Ten Low-key Nature and Interpretive Trails
Whether you have little ones, limited mobility or simply need to stretch your legs after a long car ride, a short interpretive trail can do the trick. What's more, these trails provide information that can enrich your visit as you learn about the ecology, geology and human history that have shaped the environment.
If you like these, we encourage you to seek out others on your own adventures and write about them in a trip report.
Olympic Peninsula
Quinault Rainforest Nature Trail
Location: Pacific Coast
Mileage: 0.5 mile, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 40 feet
Learn about the local ecology from the interpretive signs on the Quinault Rainforest Nature Trail. Photo by Rachel Wendling.
If you only have the time for a quick peek at the lush landscape surrounding Lake Quinault, don't miss this short nature loop. Interpretive signs provide an excellent introduction to the ecology of the area. Those who have more time can connect to a larger system of trails that ultimately pass by the historic Quinault Lodge.
> Plan your trip to the Quinault Rainforest Nature Trail using WTA's Hiking Guide
Kestner homestead
Location: Pacific Coast
Mileage: 1.5 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 30 feet
The dirt road leading to the old homestead buildings. Photo by somewhat slow Susan.
Not only will you be surrounded by the mighty forests of the Olympic Peninsula but also the rustic remnants of a homestead from the 1800s. Wandering through this area is a delight as farm buildings and equipment lay where they were once used to shelter and provide sustenance for the families that once lived here.
> Plan your trip to Kestner Homestead using WTA's Hiking Guide
North Cascades
Shadow of the Sentinels
Location: Mount Baker Area
Mileage: 0.5 mile, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 50 feet
Walking beneath these massive trees is a memorable experience. Photo by Tiger Hiking.
This is a hike that will have you and your family looking up a lot to marvel at these old-growth trees, some of which are 700 years old! Signs along the way add interest to the scenery and a boardwalk makes this tour of trees accessible to folks in wheelchairs or parents pushing strollers.
> Plan your trip to the Shadow of the Sentinels Trail using WTA's Hiking Guide
Central Cascades
Bygone Byways
Location: Stevens Pass-East
Mileage: 1.0 mile, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: minimal
A view down to the river from the trail. Photo by jbk51691
Following the Great Northern Railway, this wheelchair-friendly trail is a great intro to the expansive Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest for young hikers. Interpretive signs tell about the natural and cultural history of the area as well.
> Plan your trip to Bygone Byways Interpretive Trail using WTA's Hiking Guide
Columbia Fire Breaks Interpretive Trail
Location: Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
Mileage: 1.3 miles of trail
Elevation Gain: minimal
One of the three lookouts visible on the Columbia Fire Breaks Interpretive Trail. Photo by whomp.
This location on the far east side of the Cascades provides a fascinating look at three restored fire lookouts from the Entiat area. It also offers three interpretive trails of varying lengths: a half mile, a third of a mile and a very short eighth of a mile, including a section of wheelchair friendly trail as well!
> Plan your hike to the Columbia Fire Breaks Interpretive Trail using WTA's Hiking Guide
Snoqualmie Area
Pretzel Tree Trail
Location: Issaquah
Mileage: 0.5 mile
Elevation Gain: minimal
The interpretive signs are a hit along this trail. Photo by 976-HIKE
Tucked just off the Squak Mountain picnic area, the Pretzel Tree trail tells the story of forest animals who go on an adventure to find the Pretzel Tree Trail. It's an engaging tale for young kids or new readers, and at the end, there is the infamous Pretzel Tree! Do you prefer ecology in a story like this? Consider the Swamp Trail at Tiger Mountain to learn about Zoe and the Swamp Monster.
> Plan your trip to the Pretzel Tree Trail using WTA's Hiking Guide
Mount Rainier
Trail of the Shadows
Location: Mount Rainier National Park
Mileage: 0.5 mile, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 20 feet
The Trail of the Shadows is a short and easy loop great for all ages and abilities. Photo by jennekehikes.
A stop-over at Mount Rainier's Longmire isn't complete without a short detour on the Trail of Shadows. It's a self-guided trail, so hopefully the box is packed with trail booklets. You'll pass by an 1888 logging cabin, mineral springs and beaver dams.
> Plan your trip to the Trail of the Shadows using WTA's Hiking Guide
South Cascades
Layser Cave
Location: Gifford Pinchot National Forest
Mileage: 0.25 mile, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 100 feet
Check out the beautiful view of Mount Adams from the Layser Cave trail. Photo by ejain.
One of the most important archaeological sites in Western Washington lies just off the forest road to Mount Adams and the east side of Mount St. Helens. Only a quarter mile from the spur road, this cave was discovered in 1982 and was found to contain tools and bones dating back 7,000 years. Interpretive signs help put the human history here in context. If you have more time, you may also want to visit the Cispus Braille Trail at the Cispus Environmental Center for a short sensory hike.
> Plan your trip to Layser Cave using WTA's Hiking Guide
Birth of a Lake
Location: Mount St. Helens
Mileage: 1.2 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: minimal
A stretch of boardwalk along the trail. Photo by Jennekehikes.
The Mount St. Helens area offers a wealth of learning opportunities, both about the eruption but also the way the landscape was altered as a result. The signs along this trail tell that story and the combination of paved sections and boardwalk make this a great option for folks in wheelchairs or parents with strollers.
> Plan your trip to the Birth of a Lake Trail using WTA's Hiking Guide
Eastern Washington
Mission Point
Location: Selkirk Range
Mileage: 0.5 mile
Elevation Gain: minimal
The old mission is still standing. Photo by Holly Weiler.
The trail through this sight sheds light on the complex history of this area. With an old mission and a graveyard and signs explaining the history of this as a trading outpost, visitors will learn as they walk.
> Plan your trip to Mission Point using WTA's Hiking Guide