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 > San Juan Islands
2.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 280 feet
Highest Point: 250 feet
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 feet
Highest Point: 10 feet
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 feet
Highest Point: 915 feet
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 feet
Highest Point: 900 feet
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 feet
Highest Point: 50 feet
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: 1,295 feet
Highest Point: 1,025 feet
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: 1,360 feet
Highest Point: 2,025 feet
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 feet
Highest Point: 135 feet
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 feet
Highest Point: 217 feet
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 feet
Highest Point: 30 feet
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 feet
Highest Point: 300 feet
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
2.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 0 feet
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 > San Juan Islands
1.9 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 305 feet
Highest Point: 225 feet
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 feet
Highest Point: 290 feet
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 feet
Highest Point: 120 feet
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 feet
Highest Point: 207 feet
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 feet
Highest Point: 15 feet
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
Gain: 400 feet
Highest Point: 398 feet
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 feet
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.
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
1.0 miles, roundtrip
Rating:
If you've been to Cama Beach and Camano Island State Parks, and you're looking for another diversion on Camano Island, consider Iverson Spit Waterfront Preserve. This delightful area offers some short hiking trails and, of course, ever present views of the Cascade Mountains and shoreline wandering.
Puget Sound and Islands > San Juan Islands
1.7 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 50 feet
Highest Point: 50 feet
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 feet
Highest Point: 195 feet
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.
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
2.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 600 feet
Rating:
Discover the natural history of South Fidalgo Island on this beautiful forested trail. The trail traverses past meadows and rocky balds, a red rock quarry, a miner’s shack, the “rock” of artist Morris Graves’ lore, and views of Pass Lake, Campbell Lake, and Mount Erie.
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
1.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 7 feet
Highest Point: 11 feet
Rating:
With expansive waterfront views and access to a beach right against the Puget Sound, a walk down the Redondo Beach Boardwalk is a great way to get some fresh air without ever leaving town.