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
4264 HikesMount Teneriffe
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
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Length
- 13.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,800 feet
-
Highest Point
- 4,585 feet
Mountains to Sound Greenway did this road to trail conversion in order to create a more sustainable, safer route for hikers to a summit on the I-90 corridor. Hike through second- and third-growth forest, pass a lovely waterfall, and enjoy a slightly less-crowded trail than the nearby Mount Si.
Mount Margaret
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
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Length
- 11.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,820 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,780 feet
On maps, Mount Margaret doesn’t seem impressive enough to warrant its namesake Mount Margaret Backcountry. It is not the tallest nor the most majestic peak in the area. However, it is easily summited and it offers clear unobstructed views of Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, and Mount St. Helens (in three different directions), and expansive views of much more, including legendary Spirit Lake.
Margaret's Way and Debbie's View
Issaquah Alps > Squak Mountain
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Length
- 6.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,500 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,730 feet
If nature excites you, there's plenty here to be excited about. Cool forest, trickling creeks in deep ravines, and a beautiful trail built by WTA volunteers await you here.
Killen Creek to High Camp
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
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Length
- 10.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,300 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,900 feet
Take this remote, flower-filled trail up the north side of Mount Adams to the rocky alpine terrain of giant glaciers.
Dirty Harry's Peak
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
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Length
- 9.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,326 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,662 feet
This trail is popular for training and improved thanks to the Department of Natural Resources and Washington Trails Association volunteers. But note that the true peak lies on a small parcel of private land. Bring a map and know where that boundary is.
Buckhorn Mountain
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 13.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 4,477 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,988 feet
A tough climb on loose, small rock at a very steep grade offering views from the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Glacier Peak, Mount Rainier and The Brothers. Route finding experience required.
Sheep Lake to Sourdough Gap
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
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Length
- 6.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,100 feet
-
Highest Point
- 6,400 feet
This is a pleasant hike to a small lake and a notched gap with sweeping views. Sheep Lake is nestled in a subalpine area that explodes with wildflowers in July and August. The lake is a good place to relax and enjoy nature or perhaps take off your boots and go wading. Sourdough Gap is a small saddle in a rocky-edged ridge. The hike from the lake to the gap offers increasingly picturesque views of the south Cascades with every foot of altitude you gain. Once at the gap, you will be rewarded with grand views of Sheep Lake on one side and the Crystal Lakes basin on the other side.
Ptarmigan Ridge
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
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Length
- 9.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,800 feet
-
Highest Point
- 6,100 feet
Rarely can hikers approach a climbers’ realm so easily, with minimal elevation gain, and enjoy beautiful views all along the way.
Mount St. Helens - Monitor Ridge
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
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Length
- 10.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 4,500 feet
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Highest Point
- 8,365 feet
Permits are required to summit Mount St. Helens. Find details about acquiring them in the hike description.
The rim is extremely unstable. Please stay well back from the edge.
Mount St. Helens is a peak that should be on every life list. And because it is an active volcano, it is best not to put it off for too long. Climbing to the crater rim is an opportunity to see not only amazing views in every direction, but to see geology raw, unformed and in its making.
Mount Ellinor
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 6.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,300 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,944 feet
Mount Ellinor is the southern-most prominence on the eastern front of the Olympics. This makes its peak easy to point out to your friends when you say, ”I was up there.” Mount Ellinor also gives you two trailheads to choose from. The lower trailhead at 2,600 feet welcomes you to the ascent with an easy grade at the outset. The route from the upper trailhead at 3,500 feet starts out with a nearly immediate upward jolt. The trails merge well before the summit and continue upward at a character-building grade.
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.
Lower Mad River Valley
Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
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Length
- 14.9 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 2,500 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,000 feet
Hike along the Lower Mad River in a narrow rocky canyon. The first three miles makes an ideal day trip for hikers of all abilities. Looking for more adventure? The trail continues for almost 15 miles where it meets the Upper Mad River trail. Be prepared to share the trail with bikes, horses, and motorcycles.
Church Mountain
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
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Length
- 8.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,750 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,100 feet
The rewards for this strenuous hike are vast alpine meadows and a wide panorama of North Cascades peaks.
Boundary West
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
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Length
- 10.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,400 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,390 feet
This short section of the much longer Boundary Trail (which spans the Dark Divide between Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams) provides a nice day hike amid the unique geology of the St. Helens area.
Blanca Lake
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 8.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,400 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,600 feet
12.23.25: Trailhead inaccessible due to Beckler River Road (FR 65) being closed due to flood damage.
Visit one of the most striking lakes in the Henry M. Jackson wilderness. The vibrant blue of the glacier-fed lake provides the perfect rest stop for hikers who have braved the thirty-odd, steep switchbacks that lead to the lake.
Yellow Aster Butte
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
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Length
- 7.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,550 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,150 feet
Visitors to this trail must pack out all human waste and not bury it.
Find supreme wildflower gardens and a high-country plateau speckled with shimmering tarns-but that's not all. Spectacular alpine vistas abound too-of Baker, Shuksan, and all those rugged and craggy peaks straddling the 49th parallel. Yellow Aster Butte may be a misnomer (those yellow-petaled delights are actually daisies), but you definitely don't want to miss hiking here.
Sauk Mountain
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 4.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,200 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,500 feet
A popular trail with great views of the Sauk and Skagit river valleys, Cascade mountain peaks, and on a good clear day, the Olympics and San Juan Islands. There will also be plenty of wildflowers to please photographers and hiking plant nerds alike.
Naches Peak Loop
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
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Length
- 3.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 600 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,850 feet
This popular hike provides a range of alpine experiences in a short loop. Walk along a hillside above a small valley, pause at a viewpoint overlooking a lake and stroll through grassy meadows with stunning views of Mount Rainier. In season, enjoy an abundance of wildflowers or perhaps a handful of huckleberries.
Lake Serene
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 8.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,000 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,521 feet
Lake Serene and Bridal Veil Falls compete for attention on this hike. Either would be a worthy destination by themselves and combined they are a great day on the trail.
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.
The Enchantments
Central Cascades > Leavenworth Area
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Length
- 18.0 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 4,500 feet
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Highest Point
- 7,800 feet
The Enchantment Lakes are an alpine wonderland of pristine lakes set among polished granite, soaring peaks, blazing larches and ambling mountain goats. Widely regarded as the crown jewel of hiking in Washington, this trail exceeds even the wildest of superlatives.
Enchanted Valley via East Fork Quinault River
Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast
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Length
- 27.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,700 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,035 feet
The East Fork Quinault River Trail is one of the most popular trails on the south portion of the park and hundreds of hikers visit Enchanted Valley to take in the tremendous views and see the famed chalet each year.
Fremont Lookout
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Length
- 5.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,200 feet
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Highest Point
- 7,200 feet
8.7.26: Trails and roads in the White River & Sunrise section of the park are closed due to the Grand Park 2 fire.
The two-story frame cabin of Mount Fremont, built in 1934, provides an opportunity to reminisce about the time when watchmen stood guard over the forest, with an eye out for wildfires.
Mount Dickerman
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 8.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,950 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,760 feet
If the best views come to those who earn them, Mount Dickerman offers the fairest vantage along the Mountain Loop. You’ll huff and puff through 4,000 feet of elevation on your way to the summit; in return, you’ll get a superb panorama of nearly every peak in the Mountain Loop. In late summer, it also rewards the intrepid with a bounty of mountain blueberries.
McClellan Butte
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
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Length
- 10.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 4,073 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,162 feet
Along with the numerous other I-90 hikes there is no shortage of ‘workout’ on this hike. Like its counterparts, this trail is largely for those interested in heading up, steeply. Moderated with switchbacks at times, and with a gradual traverse when you need it, the rewards here are not without effort. The actual summit is a rock-scramble, but the views and the flower-packed west facing slope near the top can be enjoyed without making the true top. More than a few remaining old-growth trees and a soft tread make this a well-rounded hike whether it is a training hike or your weekend reward.
Alta Mountain
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
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Length
- 12.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,300 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,151 feet
Alta Mountain is a rocky summit featuring 360 degree views of Rainier, Hibox, and the Chikamins. It can be done as a long day hike, but is more easily enjoyed as a side trip from an overnight at Lila Lake, Rampart Lakes, or even Rachel Lake.
Bridal Veil Falls
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 4.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,000 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,600 feet
A beautiful waterfall flows out of Lake Serene and cascades below the rugged east wall of Mount Index at the end of a trail on the west side of Bridal Veil Creek. Take time to see and enjoy a stunning view of Bridal Veil Falls and climb flights of steps paralleling the falls.
Skyline Trail Loop
Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise
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Length
- 5.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,450 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,800 feet
The Skyline Trail is the main route for hiking out of Paradise, Mount Rainier’s south side hub and most popular destination, providing visitors a unique opportunity to experience the breathtaking beauty of Washington’s grandest mountain.
Cascade Pass and Sahale Arm
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 12.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 4,000 feet
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Highest Point
- 7,570 feet
In Sahale Arm, the forces of nature have conspired to create an improbably gentle, gorgeous landscape. Simply put, this is one of the most beautiful hikes in all of Washington.
Mount Storm King
Olympic Peninsula > Northern Coast
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Length
- 4.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,065 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,600 feet
Hikers flock to Mount Storm King for that signature shot, standing on a rocky outcropping above Lake Crescent. But it's a grind to get there, and the climb to the summit can be dangerous in bad weather. Luckily, there are several outcroppings about halfway to the top offering similar views. It's still a steep hike to get to them, but at least it's shorter.