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
779 HikesNorth Cascades > Pasayten
26.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 4,100 feet
Highest Point: 7,446 feet
Rating:
Holman Creek trail is closed due to wildfire
This breathtaking loop offers an undulating ridge walk on the Pacific Crest Trail, a jaunt through the West Fork Pasayten River Valley — one of the priority areas in WTA's Lost Trails Found campaign — and views from the highest fire lookout in the state.
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
14.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3,130 feet
Highest Point: 5,900 feet
Rating:
Chinook Pass and Stevens Canyon Road are closed for the season
This section of the Wonderland Trail, which begins at Box Canyon, continues along the Cowlitz Divide, and eventually concludes in the valley that houses Indian Bar, will certainly test your trail stamina. But the rewards for all of your efforts are plentiful: swaths of old-growth forests, bountiful berries (when in season), rolling alpine meadows, an epic in-your-face view of Mount Rainier, and finally, the rushing waters of the Ohanapecosh River and Wauhaukaupauken Falls, which offer a cooling respite after your long, and sometimes arduous, climb and descent into this famed valley.
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
8.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3,300 feet
Highest Point: 6,900 feet
Rating:
The Cascade River Road is closed for the winter season
The Hidden Lake trail is one of the crown jewels of hiking in Washington State. No other trail offers so much as Hidden Lake Lookout: forest, wildflowers, a true alpine environment of stark granite well above treeline, breathtaking summit views of the heart of North Cascades National Park, and a fire lookout with a sweeping history almost as big as the mountainous landscape it gazes over.
Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise
3.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 600 feet
Highest Point: 5,425 feet
Rating:
Chinook Pass and Stevens Canyon Road are closed for the season
Reflection Lakes are not just a popular photography stop. From the lakes you can hike to a stunning cliffside view of the lakes and the Tatoosh range. From there you have the option of returning the way you came, or hiking in a loop around the largest of the lakes.
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
8.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3,300 feet
Highest Point: 6,500 feet
Rating:
Road Closed: Wildfire
In a state with so many places offering a day's walk to big, peaky views, Green Mountain still makes the short-list of Washington's all-time finest hikes. From woods to meadows to panoramic views and even a historic lookout, it just doesn't get much better than this.
Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich
2.35 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 104 feet
Highest Point: 1,446 feet
Rating:
Mowich Lake Road is closed for the season
Once a booming coal town, Fairfax Ghost Town is an adventure of exploration and discovery. Expect thick vegetation and undefined trails once you arrive at the town site, so pack a good sense of direction, plenty of time and a thirst for exploration is highly recommended.
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 712 feet
Highest Point: 3,888 feet
Rating:
Wildfire: trail closed
Eagle Lake is a shallow and infrequently visited alpine lake in the shadows of Merchant Peak and Townsend Mountain in the Stevens Pass region. Walk this trail to experience a variety of mountain terrain and wildlife encompassed by few other hikes.
North Cascades
18.8 miles, one-way
Gain: 3,100 feet
Highest Point: 7,000 feet
Rating:
Wildfire: Trail closed
Connect between the PCT and Ross Lake as you take in the incredible sights of the Pasayten Wilderness. Pass over ridges and stop to explore and admire the popular Devil's Dome.
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
7.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1,800 feet
Highest Point: 5,392 feet
Rating:
The Cascade River Road is closed for the winter season
At Cascade Pass, the wow factor far exceeds the “ow” factor – perhaps no other trail in the state delivers as much reward for the effort. From the high peaks on either side of the pass, verdant meadows curve down to a saddle that offers sweeping views of nearby valleys, glaciers, mountains, and passing wildlife. Sedately climbing a little less than 1,800 feet in 3.6 miles, it is the perfect hike to show new hikers the extraordinary places their feet can take them.
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
38.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2,500 feet
Highest Point: 4,000 feet
Rating:
Wildlife is often difficult to spot in the North Cascades, but McAlester Pass is an exception to this. Take a multi-day backpack from Highway 20 into the tiny town of Stehekin, where you can rest easy and gorge yourself on treats from the renowned bakery before making the multiple mile trek out.
Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich
34.0 miles, one-way
Gain: 10,521 feet
Highest Point: 6,000 feet
Rating:
Mowich Lake Road is closed for the season
A section of the Wonderland Trail. It is a strenuous hike with ample elevation gain and loss through lowland forests, valleys, into high alpine and sub-alpine areas. You move through forests with moss and ferns, wildflower-filled rolling meadows, and along hillsides covered in beargrass and thick with huckleberry bushes.
Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
7.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 100 feet
Highest Point: 1,200 feet
Rating:
If you’re overnighting in the Stehekin Valley and just want a riverside ramble to while away the hours, try the Stehekin River Trail. It’s an easy forested walk along the mighty Stehekin River on a side of the valley that few visitors get to see.
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
16.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 9,800 feet
Highest Point: 8,000 feet
Rating:
The route to West McMillan Spire is a strenuous Class 3 and involved exposed scrambling. Gear and experience recommended.
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
36.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 8,009 feet
Highest Point: 8,285 feet
Rating:
Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
0.7 miles, one-way
Gain: 150 feet
Highest Point: 1,340 feet
Rating:
If you only have a short time to hike while visiting the secluded town of Stehekin, hop on the Imus Creek Trail to sample what the North Cascades National Park has to offer. This easy self-guided nature walk runs behind the landing for a one mile loop to an overlook of the lake and the majestic mountains that make up the Lake Chelan Valley.
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
Rating:
A climb to a peak on the North Cascades Highway. Climbing gear and experience as well as route finding knowledge required.
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
18.7 miles, one-way
Gain: 3,600 feet
Highest Point: 4,900 feet
Rating:
Connect between the Stehekin River and Rainy Pass on this section of the Pacific Crest Trail. Views of peaks in every direction capture the hiker's attention as you walk through the beautiful North Cascades.
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Rating:
Follow a fisherman's trail to a crystalline blue lake in the North Cascades. This is a bushwhack, so you will need route-finding experience and a map and compass, and you'll need to know how to use them.
Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
11.4 miles, one-way
Gain: 1,100 feet
Highest Point: 2,400 feet
Rating:
Once upon a time, the road in Stehekin extended all the way to Cottonwood Camp, more than ten miles further into the lush green valley. But strong river activity due to snowmelt and rain events washed the road out frequently, and for one final time in 2003. Now it's accessible by foot only, and many of the trails found along this route are some of your best chance for solitude in the state.
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
9.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 800 feet
Highest Point: 2,000 feet
Rating:
Hike towards the base of Klawatti and Austera Peaks along Newhalem Creek on this unmaintained North Cascades National Park trail. Years of blowdowns and overgrowth make this trail difficult to hike and navigate, but Newhalem Falls and the views of the mountains cannot be beaten. It's a great way to get into the North Cascades in the winter and still avoid the snow.
Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
3.3 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 600 feet
Highest Point: 2,180 feet
Rating:
Just behind the High Bridge Guard Station at the end of the road in Stehekin, a trail leads to a quiet little lake nestled in lush, vibrant forest. This trail is primarily used by hikers heading to the summit of McGregor Mountain, the most prominent peak towering over the Stehekin Valley, but Howard Lake is a nice destination in and of itself, if you don’t have the time or the desire to tackle the 16 mile roundtrip hike up McGregor.
Central Cascades > Blewett Pass
3.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 500 feet
Highest Point: 5,700 feet
Rating:
Beginning at Forest Road 9712 and ending at the Forest Boundary, the Old Ellensburg Trail comprises one third of the three trails used to make a popular loop around Mount Lillian.
North Cascades > Methow/Sawtooth
13.8 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3,600 feet
Highest Point: 7,200 feet
Rating:
The Sunrise Lake trail is a steep one-mile section of trail that is part of the Sawtooth Backcountry Trail system.
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - East
9.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3,600 feet
Rating:
Sometimes, taking the back door is better. At 9 miles and 3600 feet of elevation gain, the back way to the Rock Mountain Lookout is less steep, more scenic, and two miles shorter than the more frequently used route from Rock Lake. Try this as a key swap or a thru-hike if you want to get both sides of this gorgeous hike.
Central Cascades > Leavenworth Area
18.0 miles, one-way
Gain: 4,500 feet
Highest Point: 7,800 feet
Rating:
The Enchantment Lakes are an alpine wonderland of pristine lakes set among polished granite, soaring peaks, blazing larches, and ambling mountain goats. Widely regarded as the crown jewel of hiking in Washington, this trail exceeds even the wildest of superlatives.
Issaquah Alps > Tiger Mountain
4.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 150 feet
Highest Point: 1,500 feet
Rating:
The Northwest Timber Trail can be an easy first hike for young hikers, or it can be a pleasant stroll for experienced hikers when they have limited time. For many, this trail is a gateway to other routes that lead to more distant goals, such as the Silent Swamp Loop or the Preston Railroad Grade, or to forest roads that lead to the summit of East Tiger.
North Cascades > Pasayten
9.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1,200 feet
Highest Point: 7,386 feet
Rating:
Hike on the Pacific Crest Trail in a section where its name describes its location. From the trail high on the ridge, the views abound. In the three passes are flowers in the summer and golden larch in the fall. A side trip up Tatie Peak provides 360 degree views of the North Cascades.
Central Cascades > Blewett Pass
8.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1,000 feet
Highest Point: 5,800 feet
Rating:
In a word, Tronsen Ridge is dynamic. It’s a place that evolves with each new season, showcasing the variance of Washington state as few trails can. Hike here in June and you’ll be met with bouquets of wildflowers dominating it’s many meadows. Come October, long after the flowers have died off, and you’ll find yourself bound-in by walls of golden larches. Winter offers something altogether different -- an austere, muffled environment with views of the western and eastern faces of the state.
Snoqualmie Region > Salmon La Sac/Teanaway
16.0 miles, roundtrip
Highest Point: 4,500 feet
Rating:
Scenic Marmot Lake is reachable from both Highway 2 or the Salmon La Sac area, but either way will be a challenge -- it's 14 miles via Deception Pass, or more than 10 miles from the Tucquala Meadows Trailhead.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
7.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1,000 feet
Highest Point: 4,780 feet
Rating:
This heavily-used trail passes numerous lakes and meadows and is an excellent foray into the Indian Heaven Wilderness. Hikers will find amble opportunities for a lakeside lunch spot.