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 HikesTradition Lake Loop
Issaquah Alps > Tiger Mountain
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Length
- 2.9 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 150 feet
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Highest Point
- 540 feet
Hike a series of short, nearly level trails that offer views of two lakes and of some swampy areas, and pass one of the largest trees in the Tigers. Appreciate the forest vegetation and wildflowers. Along the way, hear and perhaps see a variety of song birds and waterfowl.
Swamp Trail
Issaquah Alps > Tiger Mountain
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Length
- 1.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 75 feet
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Highest Point
- 520 feet
Take your young hikers out on a half-mile trail through the swampy area north of Tradition Lake. It could even be their first hike! The trail is solidly-constructed, with good footing, no mud and it's almost all level. It's designed with the young visitors in mind. But hey, it's OK if you older folks enjoy it, too!
Horseshoe Basin
North Cascades > Pasayten
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Length
- 12.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,550 feet
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Highest Point
- 7,200 feet
At the easterly edge of the Pasayten Wilderness, almost touching the Canadian border, lies a truly unique and beautifully remote place. Horseshoe Basin is one of the few places in the Lower 48 to contain alpine tundra and is home to bears, deer and pronghorn sheep, if you know where to look.
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.
Brink Trail
Issaquah Alps > Tiger Mountain
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Length
- 0.7 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 153 feet
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Highest Point
- 534 feet
Hike along the edge of a ridgeline just above an invisible I-90 at the north end of Tiger Mountain.
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.
Bus Trail
Issaquah Alps > Tiger Mountain
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Length
- 0.7 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 200 feet
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Highest Point
- 500 feet
See history in your backyard. Tiger Mountain is full of historic trails, but the Bus Trail gets its name from an old bus that lies on its side along the trail. Kids will love exploring the area, and the Bus Trail can be used to make a huge variety of loops on the north side of Tiger Mountain.
Spring Lake/Lake Desire Park - Echo Mountain
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 3.0 miles, roundtrip
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Highest Point
- 900 feet
Spring Lake – Lake Desire Park is a 390-acre forested site with a bald rocky outcrop, a bog and 3 miles of trails situated between…Spring Lake and Lake Desire! Echo Mountain is the 900-foot-tall rocky outcrop that provides great views of the two lakes and the Cascade foothills.
Doe Falls
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
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Length
- 7.25 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,720 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,320 feet
The infrequently visited trail to Doe Falls is a good option for hikers preparing for summer hiking. Because of its lower elevation, this hike is snow-free earlier in the year than most in this area, allowing for a pleasant hike to a secluded waterfall early in the season.
Prince Creek
Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
Prince Creek is the starting point for hikers tackling the full Lakeshore Trail, a popular spring backpacking trip. This trail is free from winter snow earlier than many thanks to its low elevation, and because of that, it can get quite full in the early season. Consider starting your hike midweek if you prefer to hike in solitude.
Entiat River
Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
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Length
- 15.25 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 2,690 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,760 feet
A long, rambling gateway into the eastern side of Glacier Peak Wilderness, the Entiat River Trail culminates at its namesake glacier with Mount Maude, Seven Fingered Jack and Mount Fernow towering above. Ravaged by wildfires over the years, the majority of the trail is exposed, dry and dusty. Both flora and fauna are slowly returning and the revealed panorama of bordering peaks makes for an extraordinary wilderness corridor.
Crystal Mountain Resort Snowshoe Trails
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
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Length
- 4.5 miles of trails
There are 6 designated snowshoe trails at Crystal Mountain Resort forming a network in Bullion Basin.
Eastrail
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 42.0 miles, one-way
This trail is currently under construction, and will eventually become a 42-mile urban route connecting Renton and Snohomish County.
Olympic Hot Springs
Olympic Peninsula > Northern Coast
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Length
- 19.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 5,986 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,187 feet
Hike to some remote hot springs on the Olympic Peninsula.
Twanoh State Park
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 2.3 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 375 feet
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Highest Point
- 400 feet
The park's day use area will be closed July 5 - Aug 31 for restoration work.
Enjoy an easy hike along a salmon-spawning stream in a lush emerald ravine. Twanoh is derived from the Skokomish people, meaning "gathering place."Twanoh State Park protects 182 acres of prime Hood Canal real estate-a perfect place for hikers and wildlife to gather.
Sourdough Mountain
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 10.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 4,870 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,985 feet
The mountainous views that once inspired beatnik poets continue to inspire modern-day hikers who take on this strenuous yet rewarding challenge.
Pinnacle Saddle
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
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Length
- 2.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,000 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,920 feet
Imagine that you are looking through a telephoto lens at one of those iconic images of Mount Rainier taken from the south. Now zoom out to a wider view of the entire mountain, the thick forests below timberline, the enormous brown gash of the Nisqually River Valley, and beside it the verdant parkland that became known as Paradise. This is the view from the Pinnacle Saddle trail.
Ollalie Creek Camp
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
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Length
- 5.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,600 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,940 feet
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
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Length
- 34.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 4,400 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,800 feet
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
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Elevation Gain
- 5,074 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,900 feet
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
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Elevation Gain
- 600 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,425 feet
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.
Faraway Rock
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
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Length
- 1.3 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 300 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,220 feet
The overlook at Faraway Rock is a short jaunt along the Mazama Ridge Trail up from Stevens Canyon Road and Reflection Lakes along the Wonderland Trail. This viewpoint showcases glistening Lake Louise below and the towering Tatoosh Ridge to the south.
Eastside Trail
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
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Length
- 26.2 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 3,532 feet
Ohanapecosh Campground is closed for construction. Construction is expected to last through summer of 2026. The trail can still be accessed via several other trailheads; see driving directions for more details.
This long route connects the subalpine environs of Chinook Pass and Tipsoo Lake with the deep, lowland forests of the Ohanapecosh area. It is part of the East Side Loop trail, a long loop that hikers can enjoy in lieu of the Wonderland Trail.
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
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
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Elevation Gain
- 610 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,725 feet
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
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
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Elevation Gain
- 1,675 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,750 feet
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.
Narada Falls to Reflection Lakes
Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise
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Length
- 5.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,150 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,400 feet
Hiking the trail between the Narada Falls viewpoint and Reflection Lakes is pleasant enough. But you can extend the route into a loop featuring an unobstructed view of the Tatoosh Range from a rocky bluff, and an up-close experience of the awe-inspiring whitewater cascades of the Paradise River.
North Fork Loop
South Cascades > White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley
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Length
- 2.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 400 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,800 feet
Visitors to the North Fork Loop Trail will see several different forests and enjoy views of the lush Cispus Valley. The trail is adjacent to the North Fork of the Cispus River, and departs from the North Fork campground, making it a great option for people staying there.
Middle Fork Snoqualmie River
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
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Length
- 12.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,650 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,100 feet
This long, meandering hike heads upstream along the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River, offering a long day hike, or a great beginning backpacking experience.