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
4203 HikesElip Creek
Olympic Peninsula > Olympia
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Length
- 4.6 miles, one-way
-
Elevation Gain
- 3,100 feet
-
Highest Point
- 3,760 feet
The temporary bridge on North Shore Road has been removed for winter. The Graves Creek and North Fork trailheads are currently inaccessible due to both North Shore and South Shore roads being closed.
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
-
Elevation Gain
- 2,850 feet
-
Highest Point
- 3,175 feet
The temporary bridge on North Shore Road has been removed for winter. The Graves Creek and North Fork trailheads are currently inaccessible due to both North Shore and South Shore roads being closed.
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.
Goat Island Mountain
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Highest Point
- 7,288 feet
Sunrise Road and White River Road have closed for the winter season.
The route to the top of Goat Island Mountain is not on true trail but is more of a scramble.
Owyhigh Lakes
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,650 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,275 feet
Sunrise Road and White River Road have closed for the winter season.
Walk a very pleasant and well-graded trail through old- and new-growth forest. After a moderate elevation gain, the forest opens into meadowlands filled with wildflowers after the snow melts. A pair of shallow but pretty lakes, with a rocky ridge as a backdrop, completes the scene.
Little Tahoma
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
Sunrise Road and White River Road have closed for the winter season.
The route to Little Tahoma requires advanced mountaineering skills including glacier travel.
Eastside Loop
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Length
- 36.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 7,430 feet
-
Highest Point
- 6,800 feet
Sunrise Road and White River Road have closed for the winter season.
A multi-night backpacking trip around the eastern edge of Mount Rainier National Park.
Tamanos Mountain
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
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Length
- 10.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 3,080 feet
-
Highest Point
- 6,790 feet
Sunrise Road and White River Road have closed for the winter season.
Tamanos is a moderately strenuous 10 mile round trip hike that goes through forest, meadows, rock and ridge scrambles ending in glorious up close views of Mount Rainier.
Inter Glacier
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Length
- 4.6 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 2,920 feet
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Highest Point
- 7,150 feet
White River Road has closed for the winter season.
The Inter Glacier is part of the standard Mount Rainier climbing route. While it may appear to be just a steep snowfield, it is a glacier with crevasses and other hazards. Glacier travel experience and equipment is required.
Glacier Basin Loop
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
-
Length
- 11.5 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 3,100 feet
-
Highest Point
- 7,400 feet
White River Road has closed for the winter season.
Expansive views of Mount Rainier, up-close views of Emmons Glacier, lakes, and campsites are just a few features of the Glacier Basin Loop's varying landscape.
Emmons Moraine
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Length
- 3.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 700 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,000 feet
White River Road has closed for the winter season.
This short trail crosses the Inter Fork of the White River to views of The Mountain's largest glacier and the valley carved by this river of ice.
Kettle Crest Trail
Eastern Washington > Okanogan Highlands/Kettle River Range
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Length
- 44.0 miles, one-way
-
Elevation Gain
- 8,000 feet
-
Highest Point
- 7,140 feet
The Kettle Crest Trail is the granddaddy of long-distance, high-country routes in Eastern Washington. Over the course of its 44 miles, it presents a virtual highlight reel of dry-side beauty, from sage-scented meadows to subalpine parkland.
Kettle Crest South
Eastern Washington > Okanogan Highlands/Kettle River Range
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Length
- 5.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 900 feet
-
Highest Point
- 6,500 feet
The Kettle Crest South begins at the White Mountain Trailhead and extends to Sherman Pass, passing by White Mountain, Barnaby Butte, Bald Mountain, Snow Peak, and Sherman Peak along the way.
Barnaby Buttes
Eastern Washington > Okanogan Highlands/Kettle River Range
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Length
- 7.4 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,975 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,534 feet
This remote perch in the Kettle Range grants hikers views of the Kettles and beyond.
White Mountain via Kettle Crest Trail South
Eastern Washington > Okanogan Highlands/Kettle River Range
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Length
- 28.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,500 feet
-
Highest Point
- 6,921 feet
This 28-mile round trip offers the best of the Columbia Highlands as it passes through old-growth ponderosa pine stands, skirts five significant peaks in the Kettle Range, and showcases the effects of the White Mountain Fire of 1988.
Sherman Peak Loop
Eastern Washington > Okanogan Highlands/Kettle River Range
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Length
- 5.9 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,800 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,998 feet
This six mile loop offers a nice day hike option in the highlands of Eastern Washington, utilizing part of the scenic Kettle Crest Trail, and exploring the Sherman Pass area.
Swakane Canyon
Central Washington > Wenatchee
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Length
- 6.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,470 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,980 feet
This is a nice two season hike on an old road with views of the Columbia River valley from Badger Mountain to Wenatchee. Enroute you may see spring flowers, unique rock formations, and animals like deer, coyotes, snakes and hawks.
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
-
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.
Tyee Lookout
Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
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Length
- 8.5 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 2,160 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,640 feet
It is possible to drive all the way to the top of Tyee Ridge for majestic views of the land below. But the last 4 miles of the road to the top is extremely rough, so visitors can make that section a short hike with fabulous views.
Ollalie Creek Camp
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
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Length
- 5.6 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,600 feet
-
Highest Point
- 3,940 feet
Stevens Canyon Road is closed for the winter season.
Ollalie Creek Camp offers a walk through old growth woodland, colorful blooms and berries to an isolated creekside campsite perfect for solitude or connecting to the stunning Cowlitz Divide and iconic Indian Bar.
Indian Bar - Summerland Traverse
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
-
Length
- 34.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 4,400 feet
-
Highest Point
- 6,800 feet
Stevens Canyon Road is closed for the winter season.
One of the most popular routes on Mount Rainier for its varied terrain, wide-open meadows, and incredible views, this 17-mile one-way hike along the mountain’s eastern side showcases the kind of scenery that will have you doing happy little dances of joy from one stunning panorama to the next.
Indian Bar - Cowlitz Divide
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
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Length
- 14.4 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 5,074 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,900 feet
Stevens Canyon Road is closed for the winter season.
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.
High Lakes Loop
Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise
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Length
- 3.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 600 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,425 feet
Stevens Canyon Road is closed for the winter season.
Reflection Lakes are not just a popular photography stop. From the lakes, you can hike to a stunning cliffside view of the lakes and the Tatoosh range. From there, you have the option of returning the way you came or hiking in a loop around the largest of the lakes.
Box Canyon and Nickel Creek
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
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Length
- 1.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 150 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,400 feet
Stevens Canyon Road is closed for the winter season.
This little stopover off the road that encircles Mount Rainier is a wonderful, short leg-stretcher with gorgeous views of the dramatic canyon of the Muddy Fork of the Cowlitz River, and a short hike to a box canyon — an unusual feature in this park.
Bench and Snow Lakes
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
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Length
- 2.5 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 610 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,725 feet
Stevens Canyon Road is closed for the winter season.
Escape the crowds within Mount Rainier National Park without going on a lengthy adventure. Visit one or both of two alpine lakes, the second one just a bit more than a mile from the parking lot.
Unicorn Peak
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
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Length
- 4.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,397 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,971 feet
Stevens Canyon Road is closed for the winter season.
Unicorn Peak is the tallest in the Tatoosh Mountain Range and offers spectacular views of Mount Rainier. It's top is somewhat jagged which looks like a Unicorn's horn, hence the name. Climbing expertise and gear is required to summit Unicorn.
Stevens Canyon Waterfalls
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
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Length
- 8.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,675 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,750 feet
Stevens Canyon Road is closed for the winter season.
You don’t have to be circumnavigating Mount Rainier to see Sylvia Falls and Martha Falls. Do this section of the Wonderland Trail in the shoulder season, or when the weather obscures higher views, or just when you would just rather hike in shaded forest.
Pipestone Canyon Rim Trail
North Cascades > Methow/Sawtooth
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Length
- 9.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,500 feet
-
Highest Point
- 3,420 feet
Explore a scenic and incredibly varied landscape near Winthrop where you are almost certainly guaranteed to see some of the region’s abundant wildlife.
Skagit Wildlife Area
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 2.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 0 feet
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Highest Point
- 0 feet
Each year, from fall to spring, this area is a bird paradise, with snow geese and trumpeter and tundra swans overwintering in huge numbers. There are several access points in the wildlife refuge. The Headquarters area has a two mile trail and staff may be able to point you to other appropriate areas to visit.
Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
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Length
- 2.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 223 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,905 feet
Conboy Lake is now more of a marsh than a lake but it is home to a variety of wildlife. The habitat consists of oak, pine, and aspen forests, wetlands and grassy prairies.
Elliott Bay Trail
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 10.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 350 feet
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Highest Point
- 65 feet
The Elliott Bay Trail follows the shoreline of Elliott Bay for 5 miles from S Royal Brougham Way near CenturyLink and SafeCo Fields to Smith Cove Park in Magnolia.