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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

4176 Hikes

Jackson Park

Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
 
Length
2.2 miles of trails
Rating
Average rating:
1.20
(5 votes)
  • Old growth
This gentle 2.2 mile trail winds its way through the native shrubs and old growth conifers that surround the Jackson Park Golf Course. Only a short section of the mostly flat gravel trail is wheelchair accessible, and there are two short, steep climbs along the way.
 
 

Glacier Vista - Panorama Point

Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise
 
Length
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,300 feet
Highest Point
6,700 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.36
(14 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Mountain views
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife
Paradise is one of the most gorgeous (and, as a result, popular) parts of Washington. This short but steep trail offers tourists and locals alike one of the most stunning views for the fewest miles in Washington state, but that doesn't mean you won't sweat! Be prepared to climb more than 1,000 feet in less than a mile at the outset of this trail.
 
 

Carter Falls

Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise
 
Length
2.8 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
660 feet
Highest Point
3,650 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.80
(20 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Good for kids
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Rivers
  • Waterfalls
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
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.
 
 

The Enchantments

Central Cascades > Leavenworth Area
 
Length
18.0 miles, one-way
Elevation Gain
4,500 feet
Highest Point
7,800 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.76
(157 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Established campsites
  • Fall foliage
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Ridges/passes
  • Summits
  • Waterfalls
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife
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.
 
 

West Elwha

Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast
 
Length
7.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,400 feet
Highest Point
650 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.10
(10 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Good for kids
  • Rivers
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife
Take a short but very scenic hike starting from the Altair campground in Olympic National Park. Traverse along the edge of the Elwha River, recently free-flowing thanks to the removal of the Glines Canyon Dam.
 
 

Oak Tree Park

Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
 
Length
0.63 miles of trails
Elevation Gain
75 feet
Rating
Average rating:
2.00
(1 vote)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Good for kids
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
Visit a rare remnant of Garry Oak Prairie in the state at this small but mighty park in Tacoma.
 
 

Fortune Ponds

Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
 
Length
13.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
2,700 feet
Highest Point
4,700 feet
Rating
Average rating:
2.57
(7 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Old growth
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
Not traveled by the masses, the Meadow Creek trail provides plenty of solitude as you gently climb through old burn and old growth to heather slopes, blueberry patches, and snow-fed lakes near the Cascade Crest.
 
 

Pear Lake via Meadow Creek

Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
 
Length
16.5 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
3,375 feet
Highest Point
5,225 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.83
(6 votes)
  • Established campsites
  • Fall foliage
  • Good for kids
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Ridges/passes
  • Waterfalls
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife
A rambling trail that provides easy access from the Beckler River Road near Skykomish to the Pacific Crest Trail and Henry M. Jackson Wilderness through the Meadow Creek Valley to sweet little Pear Lake for an overnight.
 
 

Park Butte

North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
 
Length
7.5 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
2,200 feet
Highest Point
5,450 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.60
(91 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Fall foliage
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Rivers
  • Summits
  • Waterfalls
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife

This is a very fragile area. Human waste must be packed out on this trail. Please also note camping is not allowed at the tarns along Park Butte trail.

On Park Butte, hike to an historic fire lookout and come face-to-face with Koma Kulshan. Along with unobstructed panoramic views of Mount Baker, the Twin Sisters, and the rest of the North Cascades, the route to Park Butte offers dedicated campsites, wildflower-filled alpine meadows, rushing waterfalls, and a stunning variety of mushroom species.
 
 

Spirit Falls

Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
 
Rating
Average rating:
0.00
(0 votes)

Trail closed: This trail is on private property and the landowners have closed access to hikers. Please do not hike.

This hike is on private property; please do not use this trail.
 
 

LaCrosse Basin

Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
 
Length
18.5 miles, one-way
Elevation Gain
5,588 feet
Highest Point
4,400 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.56
(9 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Lakes
  • Ridges/passes
  • Rivers
  • Wildlife

7.7.25: This trail and FR 24 are closed until further notice due to the Bear Gulch Fire.

Nestled deep within the heart of the Olympics, LaCrosse Basin is steeped in rich history as well as views that never relent.
 
 

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge

Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
 
Length
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
10 feet
Highest Point
10 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.05
(43 votes)
  • Coast
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Good for kids
  • Rivers
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife
Formerly known as the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge and renamed to honor the memory of a noted activist, this an excellent year-round destination for wildlife viewing and photography.
 
 

Youth-on-Age Interpretive Trail

North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
 
Length
0.25 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
0 feet
Rating
Average rating:
2.67
(6 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Fall foliage
  • Good for kids
  • Old growth
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife

This trail is closed until further notice.

A paved interpretive trail on the Mountain Loop Highway near Verlot. Perfect for exploring children and curious adults, an extra add-on after a longer hike or a leg stretch during a driving tour of the area.
 
 

Badger Mountain - Canyon Trail

Central Washington > Tri-Cities
 
Length
3.25 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,195 feet
Highest Point
1,579 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.81
(16 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Mountain views
  • Summits
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife
This mountain just outside the town of Richland is nice place for locals and visitors to recreate, with several trails for hiking, biking and equestrian. Views extend in every direction and include mountains as well as agricultural fields.
 
 

Hidden Lake Lookout

North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
 
Length
8.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
3,300 feet
Highest Point
6,900 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.67
(81 votes)
  • Fall foliage
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Ridges/passes
  • Summits
  • Waterfalls
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
The Hidden Lake trail is one of the crown jewels of hiking in Washington State. No other trail offers so much as Hidden Lake Lookout: forest, wildflowers, a true alpine environment of stark granite well above treeline, breathtaking summit views of the heart of North Cascades National Park, and a fire lookout with a sweeping history almost as big as the mountainous landscape it gazes over.
 
 

Kaleetan Peak

Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
 
Length
12.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
4,500 feet
Highest Point
6,224 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.71
(17 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Ridges/passes
  • Summits
  • Waterfalls
A peak near Melakwa Lake on the north side of I-90. Climbing experience and route finding necessary to gain the summit.
 
 

Wynn-Jones Preserve

Olympic Peninsula > Kitsap Peninsula
 
Length
1.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
25 feet
Highest Point
96 feet
Rating
Average rating:
0.00
(0 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Good for kids
  • Old growth
  • Wildlife
Enjoy a quiet mile-long ramble in this quiet preserve just outside of Port Orchard.
 
 

West Lake Mills

Olympic Peninsula > Northern Coast
 
Length
11.04 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,016 feet
Highest Point
686 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.75
(4 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Fall foliage
  • Good for kids
  • Mountain views
  • Rivers
  • Wildlife
Formerly a trail that bordered Lake Mills, the West Lake Mills trail winds through the second-growth forest along the now free-flowing Elwha River.
 
 

Beacon Rock State Park - Hardy and Rodney Falls

Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
 
Length
3.5 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,200 feet
Highest Point
1,648 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.57
(7 votes)
  • Waterfalls
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
If the long, rocky loop around the summit of Hamilton Mountain is too much, don't despair. There are alternative hikes in the area, and the trail to the twin cascades of Hardy and Rodney Falls is, hands down, the best option.
 
 

Sehome Arboretum

Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
 
Length
6.0 miles of trails
Elevation Gain
325 feet
Highest Point
620 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.00
(7 votes)
  • Coast
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Good for kids
A lush, green refuge with 6 miles of trails is the backyard playground for Western Washington University and Fairhaven College in Bellingham.
 
 

Etienne Creek

Central Cascades > Blewett Pass
 
Length
4.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,400 feet
Highest Point
6,100 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.00
(6 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Rivers

9.22.25: This trail and US 97/Blewett Pass between milepost 149-178 (junction with SR 970 and junction with Ingalls Creek Rd south of US 2/97 Don Senn Memorial Interchange) are closed due to the Labor Mountain Fire.

This trail follows the drainage to join the Falls Creek Trail. The trailhead is found behind a gated Shaser Road, making it a 4-mile road walk or bike ride to hike this four mile round-trip trail.
 
 

Magnet Creek

Snoqualmie Region > Salmon La Sac/Teanaway
 
Length
6.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
2,300 feet
Highest Point
4,400 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.00
(6 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Mountain views
  • Ridges/passes
  • Wildflowers/Meadows

9.22.25: US 97/Blewett Pass is closed between milepost 149-178 (junction with SR 970 and junction with Ingalls Creek Rd south of US 2/97 Don Senn Memorial Interchange) due to the Labor Mountain Fire.

Hike this unmaintained trail on the dry side of the Cascades. It's a scenic, wildflower wonderland, if you're willing and able to route-find your way to the ridge.
 
 

Tronsen Loop Snowshoe

Central Cascades > Blewett Pass
 
Length
3.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
155 feet
Highest Point
1,332 feet
Rating
Average rating:
0.00
(0 votes)
  • Mountain views
  • Rivers

9.22.25: US 97/Blewett Pass is closed between milepost 149-178 (junction with SR 970 and junction with Ingalls Creek Rd south of US 2/97 Don Senn Memorial Interchange) due to the Labor Mountain Fire.

This winter route is part of the ungroomed Blewett Pass Sno-Park Non-motorized Trail System, and is used for both snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
 
 

Swauk Forest Discovery Trail

Central Cascades > Blewett Pass
 
Length
2.45 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
660 feet
Highest Point
4,530 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.80
(15 votes)
  • Fall foliage
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Rivers
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife

9.22.25: US 97/Blewett Pass is closed between milepost 149-178 (junction with SR 970 and junction with Ingalls Creek Rd south of US 2/97 Don Senn Memorial Interchange) due to the Labor Mountain Fire.

This popular summer trail, with 25 different interpretive stops, offers a wonderful place to learn about woodland ecosystems. Just under 3 miles of trails through woods and meadows near the summit of Blewett Pass, and five log benches throughout, provide hikers with fascinating views. It also gives insight into an area recovering after a burn towards the end of the trail.
 
 

Haney Meadow Loop Snowshoe

Central Cascades > Blewett Pass
 
Length
7.7 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
2,060 feet
Highest Point
5,960 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.50
(2 votes)
  • Mountain views
  • Ridges/passes

9.22.25: US 97/Blewett Pass is closed between milepost 149-178 (junction with SR 970 and junction with Ingalls Creek Rd south of US 2/97 Don Senn Memorial Interchange) due to the Labor Mountain Fire.

Even though the 2012 Table Mountain Fire changed the formerly picturesque Haney Meadows area, the views above the meadows are still spectacular. This lollipop loop consists of marked ski trail, snowmobile trail (short) and cross-country in the forest, along with a 0.5-mile walk along the ridge crest with expansive views to the west.
 
 

Diamond Head Snowshoe

Central Cascades > Blewett Pass
 
Length
7.4 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,815 feet
Highest Point
5,915 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.00
(4 votes)
  • Mountain views
  • Wildlife

9.22.25: US 97/Blewett Pass is closed between milepost 149-178 (junction with SR 970 and junction with Ingalls Creek Rd south of US 2/97 Don Senn Memorial Interchange) due to the Labor Mountain Fire.

Snowshoe up 1,800 feet to the expansive views from Diamond Head, the highpoint south of the Blewett Pass Sno-Park. The route includes a road walk, marked ski trail and cross-country climb with a great view pay-off.
 
 

Swauk Forest Discovery Trail Snowshoe

Central Cascades > Blewett Pass
 
Length
3.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
500 feet
Highest Point
4,550 feet
Rating
Average rating:
2.67
(3 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Mountain views
  • Ridges/passes
  • Summits
  • Wildlife

9.22.25: US 97/Blewett Pass is closed between milepost 149-178 (junction with SR 970 and junction with Ingalls Creek Rd south of US 2/97 Don Senn Memorial Interchange) due to the Labor Mountain Fire.

Swauk Forest Discovery Trail is a scenic loop adventure set among a bountiful mixed forest. Located on the south side of Blewett Pass, the trailhead is both convenient and efficient, giving the hiker a 4120-foot starting point. Periodic views that look onto higher peaks are framed by cheery ponderosa and Douglas fir.
 
 

Swauk Meadows Snowshoe

Central Cascades > Blewett Pass
 
Length
6.7 miles, roundtrip
Rating
Average rating:
2.50
(2 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Mountain views
  • Wildlife

9.22.25: US 97/Blewett Pass is closed between milepost 149-178 (junction with SR 970 and junction with Ingalls Creek Rd south of US 2/97 Don Senn Memorial Interchange) due to the Labor Mountain Fire.

Whether you're looking for a loop or an out-and-back, Swauk Meadows offers an ideal outing just south of Blewett Pass.
 
 

Pipe Creek Loop Snowshoe

Central Cascades > Blewett Pass
 
Length
4.1 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
900 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.00
(1 vote)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Good for kids
  • Mountain views
  • Rivers
  • Wildlife

9.22.25: US 97/Blewett Pass is closed between milepost 149-178 (junction with SR 970 and junction with Ingalls Creek Rd south of US 2/97 Don Senn Memorial Interchange) due to the Labor Mountain Fire.

Take this 4-mile trek along an old forest road, to peek-a-boo views of the Teanaway ridges and quiet forest.
 
 

Cairn Hill

Central Cascades > Blewett Pass
 
Length
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
850 feet
Highest Point
4,745 feet
Rating
Average rating:
0.00
(0 votes)
  • Mountain views
  • Ridges/passes
  • Summits

9.22.25: US 97/Blewett Pass is closed between milepost 149-178 (junction with SR 970 and junction with Ingalls Creek Rd south of US 2/97 Don Senn Memorial Interchange) due to the Labor Mountain Fire.

Just 3 miles west of Blewett Pass, Cairn Hill is one of two popular summits in the area. Despite its relatively low elevation in comparison to the surrounding peaks of Diamond Head and the Teanaway, Cairn Hill affords hikers who venture up it beautiful panoramas of the surrounding peaks.