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
4175 HikesElk Mountain to Maiden Peak
Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast
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Length
- 8.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,700 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,625 feet
This moderate trail traverses a ridgeline up and down all the way to Maiden Peak.
Pyramid Mountain / Pyramid Peak
Olympic Peninsula > Northern Coast
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Length
- 6.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,750 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,089 feet
When it is hot and dry, escape to this shaded hike through old-growth forest, culminating with views of Washington’s second-deepest lake and its surroundings. But you'll have to cross a precipitous washout 2 miles in to reach the views.
Mount Margaret
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
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Length
- 5.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,000 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,459 feet
Hike up an abandoned road, through a logged area, and into mature forest on the edge of the Alpine Lakes wilderness. What the trail lacks in ruggedness is more than made up for by the quantity of berries that line the trail.
Margaret Lake
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
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Length
- 6.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,800 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,100 feet
Logging paid for most of the trails in the Cascades, so sometimes hikers must expect to hike the terrain that provided that rich stock of timber. This trail starts on an old logging road, leads through old clearcuts—now nicely regrown as lush berry meadows and forest stands—and enters lush old second-growth forest. It’s a great way to experience both the natural and human history of the area, while enjoying some remarkable wild country around a pristine alpine lake.
Rialto Beach and Hole-in-the-Wall
Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast
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Length
- 3.3 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 286 feet
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Highest Point
- 71 feet
Spend a day strolling the rugged Olympic Coast to dramatic sea stacks and natural wonders.
Cape Flattery
Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast
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Length
- 1.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 200 feet
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Highest Point
- 250 feet
The furthest northwest tip of the contiguous United State, Cape Flattery provides a dramatic backdrop to a surprisingly accessible hike. It's managed by the Makah Tribe, who provide permits for parking here in Neah Bay. As you drive through on the way to the trailhead, be sure to purchase yours -- they're good for the year, and you can also use it for Shi Shi Beach.
South Coast Wilderness Trail - Toleak Point
Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast
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Length
- 17.0 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 2,000 feet
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Highest Point
- 350 feet
Bring a tide table and a good book on this scenic traverse of the wild Olympic Coast. While much of your hike will be across sandy beaches, there are several places that will require you wait for the tide to go out. Along the way, plan to climb up steep headlands with cable ladders, ropes and your hands and knees. It's a challenge, but a good one.
Mount Washington
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
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Length
- 8.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,250 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,450 feet
This easy-access day hike delivers comparable — if not superior — panoramic views and lung-busting switchbacks to Mount Si, with significantly less foot traffic.
Oyster Dome
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 5.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,050 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,025 feet
Oyster Dome is a rocky promontory on the western slope of Blanchard Mountain, the grandest member of the Chuckanut Mountain range, an extension of the Cascades that rises directly from the ocean. The sheer cliffs of Oyster Dome offer year-round access to commanding views of the San Juans, Skagit River flats, Olympic Mountains, and Samish Bay.
Lake Whatcom Park - Chanterelle Trail
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 4.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,000 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,314 feet
Enjoy a steep trail to a summit east of Lake Whatcom with gorgeous views of Puget Sound and the surrounding mountains.
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.
Millersylvania State Park
Olympic Peninsula > Olympia
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Length
- 6.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 105 feet
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Highest Point
- 395 feet
Millersylvania State Park sports camping, boating and more than eight miles of hiking trails. The trails zigzag all around, so visitors can construct a loop of up to five miles, and add some side trips on. The huge old growth cedar and fir, easy accessibility to I-5 and excellent opportunity for a pleasant walk in the woods make this an attractive place to hike, especially in winter.
Ira Spring Trail - Mason Lake
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
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Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,420 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,320 feet
Sun drenched ridgelines, blooming trillium, and sparkling alpine waters define this fitting tribute to one of Washington’s greatest trail advocates.
Little Mashel Falls - Pack Forest
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 5.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 500 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,100 feet
Three waterfalls, multiple viewing areas, and two different trailheads provide great choices for an excursion to Little Mashel Falls. The tallest waterfall plunges over 90 feet.
Chain Lakes Loop
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
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Length
- 6.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,820 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,400 feet
This gorgeous loop hike has it all: big views of Mounts Baker and Shuksan, as well as the North Cascades, alpine lakes for swimming, and well-maintained trail winding through meadows and heather. And with wildflowers in spring, blueberry bushes for trail-side snacking in late summer and blazing color in the fall, you can't pick a bad season to visit.
Coal Creek Falls
Issaquah Alps > Cougar Mountain
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Length
- 2.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 416 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,066 feet
Coal Creek Falls is a wonderful destination for any day hiker looking for an easy and/or family friendly trail with a picturesque culmination at Coal Creek Falls. It’s a well maintained trail that meanders beneath a thick canopy and a dense understory with many wildflower species in the spring.
Adventure Trail
Issaquah Alps > Tiger Mountain
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Length
- 1.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 300 feet
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Highest Point
- 800 feet
Part of a series of lowland loop trails from the Tradition Plateau trailhead area of Tiger Mountain.
Wetlands Trail
Issaquah Alps > Tiger Mountain
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Length
- 1.3 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 90 feet
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Highest Point
- 570 feet
The Wetlands Trail is a short (0.65 mile) trail on Tiger Mountain's Tradition Plateau. As the name suggests, it passes through some areas that often are moist and have a prolific growth of ferns. Also, it passes tiny, aptly-named Round Lake whose level fluctuates from year to year, and with the seasons.
Puget Power
Issaquah Alps > Tiger Mountain
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Length
- 2.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 722 feet
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Highest Point
- 575 feet
Hike a broad, sunny trail on the north side of Tiger Mountain.
Mount David
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - East
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Length
- 14.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 5,800 feet
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Highest Point
- 7,420 feet
This is a fantastic trip -- amble along a river before making a steep climb to breathtaking ridge walks and astounding views of the craggy Cascades.
Palisades Lakes
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,800 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,150 feet
Seven lakes, seas of wildflowers, summer huckleberries, a bevy of wildlife and a good chance of quiet solitude await you on this 9-mile out-and-back. What more could you ask for?
Boulder Cave
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
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Length
- 2.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 300 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,700 feet
Boulder Cave is only open Thursdays - Sundays (and holidays) in 2025.
Boulder Cave formed millions of years ago from volcanic activity. Today, the cave is home to a dwindling population of Pacific western big-eared bats.
Image Lake via Miners Ridge
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 31.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 4,400 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,000 feet
Hike along a Wild and Scenic river, up a rugged ridge, and to a mirror-like iconic lake in Glacier Peak wilderness. This is a long hike, best done as a backpack, but it's absolutely worth the days you invest to explore here.
Suiattle River Trail
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 13.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 900 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,500 feet
The trail winds its way above the Suiattle River through old-growth forest and some mature forest recovering from an old burn from the 1920’s. The vegetation in the upper Suiattle watershed includes a wonderful mixture of west-of-the-crest/east-of-the-crest species.
Carter Falls
Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise
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Length
- 2.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 660 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,650 feet
Cougar Rock to Carter Falls is a moderate and readily accessible segment of the Wonderland Trail that packs stunning mountain vistas, river views, waterfalls, wildflowers, old growth, and edible berries into just 1.3 miles of family-friendly hiking in Mount Rainier National Park.
Big Meadow Lake
Eastern Washington > Okanogan Highlands/Kettle River Range
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Length
- 4.8 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 470 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,493 feet
Get away from the crowds and experience forests, meadows, wetlands, and a secluded lake.
Taylor River - Otter Falls
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
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Length
- 8.16 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,150 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,750 feet
Lose yourself in second-growth forest as you traverse an old logging road that heads into quiet wilderness just an hour from the urban sprawl of Puget Sound. Enjoy the sounds of water rushing and birds singing. Explore mossy boulders and cross multiple burbling creeks, even do a small amount of cross-country travel on the way to the piece de resistance – a 1,200 foot waterfall that streams into tiny Lipsy Lake before draining to the Taylor River.
Diablo Lake
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 7.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,400 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,950 feet
Follow the Diablo Lake Trail up and across talus slopes on the flanks of Sourdough Mountain to impressive cascading waterfalls and stunning views of Ross Lake and Colonial, Pyramid, Davis Peaks, as well as Jack Mountain.
Scorpion Mountain via Johnson Ridge
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 8.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,500 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,540 feet
Scorpion Mountain offers a 360-degree view of the Central Cascades, and the huckleberries and blueberries make this a much underrated fall hike.
Fishtrap Lake - North and South Loop
Eastern Washington > Spokane Area/Coeur d'Alene
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Length
- 8.0 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 126 feet
The Fishtrap area is part of the Channeled Scablands of Eastern Washington. The deep coulees and canyons were carved by the Great Missoula Floods following the last Ice Age tens of thousands of years ago.