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 HikesBlack Canyon
Central Washington > Yakima
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Length
- 8.0 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 1,700 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,224 feet
On this hike, you’ll experience the renewal of life after a devastating fire as you climb a canyon through bunch grasses, wildflowers and regenerating stands of aspen to panoramic views of the surrounding countryside and the distant Cascades.
Fourth of July Pass via Panther Creek
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 11.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,000 feet
-
Highest Point
- 3,500 feet
Highway 20 is closed between Colonial Creek Campground (milepost 130) and Silver Star gate (milepost 171).
Panther Creek is a small gem in a setting of big gems. The North Cascades boasts some of the biggest, finest views in the country, and quiet, contemplative hikes like Panther Creek can get lost in the mix. Nevertheless, it’s well worth hikers’ time to venture into these forests and meadows to ascend Fourth of July Pass.
Company Creek
Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
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Length
- 11.0 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 5,400 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,600 feet
The trail over Hilgard Pass (near the end of the hike) has eroded and is dangerous to use at this time.
A trail that climbs out of the Stehekin River valley and into the Glacier Peak wilderness.
Ebey's Landing
Puget Sound and Islands > Whidbey Island
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Length
- 5.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 260 feet
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Highest Point
- 260 feet
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.
Jack Creek Snowshoe
Snoqualmie Region > Cle Elum Area
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Length
- 29.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 4,400 feet
-
Highest Point
- 4,800 feet
12.19.25: Trail inaccessible due to road closures of 9737 (N Fork Teanaway); 9701 (Jungle Creek Rd); 9737 (along Stafford Creek).
This route is in the Teanaway / 29 Pines Staging Area Groomed Trail System. The long and mostly flat road can be used for snowshoeing, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing when weather permits.
North Twentymile Peak
North Cascades > Pasayten
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Length
- 12.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 4,387 feet
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Highest Point
- 7,437 feet
On this little used trail, hikers can see history, both natural and man-made. Large sections of the forest are recovering from the 2006 Tripod Complex Fire, and the two lookouts on the summit provide a glimpse of the 1920's and 1940's construction.
Silver Star Mountain - Ed's Trail
Southwest Washington > Lewis River Region
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Length
- 5.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,240 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,390 feet
There are two routes up the north side of Silver Star Mountain that in good conditions can be combined to form a sort of loop. Along the way, hikers will be delighted with a diverse array of wildflowers, a natural arch, volcanic views and fine hiking. But some sections of Ed's Trail are very exposed, and require agility and flexibility to navigate.
Backbone Ridge
South Cascades > White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley
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Length
- 6.6 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,750 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,900 feet
This is a nice woods trail, but views don't reward the hiker until she or he arrives at Stevens Canyon Road in Mount Rainier National Park. Trail starts alongside a grassy rock slab and works its way to the top of the ridge.
Independence Ridge
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
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Length
- 2.6 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 40 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,500 feet
A connector trail in the Mount St. Helens area linking Independence Pass with the Boundary Trail. Views from here include Spirit Lake and the north side of the volcano.
Carbon River Rain Forest Nature Trail
Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich
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Length
- 0.6 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 20 feet
-
Highest Point
- 1,780 feet
The Fairfax Bridge (3 miles south of Carbonado) is closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic until further notice due to safety concerns. The bridge closure renders this hike inaccessible.
The Carbon River Rain Forest Nature Trail is a pleasant and easy stroll that offers two short segments which can be combined to create a 0.6 mile roundtrip walk. Both paths penetrate primeval rain forest where giant ferns, maples, and spruce tower above charming cedar puncheon bridges and babbling brooks. This hike is great in any season, and takes on particular wildness in winter. Interpretive signs and photo opportunities abound.
West Fork Foss River and Lakes
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 14.6 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 3,300 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,900 feet
3.23.26: The trailhead is inaccessible by vehicle due to floor damage and downed trees on West Fork Foss Road (FR 6835). There is a 2.4-mile road walk to the trailhead.
Visit any of several beautiful alpine lakes, in rocky basins. The day can be as easy as a 3.6 roundtrip hike to Trout Lake, or as strenuous as the nearly 15-mile hike to Big Heart Lake as you like. Good options exist both for day-hikers and for backpackers.
Elk Bench
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
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Length
- 2.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 600 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,100 feet
This short trail is located near Coldwater Lake and connects visitors to the Science and Learning Center at Coldwater to the Lakes Trail and the Mount Margaret backcountry.
Hummocks Loop
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
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Length
- 9.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,800 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,200 feet
Why drive to the top when you can hike? Try this day hike as an introduction to Mount St. Helens for visitors who’ve never been here, or if they haven't been in a long time.
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
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.
Winds of Change
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
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Length
- 0.3 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 50 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,100 feet
Although this trail is short, take time to savor the broad views across the Mount St. Helens volcanic blast zone while interpretive signs help you contemplate the forces that created it.
Loowit Falls
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
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Length
- 9.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,200 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,575 feet
This trail is closed through all M-F between May 15 and Oct 31 through the end of 2027. The trail will remain open on all weekends and federal holidays.
Hike to a glacier-fed waterfall pouring out of the heart of a volcano. It doesn’t get much more dramatic than that.
Lake Dorothy - Lake Bear - Lake Deer
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 11.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,600 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,800 feet
The Miller River Road washed out 4 miles from the trailhead in 2011.
Day-hikers and backpackers alike visit Lake Dorothy, a very large and beautiful lake less than two miles from the trailhead. Once there, they either rest and play for the day, or continue on to Bear and Deer Lakes, a pair of very pretty smaller lakes deeper in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. The very ambitious press on to remote Snoqualmie Lake. Lake Dorothy can be crowded on summer weekends, but the other lakes see fewer visitors.
Douglas Creek Canyon - South
Central Washington > Wenatchee
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Length
- 4.0 miles of trails
-
Elevation Gain
- 250 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,600 feet
Visit a popular water feature close to the trailhead, or get your feet wet and continue walking up the canyon along a rough road/railroad grade.
Clearwest Peak
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
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Length
- 2.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 900 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,400 feet
The trailhead is inaccessible due to a washout on West Fork/Martin Gap Road (FR 74) from 2007.
The trail up Clearwest Peak is inaccessible due to West Fork/Martin Gap Road (FR 74) being closed from a washout in 2007.
Crystal Lake
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 4.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 350 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,500 feet
3.23.26: The trailhead is not accessible due to a washout at mile 4 on Whitechuck Road (FR 23). There is a closure in place on the road.
A relatively easy hike to a tranquil mountain lake.
Meadow Mountain
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 35.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,850 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,850 feet
3.23.26: The trailhead is not accessible due to a washout at mile 4 on Whitechuck Road (FR 23). There is a closure in place on the road.
Take three or four days to explore this rugged trail near Glacier Peak. If you're feeling ambitious, make it a traverse either to or from White Chuck Bench.
White Chuck Bench
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 11.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 600 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,600 feet
Hike a beautiful, flat 5.8 mile walk (one way) in the woods along the White Chuck River. The trail has been cleared its entire length thanks to WTA trail crews.
Chimacum Ridge Community Forest
Olympic Peninsula > Northern Coast
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Length
- 4.7 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 330 feet
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Highest Point
- 486 feet
Nearly 5 miles of easy hiking on trails and forest roads, with mountain and valley views.
Weldon Wagon Road
Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
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Length
- 5.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,290 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,900 feet
Oregon white oak woodlands with open ridgetop meadows, wildflowers, and views of the White Salmon Valley make this a delightful hike that is off the beaten track.
Sloan Peak
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 9.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,900 feet
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Highest Point
- 7,835 feet
This route on the north side of Sloan Peak is steep and challenging. Hikers with navigational skills can make it to the base of the peak -- climbing gear and expertise is needed to achieve the summit.
East Fork Foss - Necklace Valley
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 18.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,400 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,000 feet
The Necklace Valley makes a wonderful 2-3 night backpack trip for hearty hikers, and rewards with cool alpine lakes to swim and fish in, or just camp beside. Or take a day trip along the East Fork Foss River admire the amazing second-growth tree canopy.
Fisher Lake
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 10.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,580 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,171 feet
This is a large lake hidden just south of Tonga Ridge in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Reached by a brushy, boot-beaten fisherman's path, it is less visited than many lakes in the area, but the route is marked on the map, and if you are willing to put up with a bit of inconvenience, this makes a nice day hike or overnight.
Evans Lake
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 1.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 50 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,700 feet
While Evans Lake may be less well-known than many of the other lakes nestled within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, it nevertheless offers a pleasant backcountry experience.
East Fork Foss River Snowshoe
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 12.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 900 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,150 feet
This snowshoe route starts off with a roadwalk, then carries on through the East Fork Foss River Valley on the Necklace Valley Trail.
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
12.24.25: The Wildside trail is closed until further notice due to flooding. Nearby trails remain open.
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.
