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
1785 HikesPinnacle Lake
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 3.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,200 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,800 feet
The Pinnacle Lake trail and road to trailhead are closed for a road improvement project. Tentative reopening in July.
A short, but rough hike to two small lakes on the eastern slope of Mount Pilchuck. The first, Bear Lake is under a half mile from the trailhead on a good trail. Once on the way to Pinnacle, however, the trail changes to a rocky, rooty, muddy mess, slow going up, and slow coming down. The reward for putting up with this mess of a trail, is a nice quiet little lake ringed by rocks and trees, usually not crowded, even on a sunny Saturday.
Mount Pilchuck
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 5.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,300 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,327 feet
Road closed: An improvement project on the road accessing Mount Pilchuck has rendered the trail inaccessible until 2024
Despite its intermediate difficulty, hikers flock to Mount Pilchuck for its historic restored fire lookout with grand panoramic views of Mount Baker, Mount Rainier and the Olympics.
North Creek Park Boardwalk
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 1.8 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 51 feet
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Highest Point
- 243 feet
This watershed hike offers water crossings, swaying bridges, beautiful views close to Bothell, and birds galore!
Schmitz Preserve Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 1.7 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 220 feet
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Highest Point
- 325 feet
This park, in the middle of West Seattle, has 1.7 miles of hiking trails in a natural forest setting, and offers the opportunity to see old growth conifers that once were common in Puget Sound forests.
Lodge Lake
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
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Length
- 3.75 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 950 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,500 feet
Snoqualmie Pass grows ever more developed each year. Condos go up left and right, the ski area plans new ski lifts (or replacements for existing chairs), and hotels pop up east and west. But even with the development, these are still mountains and there is still stunning mountain scenery to enjoy, even on the fringes of the developed areas. Lodge Lake stands as proof.
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.
Skookum Flats
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
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Length
- 7.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 300 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,550 feet
Choose between a shorter or longer river walk through old-growth forest to a 250-foot cascading waterfall.
Palisades
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
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Length
- 15.9 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,680 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,300 feet
This trail has it all, from beautiful forests, beautiful waterfalls, good climbing and fun descents to technical sections with views of Mount Rainier from cliffs that will inspire you.
Twin Falls
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
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Length
- 2.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 500 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,000 feet
Visit a trio (yes, trio) of waterfalls just off I-90 on this sure-to-please short trail, perfect for families.
Coal Mines Trail
Snoqualmie Region > Cle Elum Area
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Length
- 5.5 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 453 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,375 feet
The Coal Mines trail is a mellow hike from Cle Elum, through Roslyn and on to Ronald with views of many different coal mining remains. This trail is great for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and running.
Skyline Lake
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - East
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Length
- 2.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,050 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,100 feet
If you need to take a break before braving the traffic coming back into Seattle on a Sunday evening, or if you want to stretch your legs on the way over the pass to adventures in Leavenworth, the Skyline Lake Trail is just the thing.
Garfield Ledges
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
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Length
- 2.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 830 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,860 feet
Built with the help of Washington Trails Association and Mountains to Sound Greenway crews, the trail to Garfield Ledges will offer visitors expansive views of the Middle Fork valley and a short but steep workout.
Gold Mountain
Olympic Peninsula > Kitsap Peninsula
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Length
- 4.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,087 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,687 feet
Gold Mountain is a beautiful hike from the Gold Creek Trailhead up a logging road and across country. With spectacular views of the Hood Canal and the Olympics to the west, as well as Mount Rainier, the Cascades, and Bremerton to the east, this is a definitely a half day hike you must experience.
Lake Whatcom Park - Hertz Trail
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 6.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 100 feet
Enjoy lakeside views and the surrounding hills plus waterfalls and giant old Douglas-fir trees from an old railroad grade of the Bellingham Bay & Eastern Railway that borders the southeast shore of Lake Whatcom.
Lewis Butte
North Cascades > Methow/Sawtooth
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Length
- 5.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 900 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,346 feet
A new trail makes this hike a 5 mile round-trip gently graded, obstacle free hike to a broad summit with views of the Methow Valley. Elevation gain of about 900 feet.
Cable Line Trail
Issaquah Alps > Tiger Mountain
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Length
- 3.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,022 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,522 feet
What a workout! The Cable Line Trail on Tiger Mountain is not for the weak of heart, nor the weak of knees. A steep, slippery incline awaits you here, up to the summit of West Tiger 3.
Cutthroat Pass via the Pacific Crest Trail
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 10.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,000 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,800 feet
Cutthroat Pass is a stunner no matter which way you access it. This way, you'll enjoy a wider, more well-maintained trail, and you're more likely to share it with Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers.
Lake Ann (Rainy Pass)
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 3.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 700 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,500 feet
The trail to Lake Ann is a wonderful, short way to see the impressive glaciated valley encircled by the popular Heather - Maple Pass Loop. Lake Ann features views of ridgelines blanketed in wildflowers in summer, a lake ringed with golden larches in fall, and before the highway closes for the season, a dramatic place to experience early winter’s snows.
Ross Dam Trail
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 1.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 500 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,100 feet
This forested trail in the North Cascades National Park Complex leads down to Ross Lake and the network of trails in the Ross Lake National Recreation Area. Look out over both Ross Lake and Ross Dam before making your way down to Ross Dam itself
Rainy Lake
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 2.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 70 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,800 feet
This one-mile long paved trail takes you to a beautiful alpine lake.
Lone Fir Loop
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 2.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 100 feet
An easy, short loop hike out of the Lone Fir campground. The first bit is paved before giving way to a dirt trail that follows Early Winters Creek. After a creek crossing (log bridge) it loops back to the campground.
Copper Pass via Copper Creek
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 9.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,710 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,720 feet
Start with a pleasant walk along Bridge & Slate Creeks and then earn your way to the high country with a climb up to the miles of sloping meadows, flowered in July. Finish with a steep climb through the heather to larch fringed Copper Pass with its views to the east/west with scrambles to the north/south.
Twisp Pass via Dagger Lake
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 15.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,320 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,060 feet
Take a walk in the forest on this trail as it climbs past a shallow lake and continues nearly to treeline at Twisp Pass. The upper half of the trail is flowered in summer and the power of avalanches is evident in the pick-up-sticks debris field shortly before Dagger Lake. At Twisp Pass in an intersection with many informal trails for further exploration.
Cutthroat Lake
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 3.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 400 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,900 feet
This pleasant trail offers an almost level walk to a grassy forested lake set in the rocky basin beneath Cutthroat Peak. This is an easy hike in an area of rugged, steep country and one of the few that are suitable for small children. It is an especially pretty hike in the fall when the larch are turning golden.
Cutthroat Pass via Cutthroat Lake
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 11.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,300 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,800 feet
Take this gentle trail to a beautiful alpine lake surrounded by rocky cliffs before heading up some steeper switchbacks to a pass and junction with the iconic Pacific Crest Trail.
Cedar Falls
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 3.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 500 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,500 feet
Make a short and gradual climb through fields of flowers to a quaint two-tier waterfall. This easy early-season hike is most impressive after spring snowmelt when the creek and falls are swollen with turbulent water.
Blue Lake
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 4.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,050 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,254 feet
At 6254 feet, Blue Lake sits quietly a little over two trail miles from Highway 20. With towering granite peaks, forests, meadows, wildflowers, and of course the beautiful mountain lake surrounded by granite that reaches for the sky, this short hike is easily a classic and should be on your must-hike list. With only 1050 feet of elevation gain this hike is doable for almost everyone. If you’re driving over Highway 20 and don’t have all day, stop for this mountain gem.
Beaver Loop
North Cascades > Methow/Sawtooth
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Length
- 1.65 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 0 feet
Beaver Loop is a pleasant, level outing which is easy to follow and and has many distractions for younger hikers. There is ample opportunity for wildlife and best of all it is close to town.
Washington Pass Overlook
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 0.25 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 61 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,581 feet
This trail is a narrow, paved trail to a lookout on a ledge overlooking Liberty Bell Mountain. This area is worth the trip from the west side, because of spectacular views, and the myriad hiking trails in the area.
Silver Star View Snowshoe
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 8.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 800 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,250 feet
A quiet snowshoe trip to views of Silver Star Mountain awaits the mid-week traveler in late fall and early spring. This road walk parallels the Early Winters Trail, the old route from Mazama to Washington Pass.