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
1198 HikesJuanita Bay Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 2.0 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 0 feet
Birdwatchers will delight in the wide variety of winded beasts to see at Juanita Bay Park. The 110-acre urban wildlife habitat area consists of five major plant communities, including wet meadow, marsh, open water and wetland.
Birth of a Lake Interpretive Trail
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
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Length
- 1.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 0 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,500 feet
This trail is currently inaccessible due to a road closure
A short boardwalk at Coldwater Lake, the Birth of a Lake trail is stroller and wheelchair friendly, and provides interesting information about the creation of this lake thanks to the 1980 eruption.
Wildside Trail-De Leo Wall
Issaquah Alps > Cougar Mountain
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Length
- 4.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 489 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,122 feet
A trail closure here between June 5 and 30 will close the section of this trail between Rainbow Town trail and the Marshalls Hill trail. The spur trails leading off Wildside to the Steam Hoist viewpoint/interpretive area will also be inaccessible during the closure.
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.
Wildside Connector
Issaquah Alps > Cougar Mountain
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Length
- 1.4 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 200 feet
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Highest Point
- 800 feet
A trail closure here between June 5 and 30 will close the section of this trail between Rainbow Town trail and the Marshalls Hill trail. The spur trails leading off Wildside to the Steam Hoist viewpoint/interpretive area will also be inaccessible during the closure.
The Wildside Trail runs through the northwest corner of Cougar Mountain Park and offers many connections to other trails.
Lakes Trail
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
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Length
- 9.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 200 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,700 feet
This trail is currently inaccessible due to a road closure
The Lakes Trail offers a nice day hike along a volcano-created lake, or a gateway into the Mount Margaret Backcountry.
Boundary West
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
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Length
- 10.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,400 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,390 feet
This trail is currently inaccessible due to a road closure
This short section of the much longer Boundary Trail (which spans the Dark Divide between Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams) provides a nice day hike amid the unique geology of the St. Helens area.
South Coldwater Trail
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
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Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,400 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,000 feet
Trail inaccessible: Access to this trail is blocked by a road closure
This early or late-season hike takes you for a ridge walk high above Coldwater Lake, which was not a standing body of water prior to the massive eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980. You'll walk through a serene willow forest, marvel at the power of nature when you encounter twisted hulks of logging machinery, and see plenty of gnarled stumps where tall evergreens once stood.
Hummocks Trail
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
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Length
- 2.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 100 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,500 feet
Trail inaccessible: Access to this trail is blocked by a road closure
Popular because it's the perfect balance between day hike and easy enough for little legs, the Hummocks Trail is a relatively flat loop hike among strange hills that were left by the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980.
Fairhaven Park and Hundred Acre Wood
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 4.5 miles of trails
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Highest Point
- 360 feet
You don't have to drive far to hike in the forest — start in Fairhaven Park and explore the several miles worth of trail in the Hundred Acre Wood.
Summit Lake
Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich
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Length
- 6.1 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,300 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,800 feet
This popular summer trail offers wildflower-filled meadows, a glistening alpine lake, big mountain views and wildlife sighting aplenty.
Barnum Point
Puget Sound and Islands > Whidbey Island
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Length
- 2.75 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 300 feet
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Highest Point
- 130 feet
Enjoy a series of easy forest trails in this new Island County park. Descend to the beach at both ends of the bluff. Optionally, tide permitting, hike the entire length of the mile-long beach. Either way, finish your hike on more forest trails.
Dirty Harry's Balcony
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
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Length
- 4.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,600 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,600 feet
Get a workout and experience rock work completed by Department of Natural Resources and WTA volunteer crews on this hike. Your reward is a rocky overlook from which you can marvel at Mount Kent, McClellan Butte, and Mount Washington, the behemoths forming the south rim of the west entrance to Snoqualmie Pass.
Railroad Trail
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 6.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 325 feet
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Highest Point
- 380 feet
Walk along an old-railroad-track-turned-trail through the city of Bellingham.
Weowna Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 3.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 600 feet
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Highest Point
- 320 feet
Hike an urban park near Bellevue through extensive old-growth forest (yes, really)! Marvel at the many large conifers and deciduous trees. View a small creek in a steep canyon. Listen for, and perhaps see, abundant bird life. And, in season, note a few wildflowers.
Chelan Lakeshore Trail
Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
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Length
- 17.0 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 4,030 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,700 feet
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.
Fauntleroy Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 1.5 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 350 feet
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Highest Point
- 360 feet
Fauntleroy Park, in West Seattle, is a few blocks southeast of the Vashon Island Ferry dock. The park offers some impressively tall trees, both conifers and deciduous trees. There is a good system of short trails, with boardwalks, rustic stairs and viewing platforms. Wildflowers are common in spring, and many wild birds make the park their home.
Clackamas Mountain
Eastern Washington > Okanogan Highlands/Kettle River Range
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Length
- 8.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,147 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,443 feet
Part of the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail, Clackamas Mountain Trail travels up to the summit of Clackamas Mountain with great views to the west. It then traverses down the north side to Cougar Creek and connects to the Cougar Creek #100 road.
Park Butte
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
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Length
- 7.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,200 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,450 feet
Hikers must pack out their waste on this trail and dispose of it in the receptacles at the trailhead
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.
Craft Island
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 2.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 50 feet
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Highest Point
- 80 feet
Take a short hike to the best views of the Skagit flats and the bay, as well as the Cascades to the east, the Olympics to the west, and Rainier to the south.
Union Bay Natural Area
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 1.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 53 feet
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Highest Point
- 33 feet
Seattle has many pocket parks and natural areas where native species of floral and fauna make their home. The Union Bay Natural Area is one of these wonderful little spots that offers a natural environment within easy reach of many city dwellers.
Alpine Lookout
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - East
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Length
- 10.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,600 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,235 feet
This is one of the most popular hikes along the US 2 corridor, and it's easy to understand why: a historic and active fire lookout, an enclave for mountain goats, miles of flower-blooming meadows, jaw-slacking views of Lake Wenatchee, Glacier Peak, and hundreds of other peaks. It's amazing there aren't more hikers sunning themselves on this Nason Ridge summit. And being on one of the area's first high peaks to shed its winter snows, Alpine Lookout makes for an excellent early summer adventure.
Waikiki Springs Nature Preserve
Eastern Washington > Spokane Area/Coeur d'Alene
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Length
- 4.8 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 588 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,790 feet
This is a lovely urban trail system outside of Spokane and near the Little Spokane River.
Lake 22
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 5.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,350 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,400 feet
The curiously-named Lake 22 is the center of an oasis of alpine wetland nestled on the northern shoulder of Mount Pilchuck. The hike to the lake combines the best of mountain rainforests, old-growth, wetlands, and mountain views, yet it is readily accessible. In winter the route lends itself to snowshoeing.
Granite Creek Trail to Granite Lakes
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
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Length
- 8.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,270 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,070 feet
Granite Creek courses through the gorge between Mailbox Peak and Russian Butte. Ascend through the creek’s ravine, immersed in mountain rainforest, alongside whitewater rapids, waterfalls, wildflowers, and mushrooms, while you take in majestic views of the mountains of the Middle Fork valley. Seasonal treats include berries and fall colors.
Evans Creek Preserve
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 4.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 325 feet
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Highest Point
- 480 feet
Evans Creek Preserve features a WTA-built trail system in an ecologically diverse enclave. Wetlands, meadows, and hillside forest can be found in this 179-acre farmstead-turned-suburban nature preserve that will thrill both the hiker and the birdwatcher. Not only that, this gem has ADA-accessible trails and is reachable by public transportation.
Myrtle Falls
Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise
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Length
- 0.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 185 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,600 feet
A good, short destination just outside of the main Paradise visitors area, Myrtle Falls is a beauty.
Narada Falls to Reflection Lakes
Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise
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Length
- 5.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,150 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,400 feet
Hiking the trail between the Narada Falls viewpoint and Reflection Lakes is pleasant enough. But you can extend the route into a loop featuring an unobstructed view of the Tatoosh Range from a rocky bluff, and an up-close experience of the awe-inspiring whitewater cascades of the Paradise River.
Pinnacle Saddle
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
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Length
- 2.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,000 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,920 feet
Imagine that you are looking through a telephoto lens at one of those iconic images of Mount Rainier taken from the south. Now zoom out to a wider view of the entire mountain, the thick forests below timberline, the enormous brown gash of the Nisqually River Valley, and beside it the verdant parkland that became known as Paradise. This is the view from the Pinnacle Saddle trail.
Paradise
Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise
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Length
- 25.0 miles of trails
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Highest Point
- 10,080 feet
Paradise provides a gateway to Washington's most iconic mountain, trails to get your heart pumping or just stretch your legs, and in winter, fantastic snowshoe and skiing opportunities for people of all ages.
Sunrise to Mystic Lake
Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich
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Length
- 18.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 5,324 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,800 feet
This is a trail where the journey is as interesting as the destination. Enjoy a beautiful waterfall and views of icy Winthrop Glacier. Gaze directly at Mount Rainier and witness the fascinating destruction caused by the floods of 2006. All of this is chased by the peaceful basin of Mystic Lake and surrounding meadows.