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
66 Hikes
Snipes Mountain - Pine Way
South Cascades -- Mount Adams Area
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 500 ft.
Highest Point: 4800.0 ft.
Rating:
A short connector trail to the Snipes Mountain trail and other adventures on the southern flanks of Mount Adams.
Cape Disappointment State Park - North Head Lighthouse and Bell's Overlook
Southwest Washington -- Long Beach Area
0.75 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 25 ft.
Highest Point: 200.0 ft.
Rating:
North Head Lighthouse is closed for tours until further notice due to COVID 19
Take a couple of ADA-accessible trails to some of the most scenic parts of Cape Disappointment State Park.
Beebe Creek Wildlife Area
Central Cascades -- Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
2.0 miles, roundtrip
Rating:
Visiting the Beebe is more of a leg stretcher or bird watching location than a destination hiking location. That much being said, it has bountiful wildlife, an ADA accessible trail, and broad vistas. Do note that it is closed seasonally from December 1 to March 15.
Johns River State Wildlife Area
Southwest Washington -- Long Beach Area
1.4 miles, roundtrip
Highest Point: 20.0 ft.
Rating:
This short, ADA-accessible trail offers a different experience at high tide and low, since it’s in a surge plain that’s affected by tidal action.
Evans Creek Preserve
Puget Sound and Islands -- Seattle-Tacoma Area
4.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 325 ft.
Highest Point: 480.0 ft.
Rating:
Evans Creek Preserve features a WTA-built trail system in an ecologically diverse enclave. Wetlands, meadows, and hillside forest can be found in this 179-acre farmstead-turned-suburban nature preserve that will thrill both the hiker and the birdwatcher. Not only that, this gem has ADA-accessible trails and is reachable by public transportation.
Picture Lake
North Cascades -- Mount Baker Area
0.5 miles, roundtrip
Highest Point: 4200.0 ft.
Rating:
Follow a short, ADA-accessible path around Picture Lake, home to one of the most photographed vistas in America. Featuring a backdrop of craggy Mount Shuksan and a foreground of wilflowers ringing a sparkling lake in summer, Picture Lake is pretty as, well, a picture.
Lava Canyon
South Cascades -- Mount St. Helens
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1600 ft.
Highest Point: 2800.0 ft.
Rating:
The suspension bridge on the Lava Canyon trail is closed due to cable damage
This trail begins with an amazing, ADA accessible, interpretive trail before proceeding down a steep rugged canyon to a one-of-a-kind swinging bridge.
Brooks Memorial State Park
Southwest Washington -- Columbia River Gorge - WA
5.0 miles of trails
Rating:
This state park has more than nine miles of trails that wind through a forest of Ponderosa pine and Oregon white oak in the Simcoe Mountains near the Columbia River Gorge. Some trails take you up to meadows with wildflowers in the spring and views of Mount Adams, Mount Hood and even Mount Jefferson on a clear day.
Dege Peak
Mount Rainier Area -- NE - Sunrise/White River
4.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 600 ft.
Highest Point: 7006.0 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed: The road accessing this trailhead is closed for the 2020/2021 winter season.
Unlike many of the trails out of Sunrise Visitor Center that lead you closer to the hulking presence of Mount Rainier, Dege Peak walks you just far enough away from the mountain to get a little perspective. With stunning 360-degree views ranging from nearby Cowlitz Chimneys to the far-off peaks of Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams, Glacier Peak and Mount Baker, this perch above Sourdough Ridge is terrific for an easy alpine stroll on a clear day.
Mima Mounds
Olympic Peninsula -- Olympia
2.75 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 10 ft.
Highest Point: 225.0 ft.
Rating:
These mysterious mounds inspire imagination and speculation among visitors. With a half-mile ADA accessible path and another two miles of more rugged wandering, the Mima Mounds are a great destination for many hikers.
Beacon Rock State Park - Hadley Trail
Southwest Washington -- Columbia River Gorge - WA
1.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 175 ft.
Highest Point: 750.0 ft.
Rating:
Here's an ADA-accessible forested trail just over half a mile long in Beacon Rock State Park that takes you to a lookout point for Bonneville Dam and the Columbia Gorge. It can also connect you with the Hamilton Mountain Trail from the Beacon Rock Campground.
Bottle Beach State Park
Olympic Peninsula -- Pacific Coast
0.7 miles, one-way
Rating:
With 6,000 feet of shoreline and an ADA accessible trail, visitors can travel along the coast and keep an eye out for the numerous species that fill the air.
Eagle Peak Saddle
Mount Rainier Area -- SW - Longmire/Paradise
7.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2910 ft.
Highest Point: 5720.0 ft.
Rating:
This hike contains all of what a classic Rainier outing should – a quiet canopy of old-growth forest, high alpine meadows bursting with wildflowers in the summer, and in-your-face-views of glaciated Mount Tahoma (not to mention Mounts Adams, St. Helens, and even Hood on a crystal clear day).
Council Bluff
South Cascades -- Mount Adams Area
3.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 950 ft.
Highest Point: 5180.0 ft.
Rating:
From its rocky and rutted beginnings, to the short last push to the top of a former fire lookout site, this trail boasts big rewards for very little effort. The west slope of Mount Adams is right there behind you as you head to the top of Council Bluff to face the mountain in full.
Little Huckleberry Mountain
Southwest Washington -- Columbia River Gorge - WA
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1800 ft.
Highest Point: 4781.0 ft.
Rating:
Climb to the top of Little Huckleberry Mountain, where you will be greeted with excellent views of Mount Adams and other Cascade peaks. Though steep at times, the summit and the huckleberries you’ll find along the way make this hike worthwhile.
Red Top Lookout
Central Cascades -- Blewett Pass
1.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 350 ft.
Highest Point: 5360.0 ft.
Rating:
Red Top Lookout, built in 1952, restored in 1997, and still operational today, provides a fine bang for your hiking buck. A short, steep trail leads to the functioning fire lookout as well as magnificent 360 degree views of the Stuart Range, Teanaway Ridge, Chelan and Entiat Mountains, Mount Rainier, and even Mount Adams on a clear day.
Camp Brown
Snoqualmie Region -- North Bend Area
0.45 miles, roundtrip
Rating:
Located approximately eleven miles down the Middle Fork Road, this gently meandering half-mile loop trail, built following Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, provides scenic views of the congressionally-designated Wild and Scenic Middle Fork Snoqualmie River.
Goat Lake
South Cascades -- Goat Rocks
12.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2000 ft.
Highest Point: 6600.0 ft.
Rating:
Travel deep into the Goat Rocks Wilderness and enjoy stunning views of Mount Adams, Mount St. Helens, Jordan Basin, and Goat Lake.
Crystal Peak
Mount Rainier Area -- NE - Sunrise/White River
8.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3100 ft.
Highest Point: 6595.0 ft.
Rating:
Check the weather before heading out for this hike, and if it’s going to be clear, bring a camera. From the summit, it’s possible to see six (yes, six!) volcanoes spanning two states. Baker, Glacier, Adams, Rainier, St. Helens and Hood wait patiently for you to climb the more-than-moderately steep path to the summit of Crystal Peak, where you can take in beautiful snow-capped majesty from the top.
Bygone Byways Interpretive Trail
Central Cascades -- Stevens Pass - East
1.0 miles, roundtrip
Highest Point: 3100.0 ft.
Rating:
The Bygone Byways Interpretive Trail is an easy loop trail that follows the Great Northern Railway. The trail is entirely ADA-accessible and has several interpretive signs about the natural and cultural history of the area.
Chelatchie Prairie Rail Trail
Southwest Washington -- Vancouver Area
2.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 50 ft.
Highest Point: 500.0 ft.
Rating:
The Chelatchie Prairie Rail Trail is the initial one-mile section of the planned 33-mile multiuse paved, ADA-accessible trail in Clark County which allows dogs on leashes.
Boundary West
South Cascades -- Mount St. Helens
10.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2400 ft.
Highest Point: 4390.0 ft.
Rating:
This short section of the much longer Boundary Trail (which spans the Dark Divide between Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams) provides a nice day hike amid the unique geology of the St. Helens area.
Shorthorn
South Cascades -- Mount Adams Area
5.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1400 ft.
Highest Point: 6100.0 ft.
Rating:
This trail ascends the south slopes of Mount Adams through dry lodgepole pine forest and crosses Crofton Creek before ending at the Round the Mountain Trail at treeline.
Riley Camp
South Cascades -- Mount Adams Area
10.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2280 ft.
Highest Point: 5800.0 ft.
Rating:
This route is the perfect gateway to Mount Adams spectacular high country on its less-visited western side. It climbs through dense forests, past a small lake, then across Riley Meadows (great campsites!) before joining the PCT. From there you can continue on to Sheep Lake or head off-trail to check out Crystal Lake at the edge of the tree line.
Potato Hill
South Cascades -- Mount Adams Area
Rating:
Potato Hill is a summit just off from the Pacific Crest Trail in the Mount Adams Area. There is no trail to the summit, and the top marks the boundary to the Yakama Reservation.
Old Sauk ADA Loop
North Cascades -- Mountain Loop Highway
1.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 200 ft.
Highest Point: 800.0 ft.
Rating:
Try this early-season, ADA-accessible hike to enjoy big trees, rushing waters and glimpses of eagles, mergansers and river otters.
Norse Peak
Mount Rainier Area -- Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
10.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2900 ft.
Highest Point: 6856.0 ft.
Rating:
A steep, yet surprisingly comfortable climb to views of Mount Adams, Mount Rainier, Mount Hood, Glacier Peak, and the Olympics.
Muddy Meadows/Foggy Flat
South Cascades -- Mount Adams Area
11.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1710 ft.
Rating:
This forested trail leads to a fine campsite primed for exploring the base of Mount Adams.
Muddy Fork Lava Bed
South Cascades -- Mount Adams Area
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 500 ft.
Highest Point: 4900.0 ft.
Rating:
Mount Adams, at 12,276 feet, dominates the South Cascades and provides the most dramatic scenery of the region. The mountain is a standout destination also for the massive basalt lava beds that cover large portions of the surrounding landscape. This relatively young volcano initially formed nearly a million years ago, about 3 miles southeast of its current location. That first cone was ground down by glaciers during the long succession of ice ages that swept the region, while the "hot spot" that gave birth to the mountain shifted northwest as plate tectonics and continental drift rearranged the landscape.
Mount Adams South Climb
South Cascades -- Mount Adams Area
12.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 6700 ft.
Highest Point: 12276.0 ft.
Rating:
The South Climb (or Lunch Counter Approach) of Mount Adams is the one that requires the least amount of technical expertise. However, ice axes, trekking poles, and crampons or microspikes (depending on the season) are required to summit. Hikers who put this investment in will be rewarded with stunning views on a clear day, as well as the satisfaction of having made it up one of Washington's five volcanoes.