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
3981 HikesEastern Washington > Selkirk Range
0.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 100 feet
Highest Point: 3,468 feet
Rating:
A short hike to an historic mining camp and recently restored buildings on the Colville National Forest.
Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich
4.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 500 feet
Highest Point: 1,100 feet
Rating:
Three waterfalls, multiple viewing areas, and two different trailheads provide great choices for an excursion to Little Mashel Falls. The tallest waterfall plunges over 90 feet.
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
7.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 150 feet
Highest Point: 1,300 feet
Rating:
Located on the White River near Mount Rainier, the Mud Mountain Dam is both a flood control dam operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a recreation facility. At about 3.5 miles from the trailhead, Scatter Creek makes the trail impassable.
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
0.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 260 feet
Highest Point: 1,300 feet
Rating:
Located on the White River near Mount Rainier, the Mud Mountain Dam is both a flood control dam operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a recreation facility. The Vista Trail is short but steep.
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
4.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 80 feet
Highest Point: 1,300 feet
Rating:
Located on the White River near Mount Rainier, the Mud Mountain Dam is both a flood control dam operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a recreation facility. This gentle 2-mile trail will take you along the White River.
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
9.16 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 800 feet
Rating:
Part of King County’s regional trail network, the Lake Youngs Trail is a soft-surface, rolling, sometimes hilly loop around a reservoir and offers a couple connections to other popular trails in the area.
Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
7.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1,300 feet
Highest Point: 1,350 feet
Rating:
There is an annual closure on Cape Horn for peregrine falcon nesting from February to July. Hikers will need to do an out-and-back instead of a loop when the closure is in effect.
This rugged hike is bound to become a classic, if it isn’t already. The full trail loop provides fantastic views of the Columbia River Gorge, an intimate look at the Cape Horn Falls and a challenging workout as it climbs and descends the rocky slopes of Cape Horn.
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
1.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 192 feet
Highest Point: 157 feet
Rating:
This hike boasts a great combination of wetland and sea shore. It is doable by hikers of all ages, and most of the trail is wheelchair accessible
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
10.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2,300 feet
Highest Point: 5,300 feet
Rating:
The snowshoe route into Commonwealth Basin is not clearly marked or blazed. Visitors here should plan their route in advance, go prepared for winter travel, and be able to identify avalanche risk.
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
8.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 500 feet
Highest Point: 1,000 feet
Rating:
Magnificent old growth forests, stellar views of Mount Baker, turbulent tributaries, and, of course, a beautiful lake make this trail a great path to travel.
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
10.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 4,500 feet
Highest Point: 8,365 feet
Rating:
Permits are required to summit Mount St. Helens. Find details about acquiring them in the hike description
Mount St. Helens is a peak that should be on every life list. And because it is an active volcano, it is best not to put it off for too long. Climbing to the crater rim is an opportunity to see not only amazing views in every direction, but to see geology raw, unformed and in its making.
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
8.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 700 feet
Highest Point: 1,550 feet
Rating:
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.
Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
17.0 miles, one-way
Gain: 4,030 feet
Highest Point: 1,700 feet
Rating:
Looking for an early-season backpack featuring craggy, snow-capped peaks, a sapphire-blue lake, a myriad of wildflowers, and a trail that’s regularly maintained by WTA volunteers? The 17-mile thru-hike on the Chelan Lakeshore Trail might be just the thing for you.
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
8.4 miles, (type not yet set)
Gain: 2,120 feet
Highest Point: 3,100 feet
Rating:
This hike on Rattlesnake Mountain near North Bend follows good trails through second-growth forest, with possible wildlife sightings. It leads to some outstanding high viewpoints. In spite of the name, there are no rattlesnakes here.
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
9.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 4,000 feet
Highest Point: 4,822 feet
Rating:
While still relatively steep, this new route up Mailbox Peak, built in part with help from WTA volunteers, offers a safer and more easily navigable way for folks to summit this formidable peak than the old trail.
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
8.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1,500 feet
Rating:
The Greg Ball Trail is a trail envisioned by and honoring one of the greatest trail advocates this state has ever had. Ball was a former board member and director of the WTA. In 1993 he launched the organization’s volunteer trail maintenance program which has since grown into the largest state-based program of its kind. He designed this trail to Wallace Lake and it was finished in his memory by volunteers from WTA and through support from the Spring Trail Trust.
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
14.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1,900 feet
Highest Point: 4,100 feet
Rating:
Visit a trail where rushing rivers, placid lakes, and wild forests abound.
Snoqualmie Region > Salmon La Sac/Teanaway
7.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2,600 feet
Highest Point: 5,034 feet
Rating:
Parking is extremely limited at this location and only allowed in the designated parking area. Read our driving directions below for more information.
A steep but rewarding Cascades snowshoe with great views from the summit. Low avalanche risk makes this a popular winter destination.
Issaquah Alps
1.25 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 20 feet
Highest Point: 420 feet
Rating:
Hike an easy loop trail through a wide forested buffer zone around this lowland lake. Appreciate the many tall trees that give the illusion of being in a much more remote location, and enjoy the view from a dock from which the entire lake can be seen. In season, see a variety of waterfowl.
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
3.0 miles of trails
Gain: 120 feet
Highest Point: 290 feet
Rating:
Don’t let the thought of the Brightwater Treatment Plant prevent you from hiking through the Brightwater Center’s 70-acre suburban wetland and woodland preserve that serves as a refuge for local wildlife and plant species. The trails at Brightwater are ideal for families, birdwatchers, pets, and children.
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
1.85 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 292 feet
Highest Point: 515 feet
Rating:
A short hike through history, the Ranger Hole trailhead features a ranger’s cabin built over 100 years ago, a short trail through a re-growing forest, and a walk down to the turquoise waters of the Duckabush River.
Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
147.5 miles, one-way
Gain: 27,996 feet
Highest Point: 7,800 feet
Rating:
Offering spectacular views of the three southern volcanoes in Washington, lakes, meadows and wildlife over relatively moderate terrain, Section H is the perfect starting point for the Washington portion of the Pacific Crest Trail.
Olympic Peninsula > Northern Coast
1.2 miles, one-way
Gain: 10 feet
Highest Point: 23 feet
Rating:
Clallam Bay Spit Community Beach County Park is a unique, 1.2-mile stretch of shoreline 45 miles west of Port Angeles towards Neah Bay, perfect for stretching your legs, bird watching and beachcombing for ocean treasures. Quietly tucked into a curve on SR-112 as you enter the quaint town of Clallam Bay, it offers year-round restrooms and a dog-friendly place to picnic, walk and learn about local shipping history.
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
1.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 22 feet
Highest Point: 317 feet
Rating:
Walk along a quiet flat grassy trail with plenty of space to take picnic breaks in some quiet, not far from the city.
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
10.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 200 feet
Rating:
This is a wonderful wild park right in the backyard of those who live in the Everett area. Covering 1,463 acres of forest, ponds and meadows, the river valley is a confluence of the Issaquah, Tulalip, Stillaguamish, and Snoqualmie Tribal treaty areas. Hikers can roam all day on the network of trails leading through the forest, down to the Snohomish River and up to views of the Cascades and Snohomish valley. Explore, and keep an eye out for the wildlife that live in these woods.
Olympic Peninsula > Northern Coast
7.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 850 feet
Highest Point: 1,166 feet
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
2.8 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 10 feet
Highest Point: 3,000 feet
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.
Puget Sound and Islands > Whidbey Island
5.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 260 feet
Highest Point: 260 feet
Rating:
Perched on a bluff overlooking majestic Puget Sound is the unique acreage of Ebey’s Landing. In addition to the Bluff Trail, visitors can experience the seaport town of Coupeville, observe working farms, and get their fill of wildlife viewing, all in a tiny National Park on Whidbey Island.
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
14.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2,024 feet
Highest Point: 4,624 feet
Rating:
While the trail near Gold Creek Pond is a great spot for hikers of all ages, the trail back towards Alaska Lake is a more rugged experience. Starting flat, it heads into the heart of the Central Cascades on an old road for four miles, where it then crosses an impressive old avalanche path before heading straight uphill to remote Alaska Lake.
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
3.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 100 feet
Highest Point: 4,390 feet
Rating:
A forest walk and a wetlands walk-two trails for the price of one! This wide, paved trail loops through meadows and shoreline.