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
4204 HikesSwofford Pond
South Cascades > White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley
-
Length
- 3.8 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 140 feet
-
Highest Point
- 922 feet
The South Swofford Pond Trail is a joint venture by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Cowlitz River Project of Tacoma Power and runs almost two miles around the south side of Swofford Pond to its southwest corner. It is an easy graded, mostly wooded trail that offers plenty of opportunities to view wildlife, marvel at old-growth cedars and enjoy glimpses of the surrounding Swofford Valley.
Padilla Bay
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
-
Length
- 4.4 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 30 feet
-
Highest Point
- 30 feet
This estuary at the saltwater edge of the Skagit River delta is eight miles long and three miles across, and you can travel along a portion of it. This hike can be enjoyed in any season. The easy flat trail make this an ideal hike for many hikers. Birders will definitely want to bring the binoculars! Before you start, be sure to check out the large tree on the road to the trailhead, there is a pair of bald eagles that sometimes hang out here.
Easton Reload Sno-Park
Snoqualmie Region > Cle Elum Area
A Sno-Park opened in 2021 consisting of an open space for families to play in the snow.
Mount Spokane State Park - Trail 120
Eastern Washington > Spokane Area/Coeur d'Alene
-
Length
- 8.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 2,119 feet
-
Highest Point
- 4,554 feet
The trails on Mount Spokane interlace, offering opportunities to create long or short hikes. Trail 120 allows hikers to loop onto the Kit Carson Trail and beyond.
Belfair State Park
Olympic Peninsula > Kitsap Peninsula
-
Length
- 0.4 miles of trails
-
Elevation Gain
- 80 feet
-
Highest Point
- 65 feet
Enjoy a short but sweet stroll on a wide, flat trail to the pebble beaches of Belfair State Park. For those with younger children, you can also spend time on the delightful playground next to the large picnic shelter.
Carlisle Lake
South Cascades > White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley
-
Length
- 1.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 88 feet
A one mile loop trail takes visitors around a lake that used to be a mill pond.
Port Gamble Forest - Bluff Trail
Olympic Peninsula > Kitsap Peninsula
-
Length
- 2.1 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 148 feet
-
Highest Point
- 81 feet
Take a short, fairly flat walk through forest near Highway 104 right outside Port Gamble. It's the perfect little walk to take if you just need an hour or so outside.
Lake Wilderness Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
-
Length
- 3.5 miles of trails
-
Elevation Gain
- 50 feet
-
Highest Point
- 580 feet
A great quick neighborhood escape, or stay longer and there is something for everyone. A cultivated arboretum with additional trails in a small forest, with playground, disc golf course, a lake with swimming, fishing, boat rentals, and more.
Third Beach
Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast
-
Length
- 3.6 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 280 feet
-
Highest Point
- 280 feet
The trail to Third Beach provides plenty of suspense for hikers. It’s a 1.3 mile trek through high trees, sometimes shrouded in fog, giving the forest here a spooky aura. But popping out onto the coast at the log-choked mouth of a creek and seeing the grand Pacific Ocean provides the perfect payoff.
Dobson and McFadden Park Trail
Southwest Washington > Lewis River Region
-
Length
- 1.2 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 300 feet
-
Highest Point
- 600 feet
This forested trail connecting two parks in the City of Chehalis (Dobson and McFadden), offers a quick get away into nature on the edge of a residential neighborhood.
Blue Lake Creek
South Cascades > Dark Divide
-
Length
- 4.8 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 2,100 feet
-
Highest Point
- 4,000 feet
Although this is a short hike, it's a decent challenge because it's a narrow, steep trail. The terrain is interesting, with waterfalls and its trademark basalt columns. If you like solitude, this is the trail for you.
Steamboat Rock
Central Washington > Grand Coulee
-
Length
- 6.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 650 feet
-
Highest Point
- 2,250 feet
Jutting 800 feet out of Banks Lake in Washington’s majestic coulee country, Steamboat Rock is the crown jewel of this area. The basalt butte has a rich history; first used by native people many years ago, and during the ice age, the Great Missoula Floods carved the canyons here, while the rock stood as an island in the raging river. Now, Steamboat Rock lies high and dry, offering excellent 360-degree panoramas of the landscape surrounding it.
Dodger Point
Olympic Peninsula > Northern Coast
-
Length
- 39.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 10,815 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,670 feet
Backpack on primitive trails to Dodger Point Camp in the heart of Olympic National Park for unparalleled views of high, snowy peaks towering above deep forested valleys.
South Tiger Mountain Loop
Issaquah Alps > Tiger Mountain
-
Length
- 8.6 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,550 feet
-
Highest Point
- 2,028 feet
Hike the southernmost part of the main Tiger Mountain Trail - the TMT - and return via the South Tiger Traverse to complete a loop around South Tiger Mountain, with a side trip to the south summit and, optionally, a visit to the north summit.
Anacortes Community Forest Lands - Big Beaver Pond
Puget Sound and Islands > Whidbey Island
-
Length
- 2.5 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 175 feet
-
Highest Point
- 450 feet
Enjoy a nearly-level forest walk with close-up views of beaver dams and likely sightings of water fowl including (in season) trumpeter swans, plus kingfishers, woodpeckers, and owls.
Mohawk Falls and Mohawk Mine
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
While Mohawk Falls is on Forest Service land, there is no official trail to access this waterfall.
Lodgepole Campground
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
-
Length
- 0.75 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 20 feet
-
Highest Point
- 3,500 feet
Due to seasonal closures, the campground opens and closes at variable times - generally between May and mid-late October.
Take a quick stroll and breathe in the mixed forest smells of lodgepole pine and western larches around this campground loop off Highway 410 near Mount Rainier National Park. Claim a campground reservation and stay for a couple days!
Anderson Butte
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
-
Length
- 2.5 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,000 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,380 feet
Short but steep, this trail delivers excellent views of Mount Baker, Mount Shuksan, and Anderson Butte. Similar views can be had from the road to the trailhead, but taking this hike offers solitude--even a hiker’s high--from climbing steeply away from the road and into the mountains.
Lookout Mountain Forest Preserve
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
-
Length
- 6.5 miles of trails
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,000 feet
Several hiking trails exist in the Lookout Mountain Forest Preserve, part of the Whatcom County Park system, including a 2.2-mile loop with a one mile viewpoint spur trail, a quick waterfall trail, and lower loop trail. Alternatively, head up and up to Lookout Mountain on an eight mile service road.
Moran State Park - Cold Springs and North Trail Loop to Mount Constitution
Puget Sound and Islands > San Juan Islands
-
Length
- 11.4 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 2,940 feet
-
Highest Point
- 2,409 feet
Take a tour of Mount Constitution using one of the longer loops on Orcas Island. There's plenty of elevation gain, plenty of miles, and plenty to see along the way.
Ragged Ridge
Eastern Washington > Spokane Area/Coeur d'Alene
-
Length
- 15.1 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 3,000 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,300 feet
Venture beyond the Nordic trails to enter this hiker-only Natural Area Preserve, home to numerous wildlife species and old growth trees with outstanding views of the Spokane Valley and neighboring Idaho.
Gold Creek - Devils Slide
Central Washington > Yakima
-
Length
- 5.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 800 feet
-
Highest Point
- 6,000 feet
Hike an easy mile to a spectacular cliff with a chance to see mountain goats, then continue through forest and meadows to views of Mount Adams, Mount Aix, Nelson Ridge and Mount Rainier.
Salt Creek
Olympic Peninsula > Northern Coast
The Salt Creek Recreation Area just outside of Port Angeles has several small trails in and around the camping area for folks to explore, and connects hikers to the nearby Striped Peak trail.
Steam Hoist
Issaquah Alps > Cougar Mountain
-
Length
- 0.2 miles, one-way
-
Elevation Gain
- 50 feet
-
Highest Point
- 670 feet
The Steam Hoist Trail is a short loop trail within the Cougar Mountain trail network. One end of this trail connects to the Rainbow Town trail and the other connects to the Wildside Trail.
Post Falls Community Forest and Q'emiln Park
Eastern Washington > Spokane Area/Coeur d'Alene
This 500-acre community forest and adjacent 75-acre Q'emiln Park offer numerous hiking trails with many loop possibilities up to about 6 miles, and also rock climbing, picnicking, and swimming.
Speed
Southwest Washington > Lewis River Region
-
Length
- 2.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 800 feet
-
Highest Point
- 1,900 feet
Take a very steep, primitive trail to a creek crossing (only fordable in mid-summer) to the Lewis River Trail.
Pilchuck Falls
North Cascades
This trail is closed due to danger to hikers.
This hike is on private property and has been closed by the owners due to danger to hikers. No trespassing signs have been posted. Please respect their privacy.
Dock Butte
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
-
Length
- 4.4 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,500 feet
The trailhead is inaccessible until further notice due to FR 12 closure.
Dock Butte boasts sweeping views of Mount Baker, Baker Lake, and several prominent peaks in the North Cascades and Olympic Peninsula. It is a great option for beginner hikers looking to up their hiking game as well as those looking for exceptional mountain views without the mileage and time commitment of a longer hike.