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
4224 HikesCounty Line
Snoqualmie Region > Salmon La Sac/Teanaway
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Length
- 10.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,875 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,700 feet
This trail is closed until further notice due to damage from the Labor Mountain Fire.
A multi-use trail connecting with the Teanaway Ridge Trail and continuing on to Miller Peak.
Standup Creek
Snoqualmie Region > Salmon La Sac/Teanaway
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Length
- 14.4 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 3,100 feet
-
Highest Point
- 6,200 feet
This trail is closed until further notice due to damage from the Labor Mountain Fire.
The lesser known creek between Bean and Stafford, Standup offers a gentle valley followed by steepness to an open hillside and ridge with views. But this quiet hike is only accessible via a road only appropriate for high-clearance vehicles.
Bayshore Preserve
Olympic Peninsula > Olympia
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Length
- 2.0 miles of trails
-
Elevation Gain
- 75 feet
-
Highest Point
- 40 feet
Bayshore Preserve is a 74-acre spread of land on the Bayshore Peninsula which pokes into Oakland Bay. A former golf course, WTA is working on improving the informal trails here so hikers can enjoy an area that is undergoing restoration efforts.
Methow Wildlife Area - Bowen Mountain East Loop
North Cascades > Methow/Sawtooth
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Length
- 6.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 725 feet
-
Highest Point
- 3,150 feet
A bit rugged, but with lots of diversity. This trail loops you through rangeland, shrub-steppe and dry ponderosa forest. Huge views and an intimate creek reward you.
Camas Meadows
Central Cascades > Blewett Pass
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Length
- 2.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 350 feet
-
Highest Point
- 3,200 feet
This beautiful meadow is visible from a variety of logging roads that surround it. Visitors are asked to not walk in the meadow, as it is a protected research area and a fragile ecosystem.
Shriner Peak
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
-
Length
- 8.5 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 3,434 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,834 feet
SR 123 (Cayuse Pass) is closed between the junction with SR 410 to the north and the Mount Rainier National Park boundary (near Ohanapecosh Campground) to the south for the winter season.
Gorgeous weather and late-season color make this one of the most beautiful autumn hikes in Mount Rainier National Park. This hike is a tough climb, but the payoff is great views and lots of solitude.
Mount McCausland
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - East
-
Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,800 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,747 feet
Mount McCausland delivers mountain views, lake views, and even solitude at the summit. The cost? The first three miles of the trail is easy, but the last half mile to the summit is steep and occasionally brushy. Taking a break on that climb is no hardship, though: the hillside is carpeted in berries and the views start early.
Esmeralda Basin (Esmerelda)
Snoqualmie Region > Salmon La Sac/Teanaway
-
Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,750 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,960 feet
Esmeralda Basin promises hikers the opportunity to walk through old forest, meadows brimming with wildflowers, and along rocky hillsides, all while enjoying the striking scenery of the jagged and craggy Esmeralda Peaks.
Seeley Lake Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
-
Length
- 1.3 miles, roundtrip
Seeley Lake Park offers a 1.3 mile roundtrip urban hike in the city of Lakewood. Though the lake itself is more of a marsh, the wildlife here is plentiful, Hikers see ducks, squirrels, and other creatures flitting about, and in spring the flowers blooming provide a cheerful background.
Anderson Point
Olympic Peninsula > Kitsap Peninsula
-
Length
- 1.4 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 250 feet
-
Highest Point
- 250 feet
Enjoy a short hike to one of the best beaches in Kitsap County.
Battle Ground Lake State Park - Lower Lake Trail
Southwest Washington > Lewis River Region
-
Length
- 1.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 120 feet
-
Highest Point
- 680 feet
Battle Ground Lake State Park is a local favorite, particularly good for families with its short loop around the lake and the playground.
Colquhoun Peak
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
-
Length
- 1.2 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 630 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,173 feet
This short, steep hike leads to an abandoned lookout site, where nature has obscured the views with tree growth. A careful descent to the southeast from the lookout site leads to the top of a steep rocky area with magnificent views of Mount Rainier and the Greenwater River Valley – just don’t lose your footing if you're snapping pics at the peak!
Forest Park - Everett
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 4.9 miles of trails
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,100 feet
-
Highest Point
- 370 feet
With several miles of wooded trails, a self-guided nature tour plus hill climb and orienteering courses, Forest Park gives you plenty of reasons to get outdoors without leaving the city.
Point Whitehorn Marine Reserve
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
-
Length
- 1.5 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 192 feet
-
Highest Point
- 157 feet
This hike boasts a great combination of wetland and sea shore. It is doable by hikers of all ages, and most of the trail is wheelchair accessible.
Glacier View
Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise
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Length
- 4.4 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 950 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,450 feet
The trailhead is inaccessible due to a washout on FR 59.
Climb a ridge to a rocky promontory nine miles due west of Tahoma’s summit and experience multi-volcano, jaw-dropping views under clear conditions. Glacier View’s short but moderately intense route is ideal for lovers of huckleberries, wildflowers, old-growth forest, mushrooms, fauna and lakes.
Bearhead Mountain
Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich
-
Length
- 6.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,800 feet
-
Highest Point
- 6,089 feet
The Fairfax Bridge (3 miles south of Carbonado) is closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic until further notice due to safety concerns. The bridge closure renders this hike inaccessible.
Bearhead Mountain is a moderate, well-marked trail through the forest that carries you to an old fire lookout site with a bold and brassy Rainier view.
Ohanapecosh Hot Springs
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
-
Length
- 0.4 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 50 feet
-
Highest Point
- 2,000 feet
SR 123 (Cayuse Pass) is closed between the junction with SR 410 to the north and the Mount Rainier National Park boundary (near Ohanapecosh Campground) to the south for the winter season.
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.
Three Lakes via Laughingwater Creek
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
-
Length
- 13.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 2,800 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,000 feet
SR 123 (Cayuse Pass) is closed between the junction with SR 410 to the north and the Mount Rainier National Park boundary (near Ohanapecosh Campground) to the south for the winter season.
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
-
Length
- 4.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 375 feet
-
Highest Point
- 3,250 feet
SR 123 (Cayuse Pass) is closed between the junction with SR 410 to the north and the Mount Rainier National Park boundary (near Ohanapecosh Campground) to the south for the winter season.
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.
Deer Creek to Tipsoo Lake
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
-
Length
- 10.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 2,850 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,375 feet
SR 123 (Cayuse Pass) is closed between the junction with SR 410 to the north and the Mount Rainier National Park boundary (near Ohanapecosh Campground) to the south for the winter season.
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.
Hansen Ridge
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
-
Length
- 15.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,300 feet
-
Highest Point
- 4,100 feet
In summer and fall this is a bikers trail but come winter it makes an excellent snowshoe or cross country ski trail.
Chapin Trail
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
-
Length
- 0.25 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 13 feet
-
Highest Point
- 225 feet
The Chapin Trail is part of the City of Bellevue’s Parks and Open Trails System. The short loop will take you through a charming forested area within a residential neighborhood.
Scriber Lake
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
-
Length
- 1.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Highest Point
- 360 feet
An easy walk around a small urban lake and wetland area.
Grouse Basin Loop
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
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Length
- 1.0 miles, one-way
-
Elevation Gain
- 160 feet
-
Highest Point
- 1,000 feet
Enjoy this low-key, child-friendly hike through aspen forest close to Seattle, just off the parking lot for Mailbox Peak.
Wahkeena-Multnomah Falls Loop
Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - OR
-
Length
- 5.1 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 3,060 feet
-
Highest Point
- 1,678 feet
Hike a delightful, somewhat rugged trail past several waterfalls to views of the Columbia River and the stunning Gorge, capped off by a stop by the most popular recreation area in the Northwest: Multnomah Falls.
East Peak
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
-
Length
- 8.6 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 2,500 feet
East Peak is a slightly longer, more challenging hike than the extremely popular route to Rattlesnake Ledge. Allow a little more time, and be sure to bring a map of the area!
Juanita Woodlands Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
-
Length
- 2.0 miles of trails
Juanita Woodlands is a small, 35-acre forested neighborhood park between Kirkland and Kenmore.
Cheasty Natural Area
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
This strip of green space in the middle of the Mount Baker and Columbia City neighborhoods of Seattle offers mountain bikers and hikers reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Westport State Park - Westport Light Trail
Southwest Washington > Long Beach Area
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Length
- 2.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 15 feet
-
Highest Point
- 30 feet
The Westport Light Trail, also known to locals as "The Dunes Trail" is about 1 paved mile dotted with many commemorative stone benches.
Palouse Falls
Eastern Washington > Palouse and Blue Mountains
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Length
- 1.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 0 feet
-
Highest Point
- 803 feet
All trails into the canyon and base of Palouse Falls are permanently closed.
The iconic Palouse Falls -- Washington State's official falls -- is not to be missed.