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
4235 HikesHeadlee Pass and Vesper Lake
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,700 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,950 feet
Vesper Lake is squeezed, like a thumbprint in clay, deep in the saddle between the twin summits of Sperry Peak and Vesper Peak. Rarely is a lake situated so close and steeply below two summits like this–its unique setting gives you remarkably up-close (and straight-up) views of mountainous terrain. And all that comes after the former mining trail that provides incredible scenery along the way.
Gothic Basin
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 9.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,840 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,200 feet
Rough and tumble is the trail, just like the miners that constructed this path. Becoming progressively more rugged, the ascent to Gothic Basin offers tremendous rewards at its end. Early on, one simply meanders alongside the relentless South Fork of the Sauk River, then turns into a forested, increasingly steep bee-line to the basin with waterfalls, flowers, and views of the surrounding mountains to keep one distracted once you leave the forest.
Glacier Basin
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 12.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,159 feet
This strenuous hike out of Monte Cristo features everything from smooth incline to rough rock scrambles. There is tough but absolutely beautiful trail along the way and it gets even better once you reach your destination.
Barlow Point
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 2.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 800 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,200 feet
From Barlow Point’s rocky promontory, hikers can take in views of Mount Dickerman, Big Four, and Stillaguamish Peak.
Vesper Peak
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 8.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 4,000 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,214 feet
Vesper Peak is definitely not for the novice hiker, but for those thirsting for one step beyond hiking into backcountry adventure, it's a good leaping off point. The smooth, low angle granite of Vesper's upper reaches make for relatively easy off-trail travel and beginning routefinding.
Twin Lakes - Monte Cristo
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 17.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,939 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,300 feet
Take a nice long walk up the old Monte Cristo Road grade and stop by the townsite on your way. Rougher terrain begins on entering the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness area, and past Silver Lake, the trail becomes difficult to find. Trek along a steep mountain-side before finally cresting the ridge to look down on Twin Lakes and make the steep descent to the camp sites.
St'auk Mountain
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Highest Point
- 4,715 feet
A scramble to a wooded summit near Barlow Pass. Climbing experience and route-finding skills required.
Sperry Peak
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 6.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,800 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,120 feet
Scramble to the top of this peak from Headlee Pass, located off the Mountain Loop Highway.
Sage Hills
Central Washington > Wenatchee
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Length
- 5.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 650 feet
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Highest Point
- 800 feet
Just adjacent to the equally popular Horse Lake Reserve, the Sage Hills is home to great trails for hiking, running, or mountain biking. The rolling hills found at Sage Hills offer wonderful views of the Columbia River, the Wenatchee Valley and the North Cascades. Springtime brings vibrant color to the area with wild sage, yellow arrowleaf balsamroot, Indian paintbrush and purple lupine abound.
Soaring Eagle Regional Park
Issaquah Alps
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Length
- 12.0 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 0 feet
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Highest Point
- 500 feet
Soaring Eagle Regional Park features 12 miles of trails that are regularly used by hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians. The Pipeline Trail crosses through the park and is wide and flat—in fact, it is quite common to see families with baby strollers out enjoying the trail. Soaring Eagle is also popular for trail running competitions.
Dog Mountain
Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
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Length
- 6.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,800 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,948 feet
The stunning views and unparalleled springtime flowers make this one of the most popular hikes in the Gorge. On a good day, you can get a bird’s eye view of Mount Hood and the Columbia River. In the spring the top is carpeted with vibrant yellow balsam root. Although the trail is steep and sometimes crowded, this hike is unquestionably worth the effort.
Beach 2
Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast
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Length
- 0.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 30 feet
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Highest Point
- 30 feet
A short walk through a forest to a long beach.
Chief Joseph Wildlife Area - Green Gulch
Eastern Washington > Palouse and Blue Mountains
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Length
- 10.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,500 feet
Hike down into a canyon starting at 1000 feet of elevation and descending. The trail is an old road that goes for several miles.
Cape Disappointment State Park - North Head Lighthouse and Bell's Overlook
Southwest Washington > Long Beach Area
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Length
- 0.75 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 25 feet
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Highest Point
- 200 feet
Take a couple of ADA-accessible trails to some of the most scenic parts of Cape Disappointment State Park.
CCC Road: Upper Trailhead
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
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Length
- 6.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 400 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,450 feet
The upper section of the CCC Road is just adjacent to the Middle Fork Road. Hiking this way, you'll avoid the somewhat confusing lower section, where DNR and private property bump up against each other. Here the trail is on National Forest land, so you'll need a Northwest Forest Pass, but the 3.4 miles to the Middle Fork Campground pass through uninterrupted quiet forest, creeks, and lovely views of the nearby peaks.
Irely Lake
Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast
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Length
- 2.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 145 feet
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Highest Point
- 615 feet
A temperate rainforest saunter up from the Quinault River valley floor to a fauna rich lake within the Olympic National Park
North Fork Quinault River and Halfway House
Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast
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Length
- 10.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 300 feet
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Highest Point
- 800 feet
The hike to Halfway House follows the first five miles of the North Fork Quinault River along the same route taken by the Press Expedition of 1890. The trail passes through superb lowland rainforest before entering the canyon of the Quinault. Halfway House makes a good picnic spot for day hikers and is also a great camp site for backpackers on a longer journey.
Elip Creek
Olympic Peninsula > Olympia
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Length
- 4.6 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 3,100 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,760 feet
Elip Creek is a wild and challenging hike for those seeking an alternate approach to the Skyline Trail. It also makes a fine 21-mile loop by connecting to the Three Lakes and Big Creek trails, a route that climbs to subalpine meadows where picturesque tarns lie in solitude beneath tree studded ridges.
Three Lakes
Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast
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Length
- 13.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,850 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,175 feet
The Three Lakes Trail is a tour of some of Olympic's finest old growth forests, and is the traditional start of the much longer Queets-Quinault Skyline route. Starting in lowland rainforest, the trail works its way through exemplary stands of montane and then subalpine forests before finally breaking out into meadows dotted with tiny lakes. This is a truly wild and remote corner of the Olympics that leaves a lasting impression on the lucky hiker who experiences its beauty.
Bluff Mountain
Southwest Washington > Lewis River Region
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Length
- 12.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 890 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,390 feet
Hiking across bare talus slopes, past rocky outcrops and fields of wildflowers while admiring sweeping vistas, you would think you're at 7,000 feet. But the alpine-like setting at this mid-elevation is the result of period of wildfires that swept the area in the early 1900's.
Dusty Lake
Central Washington > Potholes Region
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Length
- 6.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 350 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,000 feet
One of the Quincy Lakes, Dusty Lake is further in the backcountry, making for a good long day hike or an overnight.
Heather Creek Trail via Upper Dungeness River
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 15.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,800 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,200 feet
Take an amble through moss-laden forest and along churning waters in colors only the Olympic Peninsula can provide. For the most part, it’s ramble with moderate grade, but the last two and a half miles change character dramatically—giving you a steep, thigh-burning workout before rewarding you with views of Mount Mystery and Little Mystery just inside the park boundary.
Lower Gray Wolf River
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 8.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,250 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,500 feet
Visit a quieter trail in the Dungeness network -- one that a lot of folks skip in favor of more well-known trails with more views. But Lower Gray Wolf is beautiful in its own right, and visitors here can discover it for themselves.
Upper Gray Wolf River to Gray Wolf Pass
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 22.5 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 5,200 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,200 feet
The Gray Wolf Trail extends between Forest Road 2870 and the Main Fork Dosewallips River in the northeast corner of the Olympics. Along the way it goes up and over Gray Wolf Pass.
Marmot Pass via Upper Dungeness River Trail
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 16.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,500 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,000 feet
The Upper Dungeness Trail is a gateway trail. It is not only a great hike all by itself --on the way to its end at Marmot Pass it links to other high reward hikes in the northeast Olympics – Royal Basin, Goat Lake, Heather Creek, and Home Lake. From Marmot Pass one can continue to either the Upper Big Quilcene or Tubal Cain Trail.
Dirty Face Ridge
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 7.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,000 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,280 feet
Here's a great backdoor access to Mount Townsend. You’ll likely have company at the summit, but this route offers solitude to get there, along with some sweeping views, plus steeps to work those quads! Consider why it's so infrequently used -- a sign at the trailhead warns of grades up to 40% in places! It's short, but there's nothing sweet about it.
Baldy
Olympic Peninsula > Northern Coast
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Length
- 7.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,800 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,827 feet
Baldy is a windswept mountain outpost that commands a view over the northeast Olympic Mountains, Vancouver Island, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. To reach its lofty summit, the hiker must trade traditional grade for a seemingly never-ending staircase. However, your efforts are greatly rewarded, as views can be had along the ridge. And even if the summit itself is lost in the clouds, dwarf flowers and lichens decorate a foreground to the icy blue Olympic high country.
Upper Dungeness River
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 6.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 600 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,100 feet
The Upper Dungeness River trail is an easy stroll along a roaring river and among towering trees. It’s great for all ages (as long as the trail is snow- and ice-free), and the shelter at Camp Handy is a welcome and dry lunch destination on rainy days.
Tyler Peak Trail
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 8.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,000 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,364 feet
Tyler Peak is located northwest of Mount Townsend. While this area can be windy, and views are obscured by fog, when it's clear, you'll enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding area. Experience navigating off-trail and some climbing experience are necessary to summit Tyler Peak.
Three O'Clock Ridge
Olympic Peninsula > Northern Coast
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Length
- 0.5 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 500 feet
This is a half-mile spur trail in the Three O'Clock Ridge area that ends at its junction with the Lower Dungeness Trail. The trail is a steep ascent for the majority of its length. Minimum parking is available.