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
1688 HikesNorth Cascades -- Mount Baker Area
7.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1850 ft.
Highest Point: 4850 ft.
Rating:
This snowshoe route follows Forest Road 38 at the end of the Middle Fork Nooksack Valley.
North Cascades -- Mountain Loop Highway
11.8 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1600 ft.
Highest Point: 2800 ft.
Rating:
Bear Lake snowshoe is a road walk along the Mountain Loop Highway ending with a short trail to the lake.
Central Cascades -- Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
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Prince Creek is the starting point for hikers tackling the full Lakeshore Trail, a popular spring backpacking trip. This trail is free from winter snow earlier than many thanks to its low elevation, and because of that, it can get quite full in the early season. Consider starting your hike midweek if you prefer to hike in solitude.
North Cascades -- Mountain Loop Highway
5.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 800 ft.
Highest Point: 3000 ft.
Rating:
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.
North Cascades -- Mountain Loop Highway
7.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 250 ft.
Highest Point: 1800 ft.
Rating:
Trailhead Inaccessible: The Mountain Loop Highway is closed to vehicles between Deer Creek and Bedal Creek. This annual winter closure will be lifted in the spring.
Trail closed: The bridge over the Stillaguamish River has been removed for repairs rendering the Big Four Ice Caves inaccessible
Never go into or climb on top of the Ice Caves
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.
North Cascades -- Mountain Loop Highway
2.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 220 ft.
Highest Point: 1938 ft.
Rating:
Trailhead Inaccessible: The Mountain Loop Highway is closed to vehicles between Deer Creek and Bedal Creek. This annual winter closure will be lifted in the spring.
Trail closed: The bridge over the Stillaguamish River has been removed for repairs rendering the Big Four Ice Caves inaccessible
Never go into or climb on top of the Ice Caves
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.
North Cascades -- Mountain Loop Highway
10.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3400 ft.
Highest Point: 5250 ft.
Rating:
Trailhead Inaccessible: The Mountain Loop Highway is closed to vehicles between Deer Creek and Bedal Creek. This annual winter closure will be lifted in the spring.
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.
North Cascades -- Mountain Loop Highway
8.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3950 ft.
Highest Point: 5760 ft.
Rating:
Trailhead Inaccessible: The Mountain Loop Highway is closed to vehicles between Deer Creek and Bedal Creek. This annual winter closure will be lifted in the spring.
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.
North Cascades -- Mountain Loop Highway
Rating:
Trailhead Inaccessible: The Mountain Loop Highway is closed to vehicles between Deer Creek and Bedal Creek. This annual winter closure will be lifted in the spring.
Historic old wagon road at Barlow Pass. An alternative route to getting to the Monte Cristo townsite.
North Cascades -- Mountain Loop Highway
10.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1400 ft.
Highest Point: 3161 ft.
Rating:
Trailhead Inaccessible: The Mountain Loop Highway is closed to vehicles between Deer Creek and Bedal Creek. This annual winter closure will be lifted in the spring.
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.
North Cascades -- Mountain Loop Highway
17.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2939 ft.
Highest Point: 5300 ft.
Rating:
Trailhead Inaccessible: The Mountain Loop Highway is closed to vehicles between Deer Creek and Bedal Creek. This annual winter closure will be lifted in the spring.
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.
Puget Sound and Islands -- Bellingham Area
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1050 ft.
Highest Point: 2025 ft.
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Oyster Dome is a rocky promontory on the western slope of Blanchard Mountain, the grandest member of the Chuckanut Mountain range, an extension of the Cascades that rises directly from the ocean. The sheer cliffs of Oyster Dome offer year-round access to commanding views of the San Juans, Skagit River flats, Olympic Mountains, and Samish Bay.
Snoqualmie Region -- Snoqualmie Pass
4.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1600 ft.
Highest Point: 2600 ft.
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Get a workout and experience rock work completed by Department of Natural Resources and WTA volunteer crews on this hike. Your reward is a rocky overlook from which you can marvel at Mount Kent, McClellan Butte, and Mount Washington, the behemoths forming the south rim of the west entrance to Snoqualmie Pass.
Central Cascades -- Stevens Pass - West
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 450 ft.
Highest Point: 705 ft.
Rating:
Respect the neighborhood this hike is in. Observe leash laws and pack out waste, keep noise levels to a minimum and be kind to residents.
Hike along old logging roads to a 25-foot tall waterfall on Cherry Creek just outside of Duvall. Note that access to this area is part of an agreement with nearby homeowners, and part of the trail is on private land, so please remain on the main path, observe leash laws and keep noise to a minimum as a courtesy to homeowners along trail. There are no toilets at the trailhead. Plan ahead.
Issaquah Alps -- Tiger Mountain
3.8 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1760 ft.
Highest Point: 1850 ft.
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Hike a short but steep trail with many stone steps. Pause at a viewpoint offering a fine view of Mount Rainier, then continue on to Poo Poo Point itself, only 1.9 miles from the trailhead. Enjoy views to the northwest, and perhaps watch paragliders sailing off into the sky.
Puget Sound and Islands -- Seattle-Tacoma Area
1.8 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1000 ft.
Highest Point: 1800 ft.
Rating:
There are many names for this short little hike. Mount Pete, Mount Peak, Pinnacle Peak Park, Cal Magnusson Trail.
Snoqualmie Region -- Snoqualmie Pass
2.8 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 10 ft.
Highest Point: 3000 ft.
Rating:
The flat terrain of this wide valley east of Snoqualmie Pass is the perfect place to practice snowshoeing with kids or first-timers. This is an area popular with cross-country skiers, and you may spot beaver dams and other winter wildlife. From Mardee Lake to looming Kendall Peak before you, this is premiere terrain for winter enthusiasts.
Central Cascades -- Stevens Pass - East
3.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1100 ft.
Highest Point: 4100 ft.
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The snowshoe route up to Lanham Lake is a straightforward climb through trees, but you'll be rewarded with a delightful little lake and a burst of sunshine on a clear, chilly day.
Puget Sound and Islands -- Bellingham Area
2.1 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 440 ft.
Highest Point: 490 ft.
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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.
Snoqualmie Region -- Salmon La Sac/Teanaway
9.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2300 ft.
Highest Point: 4760 ft.
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Teanaway Butte is a prominent peak and former fire lookout site with stunning views of the Mount Stuart Range, the greater Teanaway area, and Mount Rainier. This hike is best enjoyed as a snowshoe adventure in winter, or a spring hike when other mountain trails are still buried in snow but wildflowers are already blooming in this area.
South Cascades -- Mount St. Helens
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 900 ft.
Highest Point: 3400 ft.
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The Pika Trail is a scenic winter non-motorized connector trail between Swift Trail 244 and June Lake Trail 216B.
Olympic Peninsula -- Pacific Coast
1.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 200 ft.
Highest Point: 250 ft.
Rating:
1/20/22: Trail closed until further notice.
The furthest northwest tip of the contiguous United State, Cape Flattery provides a dramatic backdrop to a surprisingly accessible hike. It's managed by the Makah Tribe, who provide permits for parking here at Washburn's General Store, The Makah Museum, and many other locations in Neah Bay. As you drive through on the way to the trailhead, be sure to purchase yours -- they're good for the year, and you can also use it for Shi Shi Beach.
Olympic Peninsula -- Northern Coast
6.5 miles of trails
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Visit a historic marine camping park that boasts saltwater shoreline that abuts Port Townsend Bay. Rife with military history, the trails here travel through beautiful forest and offer insight into the area's past life, including a former military cemetary.
Olympic Peninsula -- Kitsap Peninsula
13.0 miles of trails
Gain: 250 ft.
Highest Point: 350 ft.
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This little gem of a park is located in Kitsap County, at the west end of Newberry Hill Road right before the T to Seabeck Highway.
Mount Rainier Area -- SW - Longmire/Paradise
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Just a few miles west of Eatonville, off Highway 7, is Washington's newest state park. Created thanks to a partnership between the Nisqually Tribe, Washington State Parks, and other local agencies, the park provides 1,300 acres of forest, prairie, and riverside trails to recreate in.
Central Cascades -- Stevens Pass - West
5.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1300 ft.
Highest Point: 1500 ft.
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An accessible hike for seasoned veterans and neophytes alike, Wallace Falls provides visitors with breathtaking views of the Wallace River and the surrounding falls on a relatively low difficulty, scenic 5.6 mile round-trip. Although well attended and often busy, the trail stands as a true showcase of the diversity and majestic beauty that the Central Cascades can offer to hikers who journey into the heart of this sublime mountain range.
Snoqualmie Region -- Cle Elum Area
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 0 ft.
Rating:
Lake Easton State Park is not a wilderness park, but it is scenic and peaceful. You can put together a five-mile loop hike on the park trails and on a section of the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail, if you don't mind walking on roads for a bit through the town of Easton. This hike makes for a good leg stretcher when you need a break from I-90.
Puget Sound and Islands -- Whidbey Island
2.75 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 300 ft.
Highest Point: 130 ft.
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Enjoy a series of easy forest trails in this new Island County park. Descend to the beach at both ends of the bluff. Optionally, tide permitting, hike the entire length of the mile-long beach. Either way, finish your hike on more forest trails.
Snoqualmie Region -- Snoqualmie Pass
3.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1330 ft.
Highest Point: 5052 ft.
Rating:
Where can you find unobstructed views of Mount Rainier and the mountains of Snoqualmie Pass, see rare butterfly species, and go berry-picking, all in return for a modest 1330-foot elevation gain? Mount Catherine, of course! This off-the-beaten-path hike to the summit of a wintertime ski destination is one of the most rewarding climbs along the southern wall of Snoqualmie Pass.
Snoqualmie Region -- North Bend Area
2.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 500 ft.
Highest Point: 1000 ft.
Rating:
Visit a trio (yes, trio) of waterfalls just off I-90 on this sure-to-please short trail, perfect for families.