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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

4203 Hikes

Mount Defiance

Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
 
Length
11.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
3,584 feet
Highest Point
5,584 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.37
(60 votes)
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Summits
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
Hike trails though sub-alpine forest and across boulder fields and, in season, enjoy a multitude of wildflowers. Pass a beautiful mountain lake. Ascend to a 5584-foot summit and enjoy incredible views of Cascade peaks and nearby lakes.
 
 

Moran State Park - Mount Constitution via Mountain Lake

Puget Sound and Islands > San Juan Islands
 
Length
6.7 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,500 feet
Highest Point
2,410 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.32
(28 votes)
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Summits
While it's possible to drive the the summit of Mount Constitution, you can also hike there. You'll begin and end at Mountain Lake and, along the way, you'll enjoy walking through forest as well as sweeping views of the San Juan Islands.
 
 

Mount Catherine

Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
 
Length
3.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,330 feet
Highest Point
5,052 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.11
(56 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Good for kids
  • Mountain views
  • Summits
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
Where can you find unobstructed views of Mount Rainier and the mountains of Snoqualmie Pass, see rare butterfly species, and go berry-picking, all in return for a modest 1330-foot elevation gain? Mount Catherine, of course! This off-the-beaten-path hike to the summit of a wintertime ski destination is one of the most rewarding climbs along the southern wall of Snoqualmie Pass.
 
 

Mount Baker

North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
 
Highest Point
10,778 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.00
(9 votes)
  • Mountain views
  • Summits
The dominant feature in the North Cascades is Mount Baker, a glaciated volcano that can be seen on clear days from as far as Seattle and makes a great backdrop for photos of Vancouver, BC. Many hiking trails follow the ridges around Mount Baker and offer stunning views of the summit. Climbing to the summit is done mainly via the Coleman and Easton glaciers and requires technical expertise with high-altitude snow and ice.
 
 

Mount Adams Highline

South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
 
Length
22.2 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,550 feet
Highest Point
7,750 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.88
(8 votes)
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
Hike a challenging trail over steep and varied terrain to views of glaciers, mountains, and the remote northeast side of Mount Adams.
 
 

Moss Lake

Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
 
Length
2.5 miles, roundtrip
Rating
Average rating:
3.71
(7 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Good for kids
  • Lakes
WTA has done some general trail maintenance in this beautiful neighborhood park. The site is extremely valuable from an ecological standpoint.
 
 

Moran State Park - Cascade Falls

Puget Sound and Islands > San Juan Islands
 
Length
3.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
200 feet
Highest Point
690 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.00
(6 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Good for kids
  • Old growth
  • Waterfalls
Enjoy 40 feet of the tallest waterfall in the San Juans during a visit to Moran State Park. Cascade Creek flows through not just Cascade Falls, but a few other fallls as well as it pours into a ravine on its way to the ocean. This trail also features towering trees, many other waterfalls, and connects to other trails in the park.
 
 

Monte Cristo

South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
 
Length
4.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,000 feet
Highest Point
4,177 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.40
(5 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Ridges/passes
  • Rivers
  • Summits
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
Like its neighbor, the nearby Monte Carlo trail, the 4.1 mile-long Monte Cristo trail ventures into the small Monte Cristo range in the south Cascades between Willard and Trout Lake. From it, hikers see a myriad of wildflowers in the spring, and the occasional views of the south Cascade range.
 
 

Monte Carlo

Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
 
Length
10.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
2,560 feet
Highest Point
3,360 feet
Rating
Average rating:
1.75
(4 votes)
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Summits
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
Get a good workout on this trail that climbs to a summit with views of the south Cascade range. Continue on to make it a longer hike, continuing down into deep forest to the south trailhead.
 
 

Mitchell Peak

Southwest Washington > Lewis River Region
 
Length
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
2,100 feet
Highest Point
4,000 feet
Rating
Average rating:
0.00
(0 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Mountain views
  • Ridges/passes
  • Summits
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
The Mitchell Peak Trail has two trailheads, the northern access has been closed to the public since 2011. A much longer hike (see Black Hole Falls Hike) is now required to get to summit where a Forest Service fire look out used to perch in beautiful sub-alpine terrain with panorama views of the major southwest Washington & Oregon volcanoes.
 
 

Mirror and Cottonwood Lakes

Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
 
Length
2.4 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
650 feet
Highest Point
4,200 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.97
(34 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Established campsites
  • Fall foliage
  • Good for kids
  • Lakes
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
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.
 
 

Mineral Creek

Snoqualmie Region > Salmon La Sac/Teanaway
 
Length
5.4 miles, one-way
Elevation Gain
2,570 feet
Highest Point
4,900 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.11
(9 votes)
  • Established campsites
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Ridges/passes
A quiet but sometimes rough trail that provides access to the Pacific Crest Trail from Salmon La Sac.
 
 

Miller Peak

Snoqualmie Region > Salmon La Sac/Teanaway
 
Length
8.8 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
3,200 feet
Highest Point
6,400 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.00
(8 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Summits
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife

9.5.25: Trail is temporarily closed due to the Labor Mountain Fire.

Miller Peak is an excellent, challenging day hike, which gains 3200 feet to the high point. But all that climbing affords you breathtaking views of the Stuarts, and much of the Teanaway area, as well as Mount Rainier.
 
 
 
Length
4.5 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
600 feet
Highest Point
2,619 feet
Rating
Average rating:
2.67
(9 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Good for kids
  • Old growth
  • Rivers
  • Summits
  • Wildlife

9.18.25: Parts of the north/northeast portion of the refuge are closed due to the Tacoma Creek Fire. For more information: https://dnr.wa.gov/forest-and-trust-lands/little-pend-oreille-state-forest

WTA is helping Little Pend Oreille to develop a trail for refuge visitors in the 40,200 acre Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge 13 miles southeast of Colville. The loop trail starts at the Refuge headquarters and heads upward gaining 600 ft to the regional views from Mill Butte.
 
 

Mildred Lakes

Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
 
Length
9.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
2,300 feet
Highest Point
4,100 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.53
(19 votes)
  • Lakes

8.5.25: This trail is closed until further notice due to the Bear Gulch Fire.

Take a sojourn in the Hood Canal Ranger District on this way trail within Mount Skokomish Wilderness. If you're looking for solitude, you'll find it on this out-of-the-way gem in the Olympic National Forest.
 
 

Middle Tiger

Issaquah Alps > Tiger Mountain
 
Length
9.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,127 feet
Highest Point
2,607 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.29
(7 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Old growth
  • Summits
  • Wildlife
A short trail on Tiger Mountain that makes up some of the Tiger Mountain Trail thru-hike.
 
 

Middle Fork Teanaway River

Snoqualmie Region > Salmon La Sac/Teanaway
 
Length
11.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
800 feet
Highest Point
3,400 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.60
(5 votes)
  • Fall foliage
  • Rivers
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife
A gentle trail that hugs a river in a colorful valley recovering from a 2017 forest fire. Multiple river crossings, including at the trailhead, are the main challenges on this hike.
 
 

Middle Fork Snoqualmie River

Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
 
Length
12.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,650 feet
Highest Point
1,100 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.91
(46 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Good for kids
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Rivers
  • Waterfalls
  • Wildlife
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.
 
 
 
Length
25.6 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,940 feet
Highest Point
6,220 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.00
(6 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Established campsites
  • Mountain views
  • Ridges/passes
  • Rivers
Officially named Robinson Creek, the Middle Fork Pasayten River trail is loved by locals and visitors alike for its big trees, path alongside the wild river, and access into the central Pasayten Wilderness.
 
 

Melakwa Lake

Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
 
Length
8.5 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
2,700 feet
Highest Point
4,600 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.22
(97 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Established campsites
  • Lakes
  • Old growth
  • Ridges/passes
  • Rivers
  • Waterfalls
The way to Melakwa Lake is like two different trails: first a wide gentle trail through old growth forest beneath an elevated and noisy Interstate freeway. And second, a rocky steep trail that follows a waterfall and a precipitous gorge upstream to get to a pair of clear alpine lakes flanked by rocky peaks. Is it about the journey or the destination? You decide.
 
 

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.
 
 

McKenzie Conservation Area

Eastern Washington > Spokane Area/Coeur d'Alene
 
Length
6.0 miles of trails
Elevation Gain
500 feet
Highest Point
2,600 feet
Rating
Average rating:
0.00
(0 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Fall foliage
  • Good for kids
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife
Visit McKenzie to take in the wild side of Newman Lake, where one can watch for moose in the shallows along the 3,000 feet of lakeshore, or possibly see an eagle nab a fish before returning to its nest in the nearby cottonwoods. Mount Spokane and Ragged Ridge make the backdrop for this mellow loop trail system.
 
 

McGarvey Park

Issaquah Alps
 
Length
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
400 feet
Highest Point
851 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.33
(3 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Good for kids
Acquired by King County in 2000, McGarvey Park Open Space is a 400-acre multiuse forest connecting King County’s Petrovitsky Park with Wetland 14 Natural Area and Spring Lake/Lake Desire Park.
 
 

McClellan Butte

Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
 
Length
10.5 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
4,073 feet
Highest Point
5,162 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.14
(49 votes)
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Summits
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
Along with the numerous other I-90 hikes there is no shortage of ‘workout’ on this hike. Like its counterparts, this trail is largely for those interested in heading up, steeply. Moderated with switchbacks at times, and with a gradual traverse when you need it, the rewards here are not without effort. The actual summit is a rock-scramble, but the views and the flower-packed west facing slope near the top can be enjoyed without making the true top. More than a few remaining old-growth trees and a soft tread make this a well-rounded hike whether it is a training hike or your weekend reward.
 
 

Maury Island Marine Park

Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
 
Length
3.0 miles of trails
Elevation Gain
500 feet
Highest Point
500 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.00
(7 votes)
  • Coast
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Good for kids
  • Wildlife
Maury Island Marine Park is located on the east side of Maury Island which is connected to Vashon Island. There is more than one mile of natural shoreline with stunning views of Mount Rainier and the Cascade Mountains. The park is a former gravel mine and contains rare stands of the Pacific Madrone tree. The accessible shoreline allows for scuba diving and an excellent beach walk to observe marine life with a salt marsh at the north end.
 
 

Coyote Wall - Moab/Maui Loop

Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
 
Length
3.8 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
850 feet
Highest Point
900 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.00
(2 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Good for kids
  • Rivers
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
The Maui Loop is more of an adventure than a hike. You get to go up, over and around mogul-like mounds peppered with volcanic rock, explore the upper rim of Coyote Wall, and descend a grassy slope with uninterrupted views of the Columbia River Gorge. In the spring there is a steady progression of wildflowers, making this an especially good early-season hike.
 
 

Marten Creek

North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
 
Length
6.6 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,400 feet
Highest Point
2,800 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.00
(13 votes)
  • Old growth
Follow an old mining route through quiet forest near Darrington. This trail hasn't seen much maintenance in recent years, so it may require some route-finding experience to visit.
 
 

Marmot Pass

Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
 
Length
11.5 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
3,489 feet
Highest Point
6,000 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.51
(84 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Established campsites
  • Good for kids
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Ridges/passes
  • Rivers
  • Waterfalls
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife
Marmot Pass offers great views and a gentle hike through old-growth forest as well as high meadows. It is a great day hike, but also offers a great starting place for a variety of overnight options.
 
 

Marmot Lake

Snoqualmie Region > Salmon La Sac/Teanaway
 
Length
16.0 miles, roundtrip
Highest Point
4,500 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.80
(10 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Established campsites
  • Fall foliage
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Ridges/passes
  • Rivers
Scenic Marmot Lake is reachable from both Highway 2 or the Salmon La Sac area, but either way will be a challenge -- it's 14 miles via Deception Pass, or more than 10 miles from the Tucquala Meadows Trailhead.
 
 

Maple Creek Loop Trail

North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
 
Length
1.4 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
250 feet
Highest Point
850 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.50
(2 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Fall foliage
  • Good for kids
  • Rivers
  • Waterfalls
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
Maple Creek Park is a 73-acre Whatcom County Park sitting just outside the town of Maple Falls. It contains a section of the developing Bay to Baker Trail, as well as a 1.4 mile-long loop trail. Along the loop are several junctions, none of them marked. To keep on the main loop, the hike is best done counterclockwise.