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 HikesOrangegate Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 2.5 miles of trails
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Highest Point
- 400 feet
Orangegate Park Is a large greenspace managed by Pierce County Parks. This parcel has a trail network that is still under development. WTA volunteers have worked here to develop these trails.
South Whidbey State Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Whidbey Island
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Length
- 3.5 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 200 feet
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Highest Point
- 400 feet
With commanding views of the Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains, this 347-acre park also has opportunities for bird watching, clamming and crabbing, and offers 3.5 miles of hiking trails in old-growth forest and along a stretch of unspoiled saltwater shoreline.
Grand Canyon of Fifteenmile Creek
Issaquah Alps > Tiger Mountain
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Length
- 1.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 350 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,200 feet
A short and secluded walk along Fifteenmile creek offers views of waterfalls, cliffs and old coal mines.
Cathedral Pass Loop
North Cascades > Pasayten
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Length
- 44.7 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 4,000 feet
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Highest Point
- 7,800 feet
Hike through some of the Boundary Trail’s best scenery on the 44-mile lollipop loop along the Chewuch River and through majestic Cathedral Pass.
Trap Pass
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 11.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,700 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,800 feet
Hike the Tunnel Creek Trail to a junction with the PCT that leads to Trap Pass, a small gap on the ridge of Thunder Mountain.
Shaw Lake
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 8.0 miles, roundtrip
Shaw Lake is a small pond in Wallace Falls State Park, without formal trails accessing it.
Juniper Dunes Wilderness
Central Washington > Tri-Cities
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Length
- 15.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 300 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,050 feet
Witness the polar opposites of land use management in this unique BLM wilderness, accessed through a popular OHV area. Once within the wilderness fence, visitors are rewarded with wide-open hiking through varied terrain, including the largest remaining juniper groves in Washington.
Nordrum Lake
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
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Length
- 19.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 4,172 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,675 feet
A steep and seldom traveled trail settled in what is now Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Nordrum Lake provides giant old-growth conifers, rivers, streams, waterfalls – and quite a workout! This narrow path cuts off the Taylor River/Snoqualmie Lake trail after about 6.5 miles, and doesn’t stop climbing until you reach the lake at about 3675’. But don’t worry, the giant cedars and firs provide shade throughout the entirety of the hike, keeping you cool on even the hottest of summer days.
English Boom
Puget Sound and Islands > San Juan Islands
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Length
- 0.9 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 9 feet
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Highest Point
- 13 feet
English Boom County Park is an all-season area that offers bird watching, beach combing, wildflowers and views of the Cascades. It is also a historical area with remnants of early logging operations for transporting logs by rail and water. There are picnic facilities and wheelchair-friendly boardwalks and a viewing platform. A short walk takes you through an estuary cut through with small channels. A small parking lot accommodates about ten vehicles which includes some spaces along the end of the road.
Lanham Lake Snowshoe
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - East
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Length
- 3.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,100 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,100 feet
The snowshoe route up to Lanham Lake is a straightforward climb through trees, but you'll be rewarded with a delightful little lake and a burst of sunshine on a clear, chilly day.
Change Peak
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
The route to Change Peak is not an official Forest Service trail. The route is not maintained and requires route-finding skills to navigate.
Bear Canyon
Central Washington > Yakima
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Length
- 6.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,130 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,200 feet
Follow a stream between steep sided basalt cliffs up a shady canyon in the transition zone between the Cascade Mountains and the dry shrub-steppe grasslands of eastern Washington.
Chopper Peak
Central Washington > Wenatchee
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Length
- 3.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,440 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,400 feet
A quick hike up to a summit outside of Wenatchee with views of the Columbia River, Horse Lake Mountain, Mission Ridge, and the Enchantments.
Copper Glance Lake
North Cascades > Pasayten
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Length
- 6.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,560 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,260 feet
This hike through history, both natural and mining, leads to a beautiful emerald lake below the rocky cliffs of Isabella Ridge. The mix of old mining road and steep trail passes through burnt forest, past an old mine, through flowered meadows, and across a boulder field to reach Copper Glance Lake.
Railroad Trail
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 6.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 325 feet
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Highest Point
- 380 feet
Walk along an old-railroad-track-turned-trail through the city of Bellingham.
Samish Crest Open Space
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 3.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 490 feet
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Highest Point
- 880 feet
Connecting the Puget and Samish neighborhoods of Bellingham is the Samish Crest Trail, meandering through the Samish Crest Open Space, where hikers will find even more trails to explore.
Skyline Lake Snowshoe
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 3.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,100 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,100 feet
Dramatic mounds of snow, a frozen lake and sweeping views into the Alpine Lakes and Glacier Peak Wildernesses await snowshoers at Skyline Lake. Easily accessed from the Stevens Pass ski area, this steep and rewarding ridge walk is a classic on a sunny day.
Lake Susan Jane Snowshoe
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
WTA does not recommend attempting this route, as it requires hiking through an active ski resort and in areas that may have high avalanche danger.
Green Mountain - Wildcat Trail
Olympic Peninsula > Kitsap Peninsula
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Length
- 9.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,900 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,639 feet
The Wildcat Trail on Green Mountain follows a multi-use trail on a steep, rocky ascent to the peak. Along the way, enjoy views of Hood Canal, the Olympics, and sometimes even downtown Seattle!
Stuart Island Marine State Park
Puget Sound and Islands > San Juan Islands
Accessible only by water, this state park has primitive campgrounds, trails to explore and incredible views of the Puget Sound.
North SeaTac Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
This small park near the SeaTac airport is great for outdoor sports lovers — baseball, soccer, basketball, disc golf, even BMX! — and those seeking some urban trails.
Whittaker Wilderness Peak
Issaquah Alps > Cougar Mountain
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Length
- 3.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,228 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,598 feet
A trail named for local mountaineer Jim Whittaker, this hike begins at the road and ascends to the summit of Cougar Mountain.
Brightwater Center
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 3.0 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 120 feet
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Highest Point
- 290 feet
Don’t let the thought of the Brightwater Treatment Plant prevent you from hiking through the Brightwater Center’s 70-acre suburban wetland and woodland preserve that serves as a refuge for local wildlife and plant species. The trails at Brightwater are ideal for families, birdwatchers, pets, and children.
Kendall Peak Lakes
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
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Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,030 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,500 feet
Popular in the winter as a beginner snowshoeing route, Kendall Peak Lakes is less-frequently visited in the summertime. But if you're OK with hiking a Forest Service road, then navigating a somewhat faint route to your destination, you can enjoy a short and sweet hike with good views of Snoqualmie Pass.
Dwight's Way
Issaquah Alps > Tiger Mountain
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Length
- 0.8 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 190 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,250 feet
Detour off the Lingering Trail and amble through forest to junctions with the Preston Trail or the Bootleg Trail.
Columbia Hills State Park - Horsethief Butte
Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
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Length
- 1.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 200 feet
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Highest Point
- 498 feet
Horsethief Butte, one part of the expansive Columbia Hills State Historical Park, is composed of hexagonal columns of Wanapum basalt flows that were scoured by the Ice Age floods some 10,000 years ago. Rock climbers are attracted to the sheer cliff faces but hikers and scramblers will find a marked route to the summit.
By Pass Trail
Issaquah Alps > Cougar Mountain
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Length
- 0.2 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 50 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,256 feet
A short access trail from the Clay Pit Road that connects with the Cave Hole Trail and others to make endless loop options on Cougar Mountain.
Lake Whatcom Park - Hertz Trail
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 6.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 100 feet
Enjoy lakeside views and the surrounding hills plus waterfalls and giant old Douglas-fir trees from an old railroad grade of the Bellingham Bay & Eastern Railway that borders the southeast shore of Lake Whatcom.
Domerie Divide Trail
Snoqualmie Region > Cle Elum Area
This steep, unmaintained trail provides a link between the Easton Ridge and the Domerie Peak Trail
Jove Peak
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - East
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Highest Point
- 6,007 feet
With steep, broad slopes and no maintained trail to the summit, Jove Peak is a popular winter destination, but is attainable year round. Climbing experience recommended.