula -- Hood Canal
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 150 ft.
Highest Point: 150 ft.
Rating:
Fort Flagler State Park is one of five impressive military installations that were established in close proximity to protect Puget Sound from invaders during times of war.
Olympic Peninsula -- Pacific Coast
6.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 100 ft.
Highest Point: 350 ft.
Rating:
The Ozette Indian Reservation is closed to the public. Hiking north past the campsites at Cape Alava is prohibited.
Take a beautifully constructed boardwalk a little more than three miles out to the wild Olympic Coast. If you can snag a permit, camping here is divine. If not, while away a few hours playing in the water or ambling along the beach.
Puget Sound and Islands -- San Juan Islands
4.6 miles of trails
Gain: 900 ft.
Highest Point: 900 ft.
Rating:
Mount Grant Preserve is a trail system in development on San Juan Island. Currently, the trails to the top offer the most elevation gain available on San Juan Island, so you'll love this one if you're looking to get high up.
Olympic Peninsula -- Pacific Coast
4.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 310 ft.
Highest Point: 220 ft.
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.
Puget Sound and Islands -- Bellingham Area
2.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 200 ft.
Highest Point: 230 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!
Olympic Peninsula -- Pacific Coast
4.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 0 ft.
Highest Point: 0 ft.
Rating:
Spend a day strolling the rugged Olympic Coast to dramatic sea stacks and natural wonders.
Olympic Peninsula -- Northern Coast
7.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 610 ft.
Highest Point: 360 ft.
Rating:
This wooded walk enters a lush ravine lined with remnant old-growth and gives way to an isolated beach with views of Protection Island.
Puget Sound and Islands -- Bellingham Area
3.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 250 ft.
Highest Point: 275 ft.
Rating:
Enjoy the easy, forested trail to Cranberry Lake - an extensive wetland created by energetic beavers - plus trails along the high bluffs with views out to Saratoga Passage and Whidbey Island. Optionally, explore a trail to the eastern edge of the park. To finish up, visit the Historic District and vintage beach cabins.
Puget Sound and Islands -- San Juan Islands
2.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 280 ft.
Highest Point: 250 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.
Puget Sound and Islands -- San Juan Islands
3.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 408 ft.
Highest Point: 290 ft.
Rating:
With expansive views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca contrasting with deep forest lagoons, the Mount Finlayson loop features the variety of ecosystems that San Juan Island offers in an easy and scenic trail. Options for shorter or longer routes make this a suitable destination for hikers of all ages.
Puget Sound and Islands -- Whidbey Island
3.0 miles, roundtrip
Rating:
Located on the south side of Whidbey Island, this tiny state park includes the short but fun and challenging Dorothy Cleveland Trail, with plenty of elevation gain in the form of switchbacks.
Puget Sound and Islands -- Seattle-Tacoma Area
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 200 ft.
Highest Point: 300 ft.
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 -- Northern Coast
3.0 miles of trails
Gain: 0 ft.
Rating:
This area is open to day use only
Also known as the portal to the popular Dungeness Spit, there are many equestrian and hiker friendly trails here. Situated on the bluff above the Strait of Juan De Fuca, this area boasts 67 campsites in addition to the scenic, mile-long bluff trail and excellent birdwatching.
Olympic Peninsula -- Pacific Coast
6.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 60 ft.
Highest Point: 60 ft.
Rating:
Ruby Beach offers several miles of beach exploration, with unique rock formations and swirling sun-bleached driftwood.
Puget Sound and Islands -- San Juan Islands
5.7 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1295 ft.
Highest Point: 1025 ft.
Rating:
Hike a short trail that leads to one of the best viewpoints in the San Juans, with views of other San Juan Islands and of Canada's Gulf Islands. In the distance, Vancouver Island and the Olympic mountains will be visible. Along the way, enjoy an exuberant display of mosses and, in season, wildflowers. Sightings of golden eagles, turkey vultures, and many other birds are likely.
Puget Sound and Islands
1.5 miles, roundtrip
Rating:
A birder or botanist’s dream, this nature preserve boasts a diversity of ecosystems, all accessed via an easy and short trail which ends at a 2,000-foot section of protected beach.
Puget Sound and Islands -- San Juan Islands
Rating:
Enjoy wildflowers, solitude, and gorgeous views of Puget Sound on this lovely little hike down a pretty trail to Watmaugh Bay Beach. The park is located off Watmough Head Road, and the beach is beautiful; perfect for a picnic.
Puget Sound and Islands -- San Juan Islands
1.9 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 305 ft.
Highest Point: 225 ft.
Rating:
Moran State Park might have mountains and lakes, but Obstruction Pass has quiet, open forest, secluded campgrounds, and the largest public beach on Orcas Island. Take a quiet walk here and soak in the peaceful shoreline.
Puget Sound and Islands -- San Juan Islands
1.7 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 50 ft.
Highest Point: 50 ft.
Rating:
English Camp is the historical site of the Royal British Marines’ outpost established in the 1860’s. Part of a joint English-American occupation of San Juan Island while international water boundaries were decided, many of the buildings remain for visitors to explore. The gentle, family-friendly loop trail from English Camp to Bell Point offers hikers peaceful water views and pleasant bird watching.
Puget Sound and Islands -- San Juan Islands
1.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 300 ft.
Highest Point: 195 ft.
Rating:
A relaxing walk through land once slated for a housing development, the trail around Upright Head Preserve is an easy hike where one can watch ferries travel from one island to the next while waiting for their own. Remnants of roads and utilities make up part of the trail, with the rest on narrow dirt paths through the dense forest.