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
4216 HikesMima Mounds
Olympic Peninsula > Olympia
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Length
- 2.75 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 10 feet
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Highest Point
- 225 feet
These mysterious mounds inspire imagination and speculation among visitors. With a half-mile ADA accessible path and another two miles of more rugged wandering, the Mima Mounds are a great destination for many hikers.
Parkland Prairie
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 0.5 miles of trails
The preserve is closed until late 2026 for a trail resurfacing project.
This neighborhood park has a short loop trail that takes visitors through a prairie ecosystem brimming with interesting trees, flowers and grasses.
Ruby Mountain
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 17.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 6,300 feet
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Highest Point
- 7,408 feet
3.19.26: Highway 20 is closed at (and east of) Colonial Creek Campground until further notice due to a rock fall.
Ruby Mountain is a 7,408-foot peak in the center of the North Cascades. It has one of the best panoramic views of the lakes, snow-capped peaks and glaciers of the North Cascades National Park.
Ross Dam Trail
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 1.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 500 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,100 feet
3.19.26: Highway 20 is closed at (and east of) Colonial Creek Campground until further notice due to a rock fall.
This forested trail in the North Cascades National Park Complex leads down to Ross Lake and the network of trails in the Ross Lake National Recreation Area. Look out over both Ross Lake and Ross Dam before making your way down to Ross Dam itself
Pierce Mountain Trail
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 9.9 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 4,500 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,965 feet
3.19.26: Highway 20 is closed at (and east of) Colonial Creek Campground until further notice due to a rock fall.
Pierce Mountain Trail is a gentle trail up Sourdough Mountain from the Big Beaver trail.
Happy-Panther
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 12.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,200 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,100 feet
3.19.26: Highway 20 is closed at (and east of) Colonial Creek Campground until further notice due to a rock fall.
Enjoy some fine ‘forest bathing’ on a quiet trail just off the busy highway. No grand views, but soft green moss, little creeks and large noisy waterfalls will be your reward. It’s nice anytime, but in spring before the highway opens or fall when the vine maple is turning would be a prime time for this one.
Happy Creek Nature Trail
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 2.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 570 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,780 feet
3.19.26: Highway 20 is closed at (and east of) Colonial Creek Campground until further notice due to a rock fall.
Hikers can choose from an easy loop partially along Happy Creek, or a longer hike to Happy Creek Falls, site of an old sawmill that supported the mining in the late 1800's.
Big Beaver Trail
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 24.6 miles, one-way
-
Elevation Gain
- 500 feet
-
Highest Point
- 1,980 feet
3.19.26: Highway 20 is closed at (and east of) Colonial Creek Campground until further notice due to a rock fall.
Visit one of the best old-growth hikes in the North Cascades, with views of a vivid blue lake and jagged, snowy peaks thrown in for good measure.
Thunder Woods Nature Trail
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 1.5 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 350 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,200 feet
3.19.26: Highway 20 is closed at (and east of) Colonial Creek Campground until further notice due to a rock fall.
Hiking the North Cascades is a treat for all ages. This short nature trail gives a taste of moss-draped old growth with moderate elevation gain.
Thunder Knob
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 3.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 635 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,875 feet
3.19.26: Highway 20 is closed at (and east of) Colonial Creek Campground until further notice due to a rock fall.
Hike this easy leg stretcher while taking in the beautiful scenery of the North Cascades Highway. A good stop if you have a car full of restless children or you are showing off the area to visiting relatives. The views from the top are a big payoff for such a short hike.
Thunder Creek
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 12.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,300 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,900 feet
3.19.26: Highway 20 is closed at (and east of) Colonial Creek Campground until further notice due to a rock fall.
A pale green creek, big old trees, a variety of understory, and peek-a-boo views of snow-capped peaks. Day-hikers should take it easy, as the joy here is in the journey not the destination. Backpackers, however, may disagree. Families and first-time backpackers will enjoy beautiful camps just two miles from the trailhead. Experienced backpackers will note that Thunder Creek is a gateway to an extensive network of trails.
Park Creek Pass via Thunder Creek
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 40.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 7,000 feet
-
Highest Point
- 6,000 feet
3.19.26: Highway 20 is closed at (and east of) Colonial Creek Campground until further notice due to a rock fall.
Try a multi-day backpack up the tumbling, boisterous, river-like Thunder Creek from the Colonial Creek Campground to just beyond its headwaters at Park Creek Pass. Backpackers can turn around at Park Creek Pass or do a traverse to Cascade Pass.
Erinswood
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 0.7 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 50 feet
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Highest Point
- 600 feet
Heybrook Ridge Park (including this trail) is closed due to construction on the Erinswood Trail. It is expected to reopen in June.
Erinswood is a barrier-free trail that meanders through a variety of ecosystems over its short length. Meditate to the sound of rushing streams as you pass through riparian, deciduous, and evergreen habitats that form the backdrop of a 0.7-mile sojourn under the shadow of Heybrook Ridge. Erinswood is still under construction and likely to be completed by the end of 2019.
Heybrook Ridge
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 3.3 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 775 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,327 feet
Heybrook Ridge Park (including this trail) is closed due to construction on the Erinswood Trail. It is expected to reopen in June.
The Leovy Trail, a testament to community land conservation, is a moderate ascent through second-growth Cascade rainforest to the summit of Heybrook Ridge. At the top, take in stunning views of Mount Index, Bridal Veil Falls, and the Skykomish Valley.
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 5.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 10 feet
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Highest Point
- 10 feet
Formerly known as the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge and renamed to honor the memory of a noted activist, this an excellent year-round destination for wildlife viewing and photography.
Roundup Park
Eastern Washington > Okanogan Highlands/Kettle River Range
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Length
- 1.6 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 10 feet
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Highest Point
- 775 feet
This short loop trail visits a riparian island rich with birdlife and beavers in this forgotten corner of the Okanogan River.
Wild Horses Monument
Central Washington > Yakima
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Length
- 0.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 150 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,300 feet
Witness up close one of the most frequently viewed public artworks in the state of Washington, while admiring a broad view of the Columbia River and the tiny hamlet of Vantage.
Monte Carlo
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
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Length
- 10.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,560 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,360 feet
Get a good workout on this trail that climbs to a summit with views of the south Cascade range. Continue on to make it a longer hike, continuing down into deep forest to the south trailhead.
West Elwha
Olympic Peninsula > Northern Coast
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Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,400 feet
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Highest Point
- 650 feet
Take a short but very scenic hike starting from the Altair campground in Olympic National Park. Traverse along the edge of the Elwha River, recently free-flowing thanks to the removal of the Glines Canyon Dam.
Murhut Falls
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 1.6 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 250 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,050 feet
This short trail in the Hood Canal Ranger District on the east side of the Olympics takes hikers to a relatively unknown waterfall that delivers its reward -- a captivating 130-foot plunging waterfall -- in just under a mile.
Steptoe Butte State Park Heritage Site
Eastern Washington > Palouse and Blue Mountains
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Highest Point
- 3,612 feet
Fans of geology, history and, of course, nature can enjoy this 168-acre day-use park. The top of the butte has magnificent views from above the Palouse Hills, and you can learn more about the area’s unique geology from interpretive panels at the summit.
Divide Camp
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
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Length
- 5.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,400 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,100 feet
The Divide Camp Trail features dense forests, glacial creeks and wildflower-strewn meadows. It also sees less traffic than the nearby Killen Creek Trail – the standard approach to High Camp.
Heliotrope Ridge
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
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Length
- 5.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,400 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,100 feet
12.15.25: Trailhead inaccessible due to a washout on Glacier Creek Road.
If you'd like nose-to-nose access to Mount Baker, this first-rate woodsy walk delivers. Over a relatively short, well-maintained trail with mild elevation gain, you can be glacier-side in no time... if the creek crossings allow.
Garfield Gulch
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 0.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 150 feet
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Highest Point
- 150 feet
Garfield Gulch is a deep ravine located in the north end portion of Tacoma with a short trail.
Gold Creek Pond
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
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Length
- 1.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 10 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,000 feet
The Gold Creek area will close every April 1 – Nov 30 through 2027 for a restoration project.
Gold Creek Pond is an ADA-accessible paved loop hike around a picturesque mountain pond atop Snoqualmie Pass.
Beacon Rock State Park - Equestrian Trail
Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
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Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,750 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,300 feet
Explore the back door to Hamilton Mountain on the double-track Equestrian Trail. Former logging roads now act as service roads for the park staff and multi-use trails for hikers, bicycles and equestrians to reach the park’s backcountry trails.
Shi Shi Beach and Point of the Arches
Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast
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Length
- 8.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 200 feet
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Highest Point
- 200 feet
This stunning Olympic coastal hike is one of the more photographed places in Washington for good reason.
Royal Basin via Royal Lake
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 16.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,650 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,700 feet
You will see plenty in the first 7.2 miles of this trip that take you to the shores of Royal Lake, but you should plan your hike to have the time — and energy — to enjoy the wildflower-dotted alpine basin and its milky blue tarns in Upper Royal Basin about three-quarters of a mile past the lake.
Yacolt Burn State Forest - Bells Mountain
Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
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Length
- 8.9 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 1,100 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,500 feet
The Bells Mountain trail is a non-motorized, multi-use trail constructed by the Chinook Trail Association (CTA) and managed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR). It is part of a 30-mile stretch of the Chinook Trail that was awarded National Recreation Trail Status in 2005.
Yacolt Burn State Forest - Tarbell Trail
Southwest Washington > Lewis River Region
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Length
- 24.75 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 4,756 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,120 feet
The Tarbell trail is a 24.75 mile multi-use loop that connects recreation sites and scenic viewpoints in the Yacolt Burn Recreation area.