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 HikesOhanapecosh Hot Springs
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
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Length
- 0.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 50 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,000 feet
This short, sweet little loop near the Ohanapecosh Visitors Center make a great visit for a leg stretch or a history hike with little ones. You can't get into the hot springs (and you probably wouldn't want to) but you can still have a nice short hike here.
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.
Mesatchee Creek
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
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Length
- 11.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,750 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,875 feet
If you want both a walk in the sunshine and a walk through the trees, Mesatchee Creek is the place to go! Keep your feet dry on the turnpikes and bridge made by WTA.
American Lake
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
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Length
- 15.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,759 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,858 feet
Hike a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail through meadows of wildflowers and past sparkling lakes with views of Nelson Ridge, Mount Aix and Mount Rainier. This outing makes for a great day hike or backpacking trip.
Dewey Lake
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
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Length
- 6.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,270 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,900 feet
To misquote a famous author, this hike can be "the best of trips or the worst of trips". Done in the right season, it has beautiful flowers, ripe berries, expansive views, great campsites, fishing, and swimming. Done in the wrong season, it has treacherous avalanche chute crossings, wet trail, no flowers, muddy campsites, and horrendous bugs.
Deer Creek to Tipsoo Lake
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
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Length
- 10.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,850 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,375 feet
This trail offers passage through magnificent old growth forest, and past sparkling clear streams. It may not be as scenic as other trails in the area, but it requires no parking pass or entrance fee to enjoy the beauty of Mount Rainier.
Deer Creek Falls
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
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Length
- 1.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 280 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,200 feet
If you don’t have the time or the inclination for the longer hike to Owyhigh Lakes, you can take a bite off the bigger trail and zip down about half a mile to see the charming 62-foot tiered falls of Deer Creek and a pair of footbridges traversing creeks flanked by a dense old forest.
Deadwood Lakes
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
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Length
- 2.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 470 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,600 feet
This un-maintained trail can be accessed from the Pacific Crest Trail. The trail can be difficult to follow, so be sure to take appropriate precautions.
Crystal Peak
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Length
- 8.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,100 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,595 feet
Check the weather before heading out for this hike, and if it’s going to be clear, bring a camera. From the summit, it’s possible to see six (yes, six!) volcanoes spanning two states. Baker, Glacier, Adams, Rainier, St. Helens and Hood wait patiently for you to climb the more-than-moderately steep path to the summit of Crystal Peak, where you can take in beautiful snow-capped majesty from the top.
Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) - Chinook Pass to Snoqualmie Pass
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
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Length
- 63.3 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 8,600 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,400 feet
Connect between the Mount Rainier area and Snoqualmie Pass along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Travel over rolling hills through forests and clear cut areas with views of Mt. Rainier.
Chinook Pass to Crystal Mountain via the Pacific Crest Trail
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
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Length
- 8.9 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 1,400 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,400 feet
Done as a one-way car shuttle hike, this route takes you past several lakes and streams, through meadows of wild flowers, patches of huckleberries, views of mountains and occasional wildlife such as marmots, black bears, pikas and mountain goats. And on a warm day you can take a cooling dip in Sheep Lake on your journey.
Bear Gap
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
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Length
- 3.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,283 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,871 feet
A short and steep trail that offers hikers access to the Pacific Crest Trail or a longer loop with Fog City trail.
White Pass to Chinook Pass
South Cascades > White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley
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Length
- 28.0 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 5,060 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,900 feet
Get ready for 28 miles of very scenic hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail. This is a great intro to backpacking route: Four days, seven to eight miles per day of relatively flat backpacking. The trail is well marked, there are abundant camp sites and many stopping points along the way.
Three Lakes via Laughingwater Creek
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
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Length
- 13.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,800 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,000 feet
The name "Laughingwater Creek" conjures up a nice stroll alongside a bubbling creek, but this trail mostly keeps hikers far above any running water. At several spots early in the hike, it is possible to hear the creek, but not to see it.
Stafford Falls via Deer Creek
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
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Length
- 4.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 375 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,250 feet
The hike to Stafford Falls drops steeply from the road, requiring a climb to return to your vehicle. But after 0.4 miles, it follows crystal-clear Chinook Creek as it cascades down a gentle slope, with small plunges, narrow chutes, beautiful blue-green pools, and a 25-foot punch-bowl waterfall. Such beauty and serenity are seldom this easy to get to.
Manastash Ridge - Westberg Trail
Central Washington > Yakima
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Length
- 4.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,800 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,560 feet
Named after and built in honor of an Ellensburg wrestling coach, this trail provides the sought-after combination of great workout and big views. But its exposed; you'll want to be up here in spring or fall, because the direct sun of summer and lack of water can make this one a burner (literally).
Kachess Ridge / Kachess Beacon
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
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Length
- 5.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,200 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,600 feet
The nice thing about old aircraft navigation beacon sites is that they always afford a decent view. The trail to Kachess Beacon is steep much of the way, but it is easy to get to, well-shaded, and less than three miles long.
Ueland Tree Farm
Olympic Peninsula > Kitsap Peninsula
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Length
- 7.0 miles of trails
Ueland Tree Farm is a parcel of private property that is made available to the public for responsible, non-motorized recreation.
Mirror and Cottonwood Lakes
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
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Length
- 2.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 650 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,200 feet
Nestled in a quiet basin only a stone’s throw from Snoqualmie Pass, pristine Mirror Lake is a destination to be enjoyed by the whole family. Rarely can you find such lovely sites with so little effort, but here, a short trek will take you through forests, across delicate streams and past brightly colored wildflowers. Humming with butterflies, birds, bees and babbling streams, this trail is not to be missed.
Snoquera Falls Loop
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
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Length
- 3.9 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 975 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,100 feet
With a trailhead so easily accessible, there's no excuse not to visit Snoquera Falls. Best in early spring, this lush, forested trail features a pretty fantail cascade plunging down a sheer, rocky wall.
Cedar Butte
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
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Length
- 3.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 900 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,880 feet
Take a short hike up a forested butte near Rattlesnake Lake, just 1.75 miles each way with 900 feet of elevation gain. Reach a summit with views toward the north, from Mount Si to Mailbox Peak, and several other peaks in between. Some hikers judge Cedar Butte to be a better viewpoint than the much-visited West Tiger 3 summit, and it requires less effort and has smaller crowds, so when you are ready for a change of scene check it out.
Big Creek Falls
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
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Length
- 9.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,200 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,824 feet
Take a leisurely hike on an old logging road to a beautiful waterfall.
Mount Forgotten
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 13.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 4,300 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,005 feet
Mount Forgotten is an appealing target for the peculiarly determined hiker-turned-climber. Its sheer wall of a summit is very striking and easily instills visions of alpinism in those headed to Mount Forgotten Meadows, but the route takes a roundabout journey that requires not so much vertiginous daring-do as it does oodles of patience. The views from the top are spectacular, particularly the unobstructed view straight up Glacier Peak.
Lower Big Quilcene River
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 12.9 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,890 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,943 feet
The Lower Big Quilcene Trail begins just outside the Buckhorn Wilderness and follows the lower Big Quilcene River along a mostly non-technical tread for approximately 6.5 miles. The moss-lined route starts on an old road bed through younger forest and then winds past large old-growth cedars. In spring and summer, blooming rhododendrons add vibrant color to your journey. This trail is also a great choice during the fall and winter months because the trees provide shelter from precipitation.
Hoh River Trail to Blue Glacier
Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast
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Length
- 37.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,700 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,300 feet
Hike the Hoh River to the Blue Glacier through lush rainforest. The biodiversity on this hike is seldom seen on such an accessible backpacking trip. Just be sure to check in with the ranger station before overnighting — while there are lots of campsites, it's a popular place, and you'll need to reserve in advance.
Hall of Mosses
Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast
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Length
- 0.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 100 feet
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Highest Point
- 600 feet
A short rainforest loop from the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center in Olympic National Park.
Fort Ebey State Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Whidbey Island
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Length
- 4.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 520 feet
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Highest Point
- 570 feet
There are plenty of interesting things to see at Fort Ebey, and lots of trails to take you there. A beach walk, bluff views, a lake, forest, and history can all be found here. The park has 26 miles of trails, allowing you to put together a very interesting hike, either long or short, that includes most or all of the sights. This loop of approximately four miles will take you on a nice tour.
Lena Lake
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 7.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,300 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,000 feet
The hike to Lena Lake is a mild to moderate hike through old- and second-growth forest to a large beautiful lake, where the traffic on the trail is evidence of its beauty.
Granite Creek Trail to Granite Lakes
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
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Length
- 8.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,270 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,070 feet
Granite Creek courses through the gorge between Mailbox Peak and Russian Butte. Ascend through the creek’s ravine, immersed in mountain rainforest, alongside whitewater rapids, waterfalls, wildflowers and mushrooms, while you take in majestic views of the mountains of the Middle Fork Valley. Seasonal treats include berries and fall colors.
Woodard Bay Conservation Area
Olympic Peninsula > Olympia
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Length
- 3.5 miles of trails
With five miles of shoreline in South Puget Sound, the Woodard Bay Conservation Area includes forests, wetlands of freshwater, as well as historic and cultural resources that are a valuable diversion in the area.