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
4215 HikesIcicle Ridge via Fourth of July Creek
Central Cascades > Leavenworth Area
-
Length
- 12.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 4,370 feet
-
Highest Point
- 7,020 feet
Visit this trail in the springtime and you can expect to see an explosion of wildflower color! At more than 4500 feet in 5.5 miles of trail, the route to the old Icicle Ridge Lookout site is quite an undertaking, but the views and the flowers are truly worth the energy it takes to get up there.
Icicle Gorge Nature Loop
Central Cascades > Leavenworth Area
-
Length
- 4.2 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 150 feet
-
Highest Point
- 2,800 feet
The Icicle Gorge Trail, one of the most popular trails in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, is a wonderful way to explore the natural beauty of the Icicle Creek Valley. The interpretive loop trail has a gentle grade and scenic views of Icicle Creek, Icicle Gorge, and the surrounding forest that are ideal for families, trail runners, beginner hikers, bird enthusiasts, and those looking to take a nice long walk on a well-defined path.
Icicle Creek
Central Cascades > Leavenworth Area
-
Length
- 3.2 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 258 feet
-
Highest Point
- 3,056 feet
Both the bridge over French Creek 1.5 miles up and the bridge over Icicle Creek 5 miles up the trail are broken and unsafe to cross. There is no way to ford the creeks during high water.
An out and back hike through the forest with gentle hills for the first two miles or so. It eventually joins Icicle Creek at its confluence with French Creek, and the trail continues beyond.
Horseshoe Lake
Central Cascades > Leavenworth Area
-
Length
- 16.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 2,928 feet
-
Highest Point
- 6,300 feet
A couple miles beyond Lake Stuart and a few hundred feet up lies Horseshoe Lake--a stunning, silent lake that makes for an excellent day trip for those lucky folks who get to camp at Lake Stuart. It’s also attainable as a day hike, but you’ll want to get an early start.
French Creek
Central Cascades > Leavenworth Area
-
Length
- 14.4 miles, one-way
-
Elevation Gain
- 3,200 feet
-
Highest Point
- 6,100 feet
The bridge over French Creek 1.5 miles up Icicle Creek Trail is broken and unsafe to cross. There is no way to ford the creek during high water.
One of many trails in this area that create tons of fun loop options, the French Creek Trail is 14.4 miles long, and gains 3200 feet of elevation along its length. Due to diminishing funding, the trail is very brushy in sections, making it difficult to navigate. Hiking it end-to-end makes for a fun traverse through the heart of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, and over county lines!
The Enchantments
Central Cascades > Leavenworth Area
-
Length
- 18.0 miles, one-way
-
Elevation Gain
- 4,500 feet
-
Highest Point
- 7,800 feet
The Enchantment Lakes are an alpine wonderland of pristine lakes set among polished granite, soaring peaks, blazing larches and ambling mountain goats. Widely regarded as the crown jewel of hiking in Washington, this trail exceeds even the wildest of superlatives.
Eightmile Mountain
Central Cascades > Leavenworth Area
An off-trail scramble to a summit above Eightmile Lake.
Eightmile Creek Snowshoe
Central Cascades > Leavenworth Area
-
Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,165 feet
-
Highest Point
- 3,265 feet
The Eightmile Creek Snowshoe is a snowy road walk during the winter. This busy summer road becomes a beautiful backdrop for a winter walk. Turn around at either the Eightmile Lake Trailhead or carry on a little farther to the Stuart Lake trailhead. Be aware of avalanche conditions along the road before heading here for a snowshoe outing.
Dragontail Peak
Central Cascades > Leavenworth Area
-
Length
- 13.5 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 5,833 feet
-
Highest Point
- 8,840 feet
A lengthy and difficult hike up an iconic peak inside the Enchantments. Climbing gear and expertise required.
Chatter Creek
Central Cascades > Leavenworth Area
-
Length
- 11.4 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 4,959 feet
-
Highest Point
- 6,692 feet
No matter how you tackle it, this hike is a workout. March through thick Ponderosa forests up to subalpine larch stands and a view from the pass, with options to continue on for a small alpine lake with backcountry campsites and access to other wilderness trails.
Blackjack Ridge
Central Cascades > Leavenworth Area
-
Length
- 8.0 miles, one-way
-
Elevation Gain
- 3,800 feet
-
Highest Point
- 6,700 feet
This trail features ridgetop views and numerous steep switchbacks through forest and open meadows. Beginning at the Blackpine Trailhead, it climbs through second-growth forest to wide open views of the Icicle Ridge area and ends at the Snowall-Cradle Lake trail.
Windy Pass
Central Cascades > Leavenworth Area
-
Length
- 15.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 4,325 feet
-
Highest Point
- 7,200 feet
Take a side trip from Lake Caroline up to a saddle with gorgeous, sweeping views of the Alpine Lakes wilderness.
Trout Lake via Jack Trout Trailhead
Central Cascades > Leavenworth Area
-
Length
- 11.7 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 2,918 feet
-
Highest Point
- 4,800 feet
Hike a gorgeously-graded trail to a marshy lake with views of the backside of the Enchantment mountains.
Klickitat Rail Trail
Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
-
Length
- 31.0 miles, one-way
-
Elevation Gain
- 200 feet
-
Highest Point
- 1,550 feet
Hop aboard for an early-season wildflower bloom amid remote terrain and open air. At a healthy clip or a slow meander, this rail trail is fun at any speed!
Catherine Creek - Universal Access Trail
Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
-
Length
- 1.5 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 120 feet
-
Highest Point
- 300 feet
Beautiful views, amazing wildflowers, oak woodlands, open grasslands—this short hike is the perfect way to sample the best of the Catherine Creek area. More than 90 varieties of wildflowers bloom here, making this a favorite springtime destination.
Catherine Creek - Tracy Hill Loop
Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
-
Length
- 6.1 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,715 feet
-
Highest Point
- 1,870 feet
The Tracy Hill Loop at Catherine Creek is a popular route, but the eastern-most portion of it crosses a parcel of tribal land not open to the public. Visitors are encouraged to use the WTA-built Catherine Creek loop, which starts and ends from the main parking area for Catherine Creek.
Catherine Creek Loop
Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
-
Length
- 5.5 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,424 feet
-
Highest Point
- 1,332 feet
This route at Catherine Creek takes hikers past a natural arch and into the higher country around the meadows at Catherine Creek.
Sloan Peak
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 9.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 2,900 feet
-
Highest Point
- 7,835 feet
9.3.25: The trail is closed until further notice due to the Red Mountain Fire.
This route on the north side of Sloan Peak is steep and challenging. Hikers with navigational skills can make it to the base of the peak -- climbing gear and expertise is needed to achieve the summit.
Skagit River Loop Trail
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
-
Length
- 1.8 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 118 feet
-
Highest Point
- 597 feet
This is a lovely little trail tucked behind the North Cascades Visitor Center outside of Newhalem. Learn about the area by exploring inside the Visitor Center, and then see some of the natural wonders for yourself by wandering down the River Loop Trail to the Skagit River.
Round Lake
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 11.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 4,300 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,600 feet
While Round Lake, tucked securely in a hidden basin on Lost Creek Ridge, is a wonderful locale, this hike is definitely more about the journey than the destination. After a demanding initial grunt, amble along a mile-high, flower-swaying, peak-packed, view-granting ridge. Savor one of the finest vantages for admiring spiraling Sloan Peak's sprawling sparkling glacier. And if you can ever move your eyes away from this mesmerizing mountain, a multitude of others demand your attention as well.
Red Mountain Lookout
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 2.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 700 feet
-
Highest Point
- 2,800 feet
This seldom-used trail within Glacier Peak Wilderness leads through an old-growth forest with magnificent, large trees to the site of an old fire lookout build in the 1930s.
Painted Mountain (Red Mountain)
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 8.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 4,875 feet
-
Highest Point
- 6,975 feet
A climber's trail past the abandoned lookout on Painted Mountain to higher elevations. Experience and comfort with scrambling necessary for this hike.
Pilot Ridge
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 11.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 5,946 feet
A steep, infrequently maintained trail that is part of the White Pass-Pilot Ridge Loop.
North Fork Sauk River
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 18.2 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 5,078 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,949 feet
Some trails go to lakes, some to high viewpoints. This trail is all about the forest, and what a forest it is! Old-growth trees reach for the sky on either side of a brush-free trail, since understory is minimal when the big old trees block out the light. Find fantastic mushrooms here in the fall and forest wildflowers in the spring and early summer.
North Fork Sauk Falls
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 0.4 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 200 feet
-
Highest Point
- 1,500 feet
This short trail descends 200 feet to the base of a large 45-foot waterfall.
Newhalem Creek
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
-
Length
- 9.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 800 feet
-
Highest Point
- 2,000 feet
Hike towards the base of Klawatti and Austera Peaks along Newhalem Creek on this unmaintained North Cascades National Park trail. Years of blowdowns and overgrowth make this trail difficult to hike and navigate, but Newhalem Falls and the views of the mountains cannot be beaten. It's a great way to get into the North Cascades in the winter and still avoid the snow.
Lost Creek Ridge
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 14.0 miles, one-way
-
Elevation Gain
- 5,000 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,700 feet
A rugged trail that offers stunning views and access to several beautiful backcountry lakes.
Linking Trail
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
-
Length
- 0.2 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 0 feet
-
Highest Point
- 515 feet
This short trail connects the River Loop and The Trail of Cedars in the Newhalem Campground. If you are staying in the campground, this is a great alternative to walking the hot gravel campground road.
Ladder Creek Falls
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
-
Length
- 0.5 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 359 feet
-
Highest Point
- 744 feet
Meander along this path to a loud and misty falls near Newhalem which offer a great respite from heat on hot summer afternoons.
Harold Engles Memorial Cedars
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
-
Length
- 1.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 200 feet
-
Highest Point
- 1,800 feet
This is a half-mile loop hike past giant cedar trees preserved by Harold Engles, a famous Forest Ranger.