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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

4216 Hikes

Spring Creek - Green Mountain

South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
 
Length
7.5 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,235 feet
Highest Point
5,107 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.40
(5 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Summits
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
Hike a 7.5-mile loop from Horseshoe Lake Campground with a side trip to views of South Cascade peaks from the summit of Green Mountain.
 
 

Spray Park

Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich
 
Length
8.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,700 feet
Highest Point
6,500 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.28
(64 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Waterfalls
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife

The Fairfax Bridge (3 miles south of Carbonado) is closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic until further notice due to safety concerns. The Wonderland Trail is inaccessible from Mowich Lake due to the bridge closure.

Since getting to the trailhead involves a significant drive on gravel road, this hike sees fewer boots than trails leaving from Paradise and Sunrise. Spray Falls is attainable by most day hikers, but the gain up to Spray Park is a good test of your fitness level! Your reward on a clear day will be views, views, views of Echo Rock, Observation Rock and Mount Rainier.
 
 

Liberty Lake Regional Park - Split Creek Loop

Eastern Washington > Spokane Area/Coeur d'Alene
 
Length
3.6 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
508 feet
Highest Point
2,487 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.25
(4 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Fall foliage
  • Good for kids
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife
Meander alongside Liberty Creek, staying close to the water, on a trail that provides a shorter loop option than the full waterfall loop.
 
 

Spider Meadow and Phelps Basin

Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - East
 
Length
13.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,900 feet
Highest Point
5,400 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.21
(29 votes)
  • Established campsites
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife
This long but easy valley romp follows boisterous Phelps Creek to a mile-long broad flower-bursting meadow and a giant cirque beneath a formidable wall of towering peaks. But don't expect solitude, for Spider Meadow crawls with backpackers-brigades of them! The valley is large enough to disperse in, though, and Phelps Basin offers a quiet retreat from the meadow's loungers and shutterbugs and their tent cities.
 
 

Spectacle Lake

Snoqualmie Region > Salmon La Sac/Teanaway
 
Length
22.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,500 feet
Highest Point
4,600 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.42
(33 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Established campsites
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Rivers
  • Waterfalls
Spectacle Lake is truly worthy of the name - it's quite a sight to see. Nestled at the base of Chikamin Ridge and just a short jaunt from the Pacific Crest Trail, this lake is one of the true gems of Snoqualmie Pass.
 
 

Devils Gulch

Central Washington > Wenatchee
 
Length
9.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,100 feet
Highest Point
2,800 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.40
(5 votes)
  • Old growth
  • Wildlife
This hike goes primarily through a network of mountain bike trails. Hiking here is not recommended in the summer, when it can be extremely hot. Please know the rules of right-of-way before hiking here.
 
 

Mission Ridge

Central Cascades > Leavenworth Area
 
Length
14.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
3,200 feet
Highest Point
4,963 feet
Rating
Average rating:
2.80
(5 votes)
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife
The Mission Ridge trail is primarily used by mountain bikes and dirt bikes, which can make for a nice, compacted trail. But by the same token, parts of the single-track can be a bit narrow and cupped, having been carved out by bikes. This can be a bit hard on the knees and ankles after awhile (especially with the additional weight of a backpack).
 
 

Louis Lake

North Cascades > Methow/Sawtooth
 
Length
9.8 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
2,240 feet
Highest Point
5,360 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.36
(11 votes)
  • Established campsites
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
Hike through a fire-devastated forest to an alpine lake set below steep cliffs with a waterfall inlet. Rennie Peak looms to the south and a mature forest shelters many campsites. Come for the day, or camp and explore.
 
 

Elip Creek

Olympic Peninsula > Olympia
 
Length
4.6 miles, one-way
Elevation Gain
3,100 feet
Highest Point
3,760 feet
Rating
Average rating:
2.60
(5 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Ridges/passes
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife

The temporary bridge on North Shore Road has been removed for winter. The Graves Creek and North Fork trailheads are currently inaccessible due to both North Shore and South Shore roads being closed.

Elip Creek is a wild and challenging hike for those seeking an alternate approach to the Skyline Trail. It also makes a fine 21-mile loop by connecting to the Three Lakes and Big Creek trails, a route that climbs to subalpine meadows where picturesque tarns lie in solitude beneath tree studded ridges.
 
 

Three Lakes

Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast
 
Length
13.8 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
2,850 feet
Highest Point
3,175 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.25
(8 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Established campsites
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Rivers
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife

The temporary bridge on North Shore Road has been removed for winter. The Graves Creek and North Fork trailheads are currently inaccessible due to both North Shore and South Shore roads being closed.

The Three Lakes Trail is a tour of some of Olympic's finest old growth forests, and is the traditional start of the much longer Queets-Quinault Skyline route. Starting in lowland rainforest, the trail works its way through exemplary stands of montane and then subalpine forests before finally breaking out into meadows dotted with tiny lakes. This is a truly wild and remote corner of the Olympics that leaves a lasting impression on the lucky hiker who experiences its beauty.
 
 

Goat Island Mountain

Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
 
Highest Point
7,288 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.67
(3 votes)

Sunrise Road and White River Road have closed for the winter season.

The route to the top of Goat Island Mountain is not on true trail but is more of a scramble.
 
 

Owyhigh Lakes

Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
 
Length
7.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,650 feet
Highest Point
5,275 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.72
(25 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Established campsites
  • Good for kids
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife

Sunrise Road and White River Road have closed for the winter season.

Walk a very pleasant and well-graded trail through old- and new-growth forest. After a moderate elevation gain, the forest opens into meadowlands filled with wildflowers after the snow melts. A pair of shallow but pretty lakes, with a rocky ridge as a backdrop, completes the scene.
 
 

Little Tahoma

Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
 
Rating
Average rating:
3.33
(3 votes)

Sunrise Road and White River Road have closed for the winter season.

The route to Little Tahoma requires advanced mountaineering skills including glacier travel.
 
 

Eastside Loop

Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
 
Length
36.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
7,430 feet
Highest Point
6,800 feet
Rating
Average rating:
5.00
(1 vote)

Sunrise Road and White River Road have closed for the winter season.

A multi-night backpacking trip around the eastern edge of Mount Rainier National Park.
 
 

Tamanos Mountain

Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
 
Length
10.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
3,080 feet
Highest Point
6,790 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.25
(8 votes)
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Summits
  • Wildflowers/Meadows

Sunrise Road and White River Road have closed for the winter season.

Tamanos is a moderately strenuous 10 mile round trip hike that goes through forest, meadows, rock and ridge scrambles ending in glorious up close views of Mount Rainier.
 
 

Inter Glacier

Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
 
Length
4.6 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
2,920 feet
Highest Point
7,150 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.40
(5 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Established campsites
  • Mountain views
  • Ridges/passes
  • Rivers
  • Waterfalls

White River Road has closed for the winter season.

The Inter Glacier is part of the standard Mount Rainier climbing route. While it may appear to be just a steep snowfield, it is a glacier with crevasses and other hazards. Glacier travel experience and equipment is required.
 
 

Glacier Basin Loop

Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
 
Length
11.5 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
3,100 feet
Highest Point
7,400 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.67
(3 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Established campsites
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Summits
  • Wildflowers/Meadows

White River Road has closed for the winter season.

Expansive views of Mount Rainier, up-close views of Emmons Glacier, lakes, and campsites are just a few features of the Glacier Basin Loop's varying landscape.
 
 

Emmons Moraine

Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
 
Length
3.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
700 feet
Highest Point
5,000 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.00
(17 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Rivers

White River Road has closed for the winter season.

This short trail crosses the Inter Fork of the White River to views of The Mountain's largest glacier and the valley carved by this river of ice.
 
 

Kettle Crest South

Eastern Washington > Okanogan Highlands/Kettle River Range
 
Length
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
900 feet
Highest Point
6,500 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.60
(10 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Mountain views
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
The Kettle Crest South begins at the White Mountain Trailhead and extends to Sherman Pass, passing by White Mountain, Barnaby Butte, Bald Mountain, Snow Peak, and Sherman Peak along the way.
 
 

Barnaby Buttes

Eastern Washington > Okanogan Highlands/Kettle River Range
 
Length
7.4 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,975 feet
Highest Point
6,534 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.50
(4 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Mountain views
  • Summits
  • Wildlife
This remote perch in the Kettle Range grants hikers views of the Kettles and beyond.
 
 

White Mountain via Kettle Crest Trail South

Eastern Washington > Okanogan Highlands/Kettle River Range
 
Length
28.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,500 feet
Highest Point
6,921 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.20
(5 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Mountain views
  • Summits
This 28-mile round trip offers the best of the Columbia Highlands as it passes through old-growth ponderosa pine stands, skirts five significant peaks in the Kettle Range, and showcases the effects of the White Mountain Fire of 1988.
 
 

Sherman Peak Loop

Eastern Washington > Okanogan Highlands/Kettle River Range
 
Length
5.9 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,800 feet
Highest Point
6,998 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.17
(6 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Mountain views
  • Ridges/passes
  • Summits
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
This six mile loop offers a nice day hike option in the highlands of Eastern Washington, utilizing part of the scenic Kettle Crest Trail, and exploring the Sherman Pass area.
 
 

Swakane Canyon

Central Washington > Wenatchee
 
Length
6.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,470 feet
Highest Point
2,980 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.42
(12 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Mountain views
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife
This is a nice two season hike on an old road with views of the Columbia River valley from Badger Mountain to Wenatchee. Enroute you may see spring flowers, unique rock formations, and animals like deer, coyotes, snakes and hawks.
 
 

Lower Mad River Valley

Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
 
Length
14.9 miles, one-way
Elevation Gain
2,500 feet
Highest Point
2,000 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.50
(6 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Established campsites
  • Old growth
  • Rivers
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife
Hike along the Lower Mad River in a narrow rocky canyon. The first three miles makes an ideal day trip for hikers of all abilities. Looking for more adventure? The trail continues for almost 15 miles where it meets the Upper Mad River trail. Be prepared to share the trail with bikes, horses, and motorcycles.
 
 

Tyee Lookout

Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
 
Length
8.5 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
2,160 feet
Highest Point
6,640 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.67
(3 votes)
  • Mountain views
It is possible to drive all the way to the top of Tyee Ridge for majestic views of the land below. But the last 4 miles of the road to the top is extremely rough, so visitors can make that section a short hike with fabulous views.
 
 

Ollalie Creek Camp

Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
 
Length
5.6 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,600 feet
Highest Point
3,940 feet
Rating
Average rating:
2.67
(3 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Established campsites
  • Good for kids
  • Old growth
  • Wildflowers/Meadows

Stevens Canyon Road is closed for the winter season.

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
 
Length
34.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
4,400 feet
Highest Point
6,800 feet
Rating
Average rating:
5.00
(2 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Established campsites
  • Mountain views
  • Ridges/passes
  • Waterfalls
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife

Stevens Canyon Road is closed for the winter season.

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
 
Length
14.4 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
5,074 feet
Highest Point
5,900 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.10
(10 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Established campsites
  • Fall foliage
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Ridges/passes
  • Rivers
  • Waterfalls
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife

Stevens Canyon Road is closed for the winter season.

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
 
Length
3.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
600 feet
Highest Point
5,425 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.70
(10 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Fall foliage
  • Good for kids
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Ridges/passes
  • Wildflowers/Meadows

Stevens Canyon Road is closed for the winter season.

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.
 
 

Box Canyon and Nickel Creek

Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
 
Length
1.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
150 feet
Highest Point
3,400 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.20
(5 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Good for kids
  • Rivers

Stevens Canyon Road is closed for the winter season.

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.