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 HikesTrout Lake via Jack Trout Trailhead
Central Cascades > Leavenworth Area
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Length
- 11.7 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,918 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,800 feet
Hike a gorgeously-graded trail to a marshy lake with views of the backside of the Enchantment mountains.
Klickitat Rail Trail
Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
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Length
- 31.0 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 200 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,550 feet
Hop aboard for an early-season wildflower bloom amid remote terrain and open air. At a healthy clip or a slow meander, this rail trail is fun at any speed!
Catherine Creek - Universal Access Trail
Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
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Length
- 1.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 120 feet
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Highest Point
- 300 feet
Beautiful views, amazing wildflowers, oak woodlands, open grasslands—this short hike is the perfect way to sample the best of the Catherine Creek area. More than 90 varieties of wildflowers bloom here, making this a favorite springtime destination.
Catherine Creek - Tracy Hill Loop
Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
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Length
- 6.1 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,715 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,870 feet
The Tracy Hill Loop at Catherine Creek is a popular route, but the eastern-most portion of it crosses a parcel of tribal land not open to the public. Visitors are encouraged to use the WTA-built Catherine Creek loop, which starts and ends from the main parking area for Catherine Creek.
Catherine Creek Loop
Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
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Length
- 5.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,424 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,332 feet
This route at Catherine Creek takes hikers past a natural arch and into the higher country around the meadows at Catherine Creek.
Skagit River Loop Trail
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 1.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 118 feet
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Highest Point
- 597 feet
This is a lovely little trail tucked behind the North Cascades Visitor Center outside of Newhalem. Learn about the area by exploring inside the Visitor Center, and then see some of the natural wonders for yourself by wandering down the River Loop Trail to the Skagit River.
Round Lake
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 11.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 4,300 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,600 feet
While Round Lake, tucked securely in a hidden basin on Lost Creek Ridge, is a wonderful locale, this hike is definitely more about the journey than the destination. After a demanding initial grunt, amble along a mile-high, flower-swaying, peak-packed, view-granting ridge. Savor one of the finest vantages for admiring spiraling Sloan Peak's sprawling sparkling glacier. And if you can ever move your eyes away from this mesmerizing mountain, a multitude of others demand your attention as well.
Red Mountain Lookout
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 2.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 700 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,800 feet
This seldom-used trail within Glacier Peak Wilderness leads through an old-growth forest with magnificent, large trees to the site of an old fire lookout build in the 1930s.
Painted Mountain (Red Mountain)
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 8.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 4,875 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,975 feet
A climber's trail past the abandoned lookout on Painted Mountain to higher elevations. Experience and comfort with scrambling necessary for this hike.
Pilot Ridge
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 11.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 5,946 feet
A steep, infrequently maintained trail that is part of the White Pass-Pilot Ridge Loop.
North Fork Sauk River
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 18.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 5,078 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,949 feet
Some trails go to lakes, some to high viewpoints. This trail is all about the forest, and what a forest it is! Old-growth trees reach for the sky on either side of a brush-free trail, since understory is minimal when the big old trees block out the light. Find fantastic mushrooms here in the fall and forest wildflowers in the spring and early summer.
North Fork Sauk Falls
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 0.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 200 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,500 feet
This short trail descends 200 feet to the base of a large 45-foot waterfall.
Newhalem Creek
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 9.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 800 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,000 feet
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.
Lost Creek Ridge
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 14.0 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 5,000 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,700 feet
A rugged trail that offers stunning views and access to several beautiful backcountry lakes.
Linking Trail
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 0.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 0 feet
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Highest Point
- 515 feet
This short trail connects the River Loop and The Trail of Cedars in the Newhalem Campground. If you are staying in the campground, this is a great alternative to walking the hot gravel campground road.
Ladder Creek Falls
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 0.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 359 feet
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Highest Point
- 744 feet
Meander along this path to a loud and misty falls near Newhalem which offer a great respite from heat on hot summer afternoons.
Harold Engles Memorial Cedars
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 1.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 200 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,800 feet
This is a half-mile loop hike past giant cedar trees preserved by Harold Engles, a famous Forest Ranger.
Glacier Peak Meadows
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 25.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 4,350 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,450 feet
The climb up the North Fork Trail to the Pacific Crest Trail is steep and often buggy, but vast meadows of wildflowers and alpine heaven are the well-earned reward.
Foam Creek Basin
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 21.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 5,794 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,323 feet
This climber's access trail to Glacier Peak also offers backpackers a delightful morning meander out of White Pass after a very long approach hike.
Damnation Peak
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Highest Point
- 5,639 feet
The route to Damnation Peak is a Class 3 and involved exposed scrambling. Gear and experience are recommended.
Blue Lake High
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - East
The Blue Lakes High Route ascends a steep, cairn-dotted trail to a high pass with a beautiful view across to Johnson Mountain and down to a sometimes frozen Blue Lake in a rocky basin below.
Bald Eagle Mountain
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 13.6 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 3,800 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,800 feet
Enjoy a peaceful river walk followed by nicely graded switchbacks on the way to Bald Eagle Mountain. Views of Monte Cristo and surrounds will be the reward for your efforts.
White Pass - Pilot Ridge Loop
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 29.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 7,500 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,360 feet
A loop hike, beginning and ending in the old-growth forests of the North Fork Sauk River that traverses high ridges and passes of the Pacific crest, visits beautiful alpine lakes, and finally follows the high and lonesome Pilot Ridge Trail before descending back down to the trail junction on the North Fork Sauk River.
West McMillan Spire via Goodell Creek
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 16.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 9,800 feet
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Highest Point
- 8,000 feet
The route to West McMillan Spire is a strenuous Class 3 and involved exposed scrambling. Gear and experience recommended.
Trail of the Cedars
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 0.3 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 0 feet
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Highest Point
- 515 feet
A short, self guided nature trail near Newhalem. See a wide variety of native plants and animals along this hike that is great for kids.
To Know a Tree
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 1.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 0 feet
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Highest Point
- 480 feet
The short hike follows the river around the Newhalem Creek Campground on a mostly-level trail. The signs along the way denote the common trees and plants of the lush understory and tall trees surrounding the trail.
Thornton Lakes and Trappers Peak
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 9.7 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,789 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,832 feet
Incredible views and beautiful alpine lakes are your reward if you can ascend this steep trail in the North Cascades. At the top, you can choose between taking in sweeping panoramic views of North Cascades National Park and the Pickets Range, or relaxing near the lowest of the Thornton Lakes, both of which make a rewarding destination.
Sterling Munro
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 0.1 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 0 feet
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Highest Point
- 515 feet
The Sterling Munro Boardwalk is an accessible trail in North Cascades National Park.
Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) Section I - White Pass to Snoqualmie Pass
South Cascades > White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley
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Length
- 99.0 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 17,771 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,530 feet
Starting in well-protected sub-alpine wilderness and descending into heavily-logged, privately-owned land, this stretch of the PCT offers a dramatic illustration of the effects of public land protection and private industry on Washington's landscape.
Little Wenatchee River
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - East
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Length
- 3.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 250 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,500 feet
This trail travels along the valley floor of the Little Wenatchee River for several miles before switchbacking up 1500 feet through intermittent slide alder and mature forest to Meander Meadows. While the trail does receive occasional brushing, the lower section can be challenging.