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
3982 HikesOlympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast
0.1 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 0 feet
Highest Point: 25 feet
Rating:
This trail is a short one, just a few hundred feet from the parking area, but it takes you to one of the most easily-accessible, impressive giants of the west coast.
Olympic Peninsula > Kitsap Peninsula
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1,000 feet
Highest Point: 1,639 feet
Rating:
Green Mountain is the Kitsap Peninsula's go-to after work destination. Whether you're mountain biking, trail running, or hiking, you can get a quick workout by hiking the Gold Creek Trail up to the summit of Green Mountain.
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
4.0 miles of trails
Rating:
Please make a reservation prior to your visit at https://shadowhabitat.org/visit/. Open hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tues - Sat.
SHADOW (Save Habitat And Diversity Of Wetlands) Lake Nature Preserve is a lovely, small park in Renton that is home to a 5,000 year old peat bog with a short, universally-accessible half-mile boardwalk trail that leads into the heart of the bog.
Olympic Peninsula > Northern Coast
126.6 miles, one-way
Rating:
A still-under-construction route along the north part of the Olympic Peninsula, the Olympic Discovery Trail (ODT) will eventually span nearly 130 miles and be usable by bikes, walkers, runners, strollers, and in some places, equestrians.
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
8.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3,250 feet
Highest Point: 4,450 feet
Rating:
This easy-access day hike delivers comparable—if not superior—panoramic views and lung-busting switchbacks to Mount Si, with significantly less foot traffic.
Central Washington > Grand Coulee
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 100 feet
Rating:
The hike involves a circumnavigation of Umatilla Rock, a narrow rock blade that passes below Dry Falls. This area lies midway along the 50-mile Grand Coulee—one of the longest and most spectacular chasms carved out by up to 100 gargantuan Ice Age floods.
Central Washington > Potholes Region
3.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 200 feet
Highest Point: 2,600 feet
Rating:
One of the largest petrified forests on the planet sits in the center of Washington State. The ancient trees were mineralized into rock during the great lava flows that swept the inland Northwest. In addition to petrified ginkgos (one of the oldest tree species in the world), the "rock forest" includes mineralized Douglas fir, spruce, walnut, and elm.
Central Washington > Yakima
9.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 160 feet
Highest Point: 3,250 feet
Rating:
Walk as far as you like up-valley on this moderate snowshoe. Enterprising hikers may consider making this a thru-hike.
Central Washington > Yakima
6.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 500 feet
Highest Point: 1,800 feet
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 > Yakima
6.75 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 300 feet
Highest Point: 1,900 feet
Rating:
This short hike is an excellent option during a visit to the Naches area in the spring and summertime. You'll enjoy a ramble along a river, impressive geologic formations, and relative solitude, though the area is open to mountain bikers and popular with rock climbers and birders.
Central Washington > Yakima
2.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 0 feet
Highest Point: 1,160 feet
Rating:
An easy hike up the Selah Creek canyon with views of both abundant wildlife and geological points of interest.
Central Washington > Potholes Region
4.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 200 feet
Highest Point: 1,000 feet
Rating:
Vantage is primarily a destination for rock climbers, with the fascinating rock formations of the Gorge making for a great challenge to those wishing to hone their belaying skills. But nearby Frenchman Coulee allows hikers to enjoy the same surroundings with both feet planted firmly on the ground.
Central Washington > Yakima
4.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1,800 feet
Highest Point: 3,560 feet
Rating:
Named after and built in honor of an Ellensburg wrestling coach, this trail provides the sought-after combination of great workout and big views. But its exposed; you'll want to be up here in spring or fall, because the direct sun of summer and lack of water can make this one a burner (literally).
South Cascades > White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley
0.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 15 feet
Highest Point: 2,000 feet
Rating:
An almost-completely-forgotten nature loop near Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. You won’t see the mountain here, but two giant trees remain from time gone by, and are impressive enough for a visit if you’re in the area.
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
4.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 860 feet
Highest Point: 4,500 feet
Rating:
Witness the destructive force and the restorative power of nature on this hike in the blast zone of Mount St. Helens’ 1980 eruption. The rocky ash and treeless areas are testaments to the devastation caused by the explosion, while wildflowers and shrubs signal the return of vegetation to the denuded landscape.
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - East
18.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 420 feet
Highest Point: 6,121 feet
Rating:
Kodak Peak is a side trip deep in the Glacier Peak Wilderness for those on the Pacific Crest Trail. As it's name implies it has amazing views and perhaps more than a few blueberries in season.
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
9.8 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3,400 feet
Highest Point: 6,473 feet
Rating:
The Goat Creek trail ascends at a moderate pace from the Bumping River valley up to American Ridge and Goat Peak. The trail can be accessed via the Cougar Flat Campground.
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - East
5.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1,300 feet
Highest Point: 4,300 feet
Rating:
A trail that can help hikers create multiple loops in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, the the Cady Creek trail is a steep ascent from the brushy and mucky Cady Creek valley bottom.
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
8.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2,000 feet
Highest Point: 4,850 feet
Rating:
FR 99 is closed beyond Wakepish Sno-Park for the winter season.
Climb to really excellent views of Rainier, Adams and Mount St. Helens via an exposed ridgeline before traversing east through hillside wildflowers, and ending at junction with the Loowit Trail in the center of the Plains of Abraham.
Central Washington > Yakima
2.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1,250 feet
Highest Point: 2,646 feet
Rating:
A short, steep and rough ridgeline ascent to a summit with great views up and down the Yakima River Canyon.
Central Washington > Yakima
6.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2,000 feet
Highest Point: 3,582 feet
Rating:
This area is closed from 12/15/22 - 5/1/23 to protect wintering elk herds.
Great views, a canyon beneath spectacular cliffs, buttresses and pinnacles of weathered basalt, wildflowers in the spring, color and wildlife in the autumn, and sunshine through most of the day in the winter make the Point 3582-Waterworks Canyon loop on Mount Cleman a great hike.
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - East
14.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3,015 feet
Highest Point: 5,551 feet
Rating:
Trail closed: Wildfire
When it comes to resplendent alpine meadows, the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness can't be beat. And when it comes to the finest flower romps within that wild area named for the longtime Washington senator and champion of conservation, Cady Ridge ranks supreme. A multitude of blossoms proliferate along this mile-high ridge. But it's the lupines that dominate, transforming Cady into a purple mountain majesty. And views! From the inspiring Poet Peaks, to the emerald-cloaked summits along the Cascade crest, to cloud-piercing, snow-catching, ice-harboring, horizon-dominating Glacier Peak!
South Cascades > Goat Rocks
7.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1,237 feet
Highest Point: 7,337 feet
Rating:
This short hike offers access to a stunning Goat Rocks summit, but you'll work for it. With more than 1000 feet of elevation gain in the last 0.9 mile push to the top, you'll be gasping for breath...and that's before the view renders you speechless.
Central Washington > Tri-Cities
6.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 150 feet
Highest Point: 750 feet
Rating:
A pleasant stroll for all ages- discover the history while enjoying a variety of avian wildlife on the southern terminus of the Columbia Plateau surveying the stark, scalloped Snake River country of southeast Washington.
Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
1.7 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 600 feet
Highest Point: 3,050 feet
Rating:
Hidden in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest near the town of Entiat is a treasure of a trail with a wide graceful waterfall and panoramic views of the Entiat River Valley. Offering a chance to explore the outdoors for all abilities, it will be easy to see why it has been designated a National Recreational Trail and draws locals and travelers from all over the state.
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
Rating:
Looking for a long winter snowshoe ramble? The Bumping Lake area has miles of cross country and snowshoe trails to entertain beginners and seasoned snowshoers alike. Keep in mind you'll be sharing the trail with cross country skiers, and the area is open to snowmobilers in some areas, so you may have a soundtrack to keep you company as you walk.
Central Washington > Tri-Cities
7.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 500 feet
Highest Point: 725 feet
Rating:
This is a striking, gorgeous hike -- excellent year round, whether you like snow-dappled trail or high desert. If you visit in summer, bring lots of water and a hat. There's no water available here.
Central Washington > Yakima
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 550 feet
Highest Point: 1,200 feet
Rating:
Gingko Petrified Forest State Park presents a unique look at Central Washington's shrub–steppe. The real experience comes from exploring its backcountry.
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
1.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 50 feet
Highest Point: 2,200 feet
Rating:
6/20/2022 - Trail is closed due to bridge damage. Not expected to reopen in 2023
Some of the biggest, oldest trees in the Washington Cascades stand tall in the Grove of the Patriarchs. These silent old men of moss tower overhead, with a few lying down to show us just how massive the trunks really are. The Grove resides in a low, boggy area across the Ohanapecosh River, so you'll need to cross a sweet little suspension bridge to get there, offering you a chance to enjoy a bit of adventure on this simple little trail. Youngsters typically love the bridge, and kids of all ages marvel at the massive trees.
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
8.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2,150 feet
Highest Point: 4,900 feet
Rating:
The road to Artist Point is closed for the winter season
Enjoy up-close, breathtaking views of Mount Shuksan’s west face, along with views of Fisher Chimney, the upper and lower Curtis Glacier, as well as Mount Baker from the trail to Lake Ann. The lake in a rocky basin, in the midst of this spectacular scenery. On some days you can hear ice echoing through the valley as it crashes down the face of Mount Shuksan. This is a late season hike, as snow can linger here into August.