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
3944 HikesNorth Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
9.7 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3789 ft.
Highest Point: 5832 ft.
Rating:
Incredible views and beautiful alpine lakes are your reward if you can ascend this steep trail in the North Cascades. At the top, you can choose between taking in sweeping panoramic views of North Cascades National Park and the Pickets Range, or relaxing near the lowest of the Thornton Lakes, both of which make a rewarding destination.
Issaquah Alps > Cougar Mountain
2.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 848 ft.
Highest Point: 1639 ft.
Rating:
A hike named after Nawang Gombu, Jim Whittaker's partner in his first ascent of Everest. Connect it with the Whittaker Wilderness Peak trail for a long loop with historical significance.
Issaquah Alps > Squak Mountain
3.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 939 ft.
Highest Point: 1514 ft.
Rating:
A connector trail between East Ridge and Bullitt Fireplace trail on Squak Mountain.
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
31.8 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 4400 ft.
Highest Point: 6000 ft.
Rating:
Hike along a Wild and Scenic river, up a rugged ridge, and to a mirror-like iconic lake in Glacier Peak wilderness. This is a long hike, best done as a backpack, but it's absolutely worth the days you invest to explore here.
Snoqualmie Region > Salmon La Sac/Teanaway
4.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 100 ft.
Highest Point: 3500 ft.
Rating:
The relatively flat hike to this long, shallow lake makes an excellent destination for families with children or an easy overnight camping trip.
Central Cascades > Blewett Pass
14.4 miles, one-way
Gain: 1450 ft.
Highest Point: 3450 ft.
Rating:
This popular trail parallels a thunderous creek on a gentle grade, making for an excellent springtime river romp.
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
2.0 miles of trails
Rating:
A beautiful destination along the Chief Sealth Trail, Kubota Garden is gorgeous oasis where Northwest native plants thrive in the style of Japanese garden, thanks to horticultural pioneer Fujitaro Kubota.
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
2.8 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 140 ft.
Highest Point: 325 ft.
Rating:
Seattle's Discovery Park Loop Trail is a designated National Recreation Trail, 2.8 miles long with an elevation change of just 140 feet. It passes through both forest and open meadows, offers extensive views, good prospects for bird watchers, and it can be hiked or jogged year-round.
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
4.7 miles, roundtrip
Rating:
The White River Trail in Auburn is a paved, multi-use trail that starts at the East Valley Highway and runs through Roegner Park and Game Farm Wilderness Park before ending at Stuck River Road.
Olympic Peninsula > Northern Coast
7.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 850 ft.
Highest Point: 1166 ft.
Rating:
Visit a multi-use trail to a summit that boasts coastal scenery, forests, rocky bluffs, tidepools, and a hearty climb to a 1,166-foot viewpoint over the Strait of Juan de Fuca
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
11.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3584 ft.
Highest Point: 5584 ft.
Rating:
Hike trails though sub-alpine forest and across boulder fields and, in season, enjoy a multitude of wildflowers. Pass a beautiful mountain lake. Ascend to a 5584-foot summit and enjoy incredible views of Cascade peaks and nearby lakes.
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
6.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2420 ft.
Highest Point: 4320 ft.
Rating:
Sun drenched ridgelines, blooming trillium, and sparkling alpine waters define this fitting tribute to one of Washington’s greatest trail advocates.
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
20.2 miles, roundtrip
Highest Point: 4300 ft.
Rating:
Press on past Pratt Lake to reach a measure of backcountry solitude at Windy Lake or Kaleetan Lake in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
8.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3400 ft.
Highest Point: 5240 ft.
Rating:
There are two sides to Bandera Mountain – gentle and well groomed on the one hand, rough and untamed on the other. Together, they make for a very satisfying hike along a rocky ridge to a false summit (Little Bandera) with views impressive enough to dissuade most from completing the final half mile of informal trail to the “real” summit.
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
29.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 7500 ft.
Highest Point: 6360 ft.
Rating:
A loop hike, beginning and ending in the old-growth forests of the North Fork Sauk River that traverses high ridges and passes of the Pacific crest, visits beautiful alpine lakes, and finally follows the high and lonesome Pilot Ridge Trail before descending back down to the trail junction on the North Fork Sauk River.
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - East
19.2 miles, roundtrip
Highest Point: 6000 ft.
Rating:
Glacier Peak Wilderness, northwest of Lake Wenatchee. You can barely see Glacier Peak from the westside of the Cascades. Not so from the Buck Creek Trail - where it looms over you like a white monolith. Add to that fields of late summer flowers and a pleasant afternoon breeze and you may be close to rapture.
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
11.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1200 ft.
Highest Point: 3150 ft.
Rating:
Everything that makes a river hike fun is here, cool bridges, waterfalls, big trees, lots of dripping moss, and mushrooms.
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
4.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1034 ft.
Highest Point: 2430 ft.
Rating:
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.
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
6.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2450 ft.
Highest Point: 6800 ft.
Rating:
This page describes the options for doing a loop hike around the ski slopes, which is the ridge west of Crystal Mountain Boulevard.
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
2.8 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1425 ft.
Highest Point: 5587 ft.
Rating:
A short but stiff climb through an old burn, old growth forest, and alpine meadows to a restored fire lookout standing sentinel over the western flanks of the Wild Sky Wilderness.
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
3.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 600 ft.
Highest Point: 5850 ft.
Rating:
This popular hike provides a range of alpine experiences in a short loop. Walk along a hillside above a small valley, pause at a viewpoint overlooking a lake, and stroll through grassy meadows with stunning views of Mount Rainier. In season enjoy an abundance of wildflowers or perhaps a handful of huckleberries.
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
3.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 600 ft.
Highest Point: 2300 ft.
Rating:
The Ohanapecosh River is arguably the most beautiful in Mount Rainier National Park, with water so clear you can see all the way to the bottom in many places. Where it's not crashing over rocks, of course. The Silver Falls Loop takes you upstream along this impressive river, to a majestic waterfall and back through humbling forest, all in just three miles.
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
5.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1200 ft.
Highest Point: 7200 ft.
Rating:
The two-story frame cabin of Mount Fremont, built in 1934, provides an opportunity to reminisce about the time when watchmen stood guard over the forest, with an eye out for wildfires.
Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast
7.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1500 ft.
Highest Point: 1880 ft.
Rating:
The Graves Creek primitive trail provides access to old growth forests high above the Quinault River Valley and solitude compared to the high use trails along the Quinault River. Expect glimpses of waterfalls across the gorge in spring and signs of wild-life including bear, deer, and elk.
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
21.1 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3150 ft.
Highest Point: 4650 ft.
Rating:
The Six Ridge Trail is a rugged route that traverses the South Fork to the North Fork of the Skokomish River. It is known for its solitude, meadows and grand mountain vistas, but it comes at a price -- a steep, long trail to these destinations.
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
7.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2200 ft.
Highest Point: 5450 ft.
Rating:
On Park Butte, hike to an historic fire lookout and come face-to-face with Koma Kulshan. Along with unobstructed panoramic views of Mount Baker, the Twin Sisters, and the rest of the North Cascades, the route to Park Butte offers dedicated campsites, wildflower-filled alpine meadows, rushing waterfalls, and a stunning variety of mushroom species.
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
5.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1300 ft.
Highest Point: 1500 ft.
Rating:
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 > North Bend Area
3.7 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1300 ft.
Highest Point: 1550 ft.
Rating:
Companion piece to neighbor and big brother Mount Si, the small rocky bluff known as Little Si is a moderate grade 3.7 mile trail located in the hike rich North Bend area. Although relatively steep inclines bookend this hike, this primarily North/South route is perfect for beginners who are looking to get back in shape, while still accommodating veterans with opportunities to cut away on the Boulder Garden Loop (at .3 miles and .5 miles) to merge with the more challenging Mount Si trail. Expect crowds, even in winter, as New Year’s resolutions (the two Si mountains are sometimes colloquially referred to as the “Resolution Peaks” for the deluge of hikers that appear after January 1st), proximity to the city and a degree of refuge from the elements often divert heavy foot traffic to this mini-mountain to keep it busy year round.
Issaquah Alps > Cougar Mountain
2.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 416 ft.
Highest Point: 1066 ft.
Rating:
Coal Creek Falls is a wonderful destination for any day hiker looking for an easy and/or family friendly trail with a picturesque culmination at Coal Creek Falls. It’s a well maintained trail that meanders beneath a thick canopy and a dense understory with many wildflower species in the spring.
Issaquah Alps > Cougar Mountain
4.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 489 ft.
Highest Point: 1122 ft.
Rating:
A moderate, year round loop trail in the Issaquah Alps that is popular with hikers, dog walkers and trail runners. Entering the large parking area at the Red Town trailhead (one of several in this 3,100-acre regional park) it’s hard to imagine that what is today a lush green forest was once a busy coalmine operation. Now all that remains are nearly forgotten place names, a few carefully preserved artifacts and caution signs warning of the hazards of travel off established trails.