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
4173 HikesCougar Lakes
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
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Length
- 12.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,700 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,400 feet
9.3.25: The trail is closed until further notice due to the Wildcat Fire.
Ford a river, climb through forest and end at two lakes in the heart of a wilderness area -- Cougar Lake is a gorgeous respite for hikers in the William O. Douglas wilderness.
Spider Lake
Olympic Peninsula > Olympia
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Length
- 2.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 250 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,400 feet
This gem of a lake is hidden deep in forest in the southeastern side of the Olympic Peninsula. A full loop around the lake takes you through old growth forests, past waterfalls and through a marsh, and then back up above the lake for a few peek-a-boo views of the mountains.
Surprise and Glacier Lakes
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 11.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,700 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,900 feet
From towering old-growth giants to placid lakes with craggy mountain views, this hike has everything you want in a trail. Put this one on your list of places to explore along Highway 2.
Little Beaver Creek
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 35.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 6,213 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,197 feet
9.1.25: Little Beaver Trail from Ross Lake to Stillwell Camp is closed until further notice due to the Big Beaver Fire.
A trek through the Little Beaver valley in the heart of the North Cascades offers remarkable old-growth forest, phenomenal mountain views and plenty of options for backpackers.
Swauk Forest Discovery Trail
Central Cascades > Blewett Pass
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Length
- 2.45 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 660 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,530 feet
This popular summer trail offers a wonderful place to learn about woodland ecosystems with 25 different interpretive stops. Wandering just under three miles through woods and meadows near the summit of Blewett Pass, With five log benches throughout providing fascinating views. It also gives insight into an area recovering after a burn towards the end of the trail.
Goat Lake
South Cascades > Goat Rocks
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Length
- 12.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,000 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,600 feet
Travel deep into the Goat Rocks Wilderness and enjoy stunning views of Mount Adams, Mount St. Helens, Jordan Basin, and Goat Lake.
Eagle Landing Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 0.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 115 feet
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Highest Point
- 250 feet
A small neighborhood park, through a wooded area which leads to an overlook of Puget Sound.
Marine View Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 1.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 275 feet
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Highest Point
- 275 feet
This hidden gem offers picnic tables and benches with views over Puget Sound, and access to a section of public beach. The trail network can be confusing. Familiarize yourself with the map ahead of time.
Green River Trail
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 19.9 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 900 feet
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Highest Point
- 82 feet
A semi-urban multi-use trail running between Tukwila and South Park along the Duwamish River.
Walker Preserve
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 1.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 100 feet
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Highest Point
- 200 feet
When you need a dose of nature therapy but are limited for time, look for a suburban nature trail. The Walker Preserve in Normandy Park offers a level easy trail, plus optional steep and narrow side trails that lead down to two small creeks. There is even a picnic table available at the small parking lot.
Des Moines Creek Trail
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 4.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 235 feet
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Highest Point
- 250 feet
Hike along a steep-sided ravine with some highly eroded banks. Enjoy the deciduous forest with a few large trees, and appreciate the moss and ferns along the creek. There's also an option to extend your hike to include the historic district of Des Moines Beach Park, and stroll out onto the Des Moines Public Fishing Pier for the view.
Poo Poo Point - Chirico Trail
Issaquah Alps > Tiger Mountain
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Length
- 3.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,760 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,850 feet
Hike a short but steep trail with many stone steps. Pause at a viewpoint offering a fine view of Mount Rainier, then continue on to Poo Poo Point itself, only 1.9 miles from the trailhead. Enjoy views to the northwest, and perhaps watch paragliders sailing off into the sky.
Indian Bar - Cowlitz Divide
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
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Length
- 14.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 5,074 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,900 feet
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.
Twin Falls
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
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Length
- 2.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 500 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,000 feet
Visit a trio (yes, trio) of waterfalls just off I-90 on this sure-to-please short trail, perfect for families.
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
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.
Bogachiel River
Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast
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Length
- 12.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 400 feet
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Highest Point
- 500 feet
The Bogachiel River is a classic example of a lowland rainforest ecosystem, with a rough and tumble trail that extends all the way to the head of the valley. Born on lower mountains than the Hoh, Queets, and Quinault, it lacks the glacial coloration and tremendous flow associated with those valleys. What it makes up for is miles of solitude and adventure.
Frog Mountain
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 7.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,166 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,852 feet
Built with the help of many WTA work parties, the Frog Mountain trail is the newest trail on the Skykomish Ranger District. It offers views of the Skykomish Valley from the summit and a great shoulder-season hike.
Copper Basin via Copper Creek
Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
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Length
- 4.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,300 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,600 feet
8.29.25: The trail is closed until further notice due to the Martin Fire.
The Copper Creek Trail leaves from Holden Village in the North Cascades. This trail is relatively short but wastes no time in gaining elevation.
Devore Creek
Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
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Length
- 15.0 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 5,400 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,600 feet
8.29.25: The trail south of Tenmile Pass is closed until further notice due to the Martin Fire.
Climbing steeply up into the mountains to the west of Lake Chelan, the Devore Creek Trail begins in the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area near Weaver Point Campground, offering miles of hiking and adventuring.
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
-
Highest Point
- 6,600 feet
8.29.25: The trail south of Hilgard Pass is closed until further notice due to the Martin Fire.
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.
Tenmile Falls
Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
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Length
- 5.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,300 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,600 feet
8.29.25: The trail is closed until further notice due to the Martin Fire.
Hike a short trail out of Holden Village to see gorgeous falls up close. The 2015 Wolverine Fire hit this area hard and you can see the devastation; if it's windy, be aware these trees could topple. A new viewing platform at the falls opened in 2018.
Olsen Creek
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 5.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,038 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,614 feet
Looking for a modest, mostly shaded climb with a view of the San Juan Islands as a mid-hike treat? Check out the Olsen Creek trail system, a part of the Washington Department of Natural Resources' 2019 Baker to Bellingham Non-motorized Recreation Plan. WTA is one of a few partners to have spent many hours helping build the trail system from the ground up.
Bonanza Peak
Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
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Length
- 14.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 6,300 feet
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Highest Point
- 9,511 feet
8.29.25: This trail is closed until further notice due to the Martin Fire.
The route to Bonanza Peak is a Class 4 and involves exposed scrambling. Gear and experience recommended.
Shellrock Lake
South Cascades > White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley
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Length
- 10.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,900 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,930 feet
Like so many lakes in the William O Douglas Wilderness, Shellrock Lake has peaceful solitude and plentiful wildlife including resident elk which graze in the meadows nearby.
Sand Lake Snowshoe
South Cascades > White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley
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Length
- 5.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 900 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,300 feet
Humble Sand Lake and its neighboring Deer Lake, provide snowshoers and backcountry skiers a wintry getaway along the Pacific Crest Trail a short distance away from the bustle of the White Pass ski resort and groomed ski trails.
Cramer Mountain Loop
South Cascades > White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley
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Length
- 14.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,800 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,000 feet
This is a hike of sounds and smells of the forest, with limited vistas and lots of lakes. With easy access from White Pass, it can be done in any season as a hike or snow trip.
Dumbbell Lake
South Cascades > White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley
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Length
- 13.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,070 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,600 feet
The Tumac plateau is a wonderland of rolling sub-alpine forest broken by wildflower meadows, ponds, and lake after lake. The 14-mile loolipop loop to Dumbbell Lake will take you past seven lakes large enough to have been named along with many smaller ponds and marshes that provide some of the finest elk, trout, and mosquito habitat in the Cascades.
Boulder Creek
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 24.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 5,000 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,500 feet
High ridge traverse from Gold Hill Mine to North American Mine, connects East Creek to Canyon Creek.
East Creek
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 18.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 4,500 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,500 feet
East Creek is an unmaintained trail with lots of potential. At it's full length this old forgotten trail extends nearly 15 miles to the Pacific Crest Trail. It makes for a great out and back with lots of solitude.
Cherry Creek Falls
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 5.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 450 feet
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Highest Point
- 705 feet
Hike along old logging roads to a 25-foot tall waterfall on Cherry Creek just outside of Duvall. Note that access to this area is part of an agreement with nearby homeowners, and part of the trail is on private land, so please remain on the main path, observe leash laws and keep noise to a minimum as a courtesy to homeowners along trail. There are no toilets at the trailhead. Plan ahead.