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
166 HikesPuget 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 > Seattle-Tacoma Area
2.25 miles, roundtrip
Rating:
The trails in this park reveal the military history and natural wonder of this area. There are options for walking along the beach or through forested slopes.
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 10 ft.
Highest Point: 10 ft.
Rating:
Formerly known as the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge and renamed to honor the memory of a noted activist, this an excellent year-round destination for wildlife viewing and photography.
Puget Sound and Islands > Whidbey Island
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Rating:
The land encompassed by Dugualla State Park was acquired in 1992, when Washington State Parks bought the property to prevent it from being logged. It is now a quiet little state park at the north end of Oak Harbor.
Puget Sound and Islands > Whidbey Island
Rating:
The Bay View State Park on Padilla Bay has plenty of activities and amenities.
Puget Sound and Islands > Whidbey Island
3.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 850 ft.
Highest Point: 915 ft.
Rating:
Hike trails that form a loop in the Anacortes Community Forest Lands (ACFL.) If you already have been to Mount Erie and to Sugarloaf, this hike will take you to one - or optionally to both - of the other two named high points in the ACFL. These are Little Round Top and Sugar Cube. As a bonus, you also will visit a great viewpoint.
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.
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
2.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 50 ft.
Highest Point: 50 ft.
Rating:
Take a nice retreat to a couple of trails winding through a mossy forest to a beach and tidal inlet where you can continue exploring along the sand.
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
1.0 miles of trails
Rating:
Judge Jack Tanner Park features barbeques and areas for families to enjoy views of Puget Sound and the surrounding vistas. Come for a picnic or just to relax, or take Ruston Way -- the hard-surface trail running through the middle of the park -- for a longer stroll along the waterfront.
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 > Bellingham Area
5.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1360 ft.
Highest Point: 2025 ft.
Rating:
This strenuous uphill climb leads to big-payout views of the San Juans from Oyster Dome before visiting tranquil Lily Lake.
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Known best for the high likelihood of seeing orcas from here, Lighthouse Marine Park also offers beach access, a boardwalk, camping, and picnic areas.
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
0.25 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 135 ft.
Highest Point: 135 ft.
Rating:
Venture down to a beach in a small Whatcom County park in Point Roberts.
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
0.75 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 147 ft.
Highest Point: 217 ft.
Rating:
A small neighborhood park, through a wooded area which leads to an overlook of Puget Sound.
Puget Sound and Islands > San Juan Islands
1.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 30 ft.
Highest Point: 30 ft.
Rating:
Spanish for Duck Island, Patos Island is a hidden gem in the San Juan Islands. This is largely because of difficulty in accessing it, but if you make the effort, you won't be sorry!
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 > Seattle-Tacoma Area
2.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 300 ft.
Highest Point: 300 ft.
Rating:
Seattle's Golden Gardens Park is best known for its wide sandy beach; on summer weekends, the large parking lot may be full and the beach crowded. Less well-known is the extensive trail system on the steep slopes east of the railroad tracks, constructed as a WPA project in the 1930s, with wide trails and stone staircases. Today, some of the stonework shows signs of age but the main trails still are well-maintained and in good condition.
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
6.0 miles of trails
Gain: 325 ft.
Highest Point: 620 ft.
Rating:
A lush, green refuge with 6 miles of trails is the backyard playground for Western Washington University and Fairhaven College in Bellingham.
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
1.9 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 425 ft.
Highest Point: 370 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.
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
2.1 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 440 ft.
Highest Point: 490 ft.
Rating:
This hike just south of Anacortes offers superb views of the ocean and islands from a pair of high vantage points, and it has some fine trails through mixed forest along the way.
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
2.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 0 ft.
Rating:
The Port Susan Bay Preserve, owned by Nature Conservancy, is a 4,122-acre preserve which encompasses much of the Stillaguamish River estuary. A short mile-long dike trail takes you through tidelands and farmlands to the Stillaguamish River, provide the opportunity to view many varieties of birds and other wildlife.
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
4.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 30 ft.
Highest Point: 30 ft.
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 > 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
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
3.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 120 ft.
Highest Point: 120 ft.
Rating:
Luther Burbank Park is a waterfront park at the North end of Mercer Island, offering three miles of family- and pet-friendly trails with waterfront access, wetlands, and recreational activities.
Puget Sound and Islands > San Juan Islands
1.35 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 276 ft.
Highest Point: 207 ft.
Rating:
Lime Kiln State Park is one of the more scenic spots on an already beautiful island. Sometimes called “Whale Watch Park,” it is not uncommon to see orcas or other marine life playing in the water as you wander along the rocky edges of the Salish Sea. The hike described here provides plenty of opportunity for spotting killer whales, while also allowing you to explore the upland environment and see the historic lime kiln.
Southwest Washington > Long Beach Area
4.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 0 ft.
Highest Point: 15 ft.
Rating:
WTA began construction of this half mile new trail in 2013. Since then they've built several boardwalks and brushed out a rough corridor leading to a connection with the existing trail system through the forested dunes.
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
3.5 miles, roundtrip
Rating:
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.
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
3.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 400 ft.
Highest Point: 398 ft.
Rating:
Hike good trails though a forested drainage in Burien that has many tall trees and, in season, is very green. In spring look for a few wildflowers. Continue your hike on trails paralleling the beach, both north and south of your trailhead.
Puget Sound and Islands > Whidbey Island
1.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 10 ft.
Rating:
This trail only takes about 20 minutes to hike out and back with great views of Mount Baker, Mount Erie, Fidalgo Island, Hope Island and the inner part of Puget Sound.