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
144 HikesBoulder Lake
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 6.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,960 feet
-
Highest Point
- 4,980 feet
Road is impassible 1 mile away from trailhead and the area is a burn zone - expect damage and blowdowns.
Boulder Lake is a brilliant, azure gem set deep within a stunning cirque of metamorphic cliffs, but to reach it you will need perseverance.
Huckleberry Mountain
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 14.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 4,900 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,900 feet
The trail up Huckleberry Mountain is a grind, but as with so many other hikes to high places on the Suiattle River Road, your efforts will be rewarded with spectacular views.
Green Mountain
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 8.5 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 3,300 feet
-
Highest Point
- 6,500 feet
Road is impassable at mile 2.7 due to windfall blocking.
In a state with so many places offering a day's walk to big, peaky views, Green Mountain still makes the short-list of Washington's all-time finest hikes. From woods to meadows to panoramic views and even a historic lookout, it just doesn't get much better than this.
Downey Creek
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 13.2 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,280 feet
-
Highest Point
- 2,400 feet
This trail provides access to Bachelor Creek Trail, Bachelor Meadows, Cub Lake and the Dome Peak area.
Sulphur Mountain
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 10.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 4,200 feet
-
Highest Point
- 6,000 feet
This trail has a brutal elevation gain in a short time, but the views from the peak of Sulphur Mountain are worth the climb.
Sulphur Creek
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 3.6 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 900 feet
-
Highest Point
- 2,250 feet
Not the easiest hike, but the reward is a hot springs if you are persistent.
Upper Suiattle River
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 16.0 miles, one-way
-
Elevation Gain
- 2,320 feet
-
Highest Point
- 4,000 feet
This is a remote and rugged trail that has not been maintained for decades. From the Upper Suiattle River Trail, this route fords the Suiattle River to eventually arrive at Buck Creek Pass.
Suiattle River Trail
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 13.8 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 900 feet
-
Highest Point
- 2,500 feet
The trail winds its way above the Suiattle River through old-growth forest and some mature forest recovering from an old burn from the 1920’s. The vegetation in the upper Suiattle watershed includes a wonderful mixture of west-of-the-crest/east-of-the-crest species.
Gothic Basin
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 9.2 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 2,840 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,200 feet
Rough and tumble is the trail, just like the miners that constructed this path. Though not always easy, the ascent to Gothic Basin, has tremendous rewards. Early on, one simply meanders along side the relentless South Fork of the Sauk. Quickly though this trail will turn to a no-nonsense bee-line to the basin with waterfalls, flowers, and views of the surrounding mountains to keep one distracted. The ultimate rewards come to those who have enough strength to explore the basin after the ascent.
Mount Dickerman
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 8.2 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 3,950 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,760 feet
If the best views come to those who earn them, Mount Dickerman offers the fairest vantage along the Mountain Loop. You’ll huff and puff through 4,000 feet of elevation on your way to the summit; in return, you’ll get a superb panorama of nearly every peak in the Mountain Loop. In late summer, it also rewards the intrepid with a bounty of mountain blueberries.
Goat Lake
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 10.4 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,400 feet
-
Highest Point
- 3,161 feet
Mountain Loop Highway is closed from Barlow Pass to Bedal Creek for the winter.
A nice hike with plenty of variety. Beautiful forest, a rushing creek, waterfalls of all shapes and sizes, history, and of course a large blue-green lake surrounded by snowy peaks. At 10.4 miles, it can be either a day-hike or a quick early season overnight. You won’t be alone, though – this is a popular trail with both hikers and backpackers.
Bedal Basin
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 5.2 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,900 feet
-
Highest Point
- 4,700 feet
Mountain Loop Highway is closed from Barlow Pass to Bedal Creek for the winter.
Follow a trail up an old mining trail before reaching a boulder-filled basin with views of Sloan Peak above. The first half of the hike is fairly easy, while the second is a steep climb through a creek bed. Navigational skills are required for this hike.
Barlow Point
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 2.4 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 800 feet
-
Highest Point
- 3,200 feet
From Barlow Point’s rocky promontory, hikers can take in views of Mount Dickerman, Big Four, and Stillaguamish Peak.
Monte Cristo Ghost Town
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 8.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 700 feet
-
Highest Point
- 2,800 feet
Hike to an old mining town by heading up a long-closed road along the South Fork Sauk River. This route largely sticks to the old route taken by miners over a century ago.
Twin Lakes - Monte Cristo
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 17.2 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 2,939 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,300 feet
Take a nice long walk up the old Monte Cristo Road grade and stop by the townsite on your way. Rougher terrain begins on entering the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness area, and past Silver Lake, the trail becomes difficult to find. Trek along a steep mountain-side before finally cresting the ridge to look down on Twin Lakes and make the steep descent to the camp sites.
Perry Creek
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 10.5 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 3,400 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,250 feet
Perry Creek proves you can have it all in a single hike – old-growth forest, wildflowers, waterfalls, meadows, expansive mountain views, even lakes! Tread lightly, though-due to its unparalleled diversity of native plants, the area between the summits of Stillaguamish Peak, Mount Forgotten, and Mount Dickerman is a research natural area that could (in theory) be closed to all uses but scientific study.
Big Four Ice Caves Snowshoe
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 250 feet
-
Highest Point
- 1,800 feet
Never go into or climb on top of the Ice Caves.
The trail and road to trailhead will be closed May 15 through June 30 for trail work.
While this is a popular location to snowshoe in wintertime, there is high risk in winter from avalanches off the mountain that feeds these caves. Keep to the main trail, and do not venture onto the snowfields at the end of the route.
Sperry Peak
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 6.4 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 3,800 feet
-
Highest Point
- 6,120 feet
Scramble to the top of this peak from Headlee Pass, located off the Mountain Loop Highway.
Heather Lake
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 4.6 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,034 feet
-
Highest Point
- 2,430 feet
After you've explored a few trails with your little one, the Heather Lake trail makes a wonderful next step. It's the perfect place to take children on their first ‘real’ hike. The trail is short, but steep and challenging--it'll give a child a real sense of accomplishment once they reach the lake. The lake itself is a scenic little lake located on the northeastern slope of Mount Pilchuck.
Old Sauk River Trail
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 6.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 150 feet
-
Highest Point
- 800 feet
Take a hike within sight and sound of the wild Sauk River--part of the Skagit Wild and Scenic River System established to maintain the free flowing nature of Washington's rivers. You'll wander through a forest of moss-covered maple, cedar and fir, listening for wildlife and the sound of the river.
Lake 22
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 5.4 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,350 feet
-
Highest Point
- 2,400 feet
The curiously-named Lake 22 is the center of an oasis of alpine wetland nestled on the northern shoulder of Mount Pilchuck. The hike to the lake combines the best of mountain rainforests, old-growth, wetlands, and mountain views, yet it is readily accessible. In winter the route lends itself to snowshoeing.
Mount Pilchuck
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 5.4 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 2,300 feet
-
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.
Mount Pugh
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 11.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 5,300 feet
-
Highest Point
- 7,201 feet
Mount Pugh -- also known by its native name "Da Klagwats" -- has one of the most spectacular viewpoints in the North Cascades, offering a vista that includes Glacier and Sloan Peak, Mounts Baker, Shuksan, and Rainier, the Olympics, Monte Cristo, Three Fingers, and White Chuck. The first fire lookout here was established in 1916; a lowly tent perched on the peak until a cabin with a cupola was built in 1922. This was hit by lightning in 1927 and a second lookout was built, but it was subsequently destroyed in 1965 and never rebuilt. Remains of these structures can still be seen on the mountain, when you can tear yourself away from the view.
Squire Creek Pass via Eight-mile Trail
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 5.4 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 2,350 feet
-
Highest Point
- 4,107 feet
Cascading waterfalls from the numerous streams and the frequent tarns located along the way make this an enjoyable hike. Mountain goats are known to frequent the area. During the late summer, ripe huckleberries can be found at the pass. But it comes at a cost -- a steep scramble on an unmaintained trail.
Boulder River
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 8.6 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 700 feet
-
Highest Point
- 1,550 feet
The Boulder River trail is a nice hike that can be done any time of year. Come in winter while the rain is dripping off the mossy trees, photograph the waterfalls filled with spring snowmelt. Take the kids out for a little picnic in the summer, or leaf collecting in the fall. Come anytime midweek for quiet contemplation.
Boardman Lake
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 2.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 300 feet
-
Highest Point
- 3,050 feet
The Boardman Lake trail and road to trailhead are closed for a road improvement project. Tentative reopening in July.
The trail to Boardman Lake is one of the most accessible hikes along the Mountain Loop Highway, offering old-growth forest and a two-for-one lakeside opportunity. If you are willing to hike a mile or so in with marginal elevation gain, you can find yourself marveling at peaceful azure waters deep in the verdant backcountry of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
Bald Mountain via Ashland Lakes
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 20.0 miles, one-way
The Ashland Lakes trail and road to trailhead are closed for a road improvement project. Tentative reopening in July.
It used to be possible to traverse from Ashland Lakes to Bald Mountain, Cutthroat Lakes, and the Walt Bailey trail on trail. Now, the way is an overgrown, hard-to-follow bushwhack.
Ashland Lakes
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 5.4 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 800 feet
-
Highest Point
- 3,000 feet
The Ashland Lakes trail and road to trailhead are closed for a road improvement project. Tentative reopening in July.
Hike a trail built mostly of boardwalk planking through peaty bogs beside three quiet little lakes. Established campsites with fire pits, benches and tent platforms await a weekend of camping with the kids. This trail also makes a pleasant weekday hike for those with creaky knees, as it is not difficult. As you hike, enjoy the many plants and animals that make the lowland bog environment home.
Bear Lake
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 0.8 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 75 feet
The Bear Lake trail and road to trailhead are closed for a road improvement project. Tentative reopening in July.
If the rugged trek to Pinnacle Lake is too much, but you still want a nice hike to an alpine lake, try Bear Lake. The Pinnacle Lake trail passes Bear Lake, which makes a great destination for new hikers, or those who just want a short stroll.
Big Four Ice Caves
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 2.2 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 220 feet
-
Highest Point
- 1,938 feet
Big Four Ice Caves trail and the road to trailhead will be closed May 15 through June 30 for trail work.
This is an easy walk on a wide gravel and boardwalk path to views of Big Four Mountain and the caves beneath the snow. Hikers of all ages and abilities can enjoy this trail.