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
153 HikesCentral Washington -- Yakima
6.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2400 ft.
Highest Point: 3480 ft.
Rating:
Get a workout on this steep hike from Umtanum Creek to the ridge above the canyon. In spring, it is filled with wildflowers and birds, with chances of seeing rattlesnakes and bighorn sheep.
Central Washington -- Yakima
6.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 500 ft.
Highest Point: 1800 ft.
Rating:
Take a pleasant hike up a spectacular canyon with towering basalt formations, a rushing creek, and a chance to see bighorn sheep. Whether you go in spring or fall, the canyon is filled with brilliant color.
Central Washington -- Potholes Region
3.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 350 ft.
Highest Point: 975 ft.
Rating:
The trail to Blythe and Chukar Lakes is short but also surprisingly entertaining. From beginning to end, the surrounding cliffs and distant vistas are spectacular to behold.
Central Washington -- Grand Coulee
2.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 162 ft.
Highest Point: 2134 ft.
Rating:
West Foster Creek offers a restored shrub-steppe environment for idle meandering, bird watching, or simply enjoying the out-of-doors.
Central Washington -- Yakima
20.0 miles of trails
Gain: 1148 ft.
Highest Point: 2970 ft.
Rating:
2/8/22: All trails at Rocky Top are temporarily closed to prevent permanent damage caused by hiking on muddy trails. They will reopen in the spring once they dry out.
Rocky Top is an extensive system of interconnected mountain bike trails open to hikers. It offers innumerable out-and back and loop options though shrub-steppe on the flanks of Cowiche Mountain as well as a scenic ridge walk on a portion of the William O. Douglas Trail to the summit of the mountain and a connection with the Snow Mountain Ranch trail system.
Central Washington -- Wenatchee
2.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 0 ft.
Highest Point: 640 ft.
Rating:
Horan offers two miles of graveled trails and 15 viewing stations where visitors can watch local wildlife and learn about the flora and fauna that surround them.
Central Washington -- Wenatchee
9.7 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 900 ft.
Rating:
Stairway to Heaven is a single track hiking and mountain biking trail in the foothills of Wenatchee. It climbs gently through fields of flowers and Ponderosa pine up to the summit of Twin Peaks. Enjoy views of the canyons and Wenatchee Valley down below.
Central Washington -- Yakima
10.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2531 ft.
Highest Point: 5749 ft.
Rating:
Hiking to Jumpoff Lookout may not be for everybody, but if you make the trek, it has a lot to offer. From a family-friendly lake to a more challenging climb to a fire lookout.
Central Washington -- Yakima
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 550 ft.
Highest Point: 1200 ft.
Rating:
Gingko Petrified Forest State Park presents a unique look at Central Washington's shrub–steppe. The real experience comes from exploring its backcountry.
Central Washington -- Grand Coulee
9.25 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 800 ft.
Highest Point: 2200 ft.
Rating:
Explore lakes, wetlands, and the shrub-steppe landscape on this tour of BLM property west of Spokane.
Central Washington -- Wenatchee
Rating:
Another favorite area near Sage Hills and Horse Lake Reserve, Castle Rock property provides safe, legal access for hikers, walkers, and other recreators who want adventure near the town of Wenatchee.
Central Washington -- Wenatchee
2.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 920 ft.
Highest Point: 2000 ft.
Rating:
This is an excellent location for folks in Wenatchee looking to get some conditioning in during the winter months, or just wanting to stretch their legs after a long day behind a desk.
Central Washington -- Wenatchee
3.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1440 ft.
Highest Point: 2400 ft.
Rating:
A quick hike up to a summit outside of Wenatchee with views of the Columbia River, Horse Lake Mountain, Mission Ridge, and the Enchantments.
Central Washington -- Yakima
8.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1750 ft.
Highest Point: 3850 ft.
Rating:
Bask in a wide variety of wildflowers—including a rare species of cactus, Simpson’s hedgehog, with its hot pink blossoms—chunks of petrified wood, and panoramic views of the Columbia Basin, under usually sunny, blue skies.
Central Washington
Highest Point: 3740 ft.
Rating:
Must have permit from The Yakima Training Center to hike in the area. Easily obtained at the recreation center on the base. Check their webpage for current document requirements.
Central Washington -- Yakima
2.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 0 ft.
Highest Point: 1160 ft.
Rating:
An easy hike up the Selah Creek canyon with views of both abundant wildlife and geological points of interest.
Central Washington -- Tri-Cities
7.0 miles, one-way
Gain: 0 ft.
Rating:
A blacktop trail with some gravel and dirt sections that meanders along The Columbia River in the City of Richland. Start or end at Columbia Point Marina Park at the south end or USS Triton Submarine Memorial Park in the north. The trail is seven miles in length with many benches along the way to stop and take a breather and soak up the beauty of the fast moving Columbia.
Central Washington -- Potholes Region
Rating:
Explore 11,000 acres of old farm land and grassy meadows in the heart of Central Washington. With three trailhead access points, the area provides hikers with plenty of opportunity to see wildflowers, old farm equipment, and vernal ponds.
Central Washington -- Yakima
2.0 miles, roundtrip
Rating:
Visit this 247 acre park on the floodplain of the Yakima River. With two miles of hiking trails, it's a great place to explore if you happen to be camping nearby. With fall foliage, wildflowers, and fishing, it's a delightful destination at any time of the year.
Central Washington -- Tri-Cities
23.0 miles of trails
Gain: 0 ft.
Rating:
This 23-mile paved trail runs through the cities of Pasco, Richland, and Kennewick. Showcasing interpretive areas, the trail was conceived of and built to be an amenity for locals and an attraction for visitors. Dedicated to the woman who helped Lewis and Clark complete their expedition, the trail displays the stark shrub steppe environment, and the mighty Columbia River in a lovely outing accessible to all.
Central Washington -- Wenatchee
10.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 600 ft.
Highest Point: 692 ft.
Rating:
This is a 10-mile, paved loop on both sides of the Columbia River near Wenatchee. The trail was completed in 1990 by the Chelan County PUD, connecting residents in the area with nature right in their backyards.
Central Washington -- Tri-Cities
6.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 500 ft.
Rating:
On this hike you’ll walk a long string of sand dunes or explore the nooks and crannies of a recent landslide, all beside the last free-flowing stretch of the Columbia River with panoramic views up and down the river, north to the Saddle Mountains, and across the Hanford Nuclear Site to the distant Cascade Mountains.
Central Washington -- Yakima
8.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 500 ft.
Rating:
Formerly known as the John Wayne Trail, this is a rail trail whose route crosses Washington, offering a nice short walk from a myriad of trailheads, or a fun, multi-day bikepacking adventure.
Central Washington -- Potholes Region
Rating:
Formerly known as the John Wayne Trail, this is a rail trail whose route crosses Washington, offering a nice short walk from a myriad of trailheads, or a fun, multi-day bikepacking adventure.
Central Washington -- Potholes Region
3.0 miles of trails
Rating:
Potholes State Park mostly service picknickers and boaters, but there are 3 miles of trail to explore on the Frenchman Hills Trail Loop.
Central Washington -- Grand Coulee
15.0 miles of trails
Rating:
Dry Falls State Park is a stunning stop on any Central Washington road trip. The viewpoint off Highway 17 at the Visitor Center is a good quick stop to see the evidence of the mighty ice age floods that swept through this area. But drive down to the main road through the park, just a couple miles south, and you'll be able to get inside this incredible vista, and see up close what the land looks like now.
Central Washington -- Wenatchee
7.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1576 ft.
Highest Point: 3078 ft.
Rating:
Hiking through the sagebrush steppe is generally wide open: huge vistas of rolling hills, faraway mountains, endless sage and bitterbrush. The trail here can vary in length due to seasonal closures. Nearly the entire trail is an old roadbed which served a USFS fire lookout from 1934-58. Though the first few miles are very much a road the openness of the terrain makes this easy to forget. The last mile or more has long been abandoned and is quickly being reclaimed.
Central Washington -- Wenatchee
1.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 150 ft.
Highest Point: 800 ft.
Rating:
In 1929, a man bought 40 acres of sagebrush in Wenatchee. Over the decades, his labor of love has turned a portion of desolate, dry rock into a fantasy world of stone pathways, waterfalls, pixie lawns, and stunning views. Today the Ohme (pronounced Oh-Me) family’s verdant imagination has turned this hillside into a playground to wander and explore. Children of all ages will delight in exploring the paths, stairs, pools, and corners.
Central Washington -- Yakima
14.0 miles of trails
Gain: 1140 ft.
Highest Point: 2970 ft.
Rating:
For a flat riparian ramble or a great workout to a scenic summit, Snow Mountain Ranch is a walking wonderland just outside of Yakima.
Central Washington -- Yakima
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Access trails, as well as the top of Selah Butte are on private property. Please refrain from visiting this location.