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
4225 HikesBlakenship Lakes
South Cascades > White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley
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Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,170 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,290 feet
4.28.26: This trail is currently inaccessible due to a washout on Deep Creek Road (FR 1808).
Enjoy a trio of lakes and meadows on this excellent summer destination.
Twin Sisters Lakes
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
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Length
- 4.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 900 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,200 feet
4.28.26: This trail is currently inaccessible due to a washout on Deep Creek Road (FR 1808).
A long dirt road provides access to the central trailhead for the William O. Douglas Wilderness Area. The popular, easy forest hike to the Twin Sisters Lakes is a prelude to miles of exploration possible on trails and cross-country through open forest, past meadows, ponds, and lakes.
Tumac Mountain Loop
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
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Length
- 13.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,400 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,340 feet
4.28.26: This trail is currently inaccessible due to a washout on Deep Creek Road (FR 1808).
Nestled far from civilization, at the end of Deep Creek, you will likely have this glorious loop to yourself. A brief, three-mile section of the famous Pacific Crest Trail makes up the western link of this loop.
Mount Defiance
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
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Length
- 11.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,584 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,584 feet
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.
Kaleetan Lake
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
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Length
- 18.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 5,690 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,560 feet
Press on past Pratt Lake to reach a measure of backcountry solitude at Windy Lake or Kaleetan Lake in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.
Ira Spring Trail - Mason Lake
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
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Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,420 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,320 feet
Sun drenched ridgelines, blooming trillium, and sparkling alpine waters define this fitting tribute to one of Washington’s greatest trail advocates.
Thompson Lake via Mount Defiance
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
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Length
- 19.8 miles, roundtrip
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Highest Point
- 4,200 feet
Unbeknownst to many, there's a beautiful lake tucked into the forests on the west slopes of Mount Defiance. Thompson Lake provides a great destination for day hikers or overnighters in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. You may even find solitude here, just off the I-90 corridor. But that solitude comes at a price.
Talapus and Olallie Lakes
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
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Length
- 6.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,220 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,780 feet
With a moderate grade on a wide trail, the hike to Talapus Lake is the perfect introduction to the outdoors for hikers and beginning backpackers. Upon arrival at Talapus, break out lunch or pitch camp. Either way, you can cool off in the large lake. If you feel like pressing on, Ollalie Lake is just about a mile and a half up trail, where open campsites offer lakeside havens with calm waters and views of a beautiful lake basin.
Franklin Falls - Winter
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
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Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 800 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,600 feet
This popular summer trail off I-90 changes quite a bit during the winter months. Note that there is considerable avalanche danger at the falls.
Beacon Rock State Park - Beacon Rock
Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
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Length
- 2.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 600 feet
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Highest Point
- 848 feet
Beacon Rock's native name is "Che-Che-op-tin," which translates to "the navel of the world." Native Americans weren't far off in their comparison, since the 848-foot basalt column once formed the core, or belly, of an ancient volcano.
Rowena Plateau and Tom McCall Point
Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - OR
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Length
- 3.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,200 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,750 feet
Rowena Crest is a fabulous place to pull off the road and enjoy the sweeping views of the Columbia River. Grasslands, basalt cliffs, and scrub oak forests form the landscape you'll hike through on a trail that climbs steadily with ever-increasing views.
Tunnel Creek
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 9.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,450 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,050 feet
Tunnel Creek Trail has two trailheads. Nearly all hikers access the trail from the north side where for the first three miles the moderately easy grade is often within earshot of Tunnel Creek. After crossing the South Fork of Tunnel Creek, the route rises at a steeper but manageable grade past Harrison Lakes to 5050 Pass and some nearby viewpoints. The south side trailhead is on the Dosewallips Road. This segment’s notoriously steep grade to 5050 Pass means it is seldom used. Try it and you’ll find out why.
Tunnel Creek
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 1.6 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 1,300 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,400 feet
Hike a steep trail to some high alpine lakes south of Highway 2.
Turtleback Mountain Preserve - Ship Peak Loop
Puget Sound and Islands > San Juan Islands
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Length
- 3.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 860 feet
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Highest Point
- 931 feet
Explore beautiful Turtleback Mountain Preserve and take in of the most breathtaking views on Orcas Island. Ship Peak, is a moderate loop full of views and a summit starting at the south end of the preserve.
McClellan Butte
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
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Length
- 10.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 4,073 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,162 feet
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.
Oyster Dome
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 5.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,050 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,025 feet
Oyster Dome is a rocky promontory on the western slope of Blanchard Mountain, the grandest member of the Chuckanut Mountain range, an extension of the Cascades that rises directly from the ocean. The sheer cliffs of Oyster Dome offer year-round access to commanding views of the San Juans, Skagit River flats, Olympic Mountains, and Samish Bay.
Boulder Garden Loop
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
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Length
- 2.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 800 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,400 feet
The Boulder Garden Loop offers an opportunity to explore stone giants on a relatively untraveled path, despite its proximity to two of the busiest hiking thoroughfares in the Snoqualmie Pass region. It also is the access route to the Old Mount Si trail, for those who desire a less peopled approach to the Puget Sound region's most well-known hike.
Greider Lakes
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 8.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,035 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,930 feet
For those searching for alpine vistas with fewer visitors than on the most popular trails of the I-90 corridor, Greider Lakes is just right. This trailhead is located in the Sultan Basin Watershed.
Cedar Butte
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
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Length
- 3.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 900 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,880 feet
Take a short hike up a forested butte near Rattlesnake Lake, just 1.75 miles each way with 900 feet of elevation gain. Reach a summit with views toward the north, from Mount Si to Mailbox Peak, and several other peaks in between. Some hikers judge Cedar Butte to be a better viewpoint than the much-visited West Tiger 3 summit, and it requires less effort and has smaller crowds, so when you are ready for a change of scene check it out.
Chelan Butte
Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
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Length
- 7.46 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,500 feet
On this hike, you'll get your heart rate going under intense UV rays and a whole lot of dust in your nose/shoes/socks, so pack your trekking poles, sunscreen, buff, an extra pair of socks and lots of water! But for braving the elements, you’ll be rewarded with a rainbow of wildflowers (think balsamroot, desert-parsley, phlox, lupine and so much more), incredible views of the town of Chelan, and perhaps best of all, the massive lake that the town shares its name with.
Bear Ridge
Issaquah Alps > Cougar Mountain
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Length
- 3.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,056 feet
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Highest Point
- 991 feet
Hike this little-used trail on the east side of Cougar Mountain past an enormous glacial boulder left over from the last ice age.
Moses Stool - Badger Mountain
Central Washington > Wenatchee
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Length
- 6.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 600 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,600 feet
Walk along a ridge to a couple of high points in Central Washington, with gigantic views in all directions.
Silver Lake - Monte Cristo
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 13.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,791 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,405 feet
Visit the remains of an old mining town in a basin surrounded by high peaks. Climb to Silver Lake nestled under the steep side of Silvertip Peak with good camping and good views of surrounding peaks.
Perry Creek
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 10.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,400 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,250 feet
Perry Creek proves you can have it all in a single hike — old-growth forest, wildflowers, waterfalls, meadows, expansive mountain views, even lakes! Tread lightly, though — due to its unparalleled diversity of native plants, the area between the summits of Stillaguamish Peak, Mount Forgotten and Mount Dickerman is a research natural area that could (in theory) be closed to all uses but scientific study.
Old Government
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 4.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 300 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,400 feet
This is a pleasant, short, lowland forest walk, accessed in Barlow Pass, the popular jumping-off point for locations like Monte Cristo and Gothic Basin.
Mount Forgotten
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 13.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 4,300 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,005 feet
Mount Forgotten is an appealing target for the peculiarly determined hiker-turned-climber. Its sheer wall of a summit is very striking and easily instills visions of alpinism in those headed to Mount Forgotten Meadows, but the route takes a roundabout journey that requires not so much vertiginous daring-do as it does oodles of patience. The views from the top are spectacular, particularly the unobstructed view straight up Glacier Peak.
Mount Dickerman
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 8.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,950 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,760 feet
If the best views come to those who earn them, Mount Dickerman offers the fairest vantage along the Mountain Loop. You’ll huff and puff through 4,000 feet of elevation on your way to the summit; in return, you’ll get a superb panorama of nearly every peak in the Mountain Loop. In late summer, it also rewards the intrepid with a bounty of mountain blueberries.
Headlee Pass and Vesper Lake
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,700 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,950 feet
Vesper Lake is squeezed, like a thumbprint in clay, deep in the saddle between the twin summits of Sperry Peak and Vesper Peak. Rarely is a lake situated so close and steeply below two summits like this–its unique setting gives you remarkably up-close (and straight-up) views of mountainous terrain. And all that comes after the former mining trail that provides incredible scenery along the way.
Gothic Basin
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 9.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,840 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,200 feet
Rough and tumble is the trail, just like the miners that constructed this path. Becoming progressively more rugged, the ascent to Gothic Basin offers tremendous rewards at its end. Early on, one simply meanders alongside the relentless South Fork of the Sauk River, then turns into a forested, increasingly steep bee-line to the basin with waterfalls, flowers, and views of the surrounding mountains to keep one distracted once you leave the forest.
Glacier Basin
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 12.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,159 feet
This strenuous hike out of Monte Cristo features everything from smooth incline to rough rock scrambles. There is tough but absolutely beautiful trail along the way and it gets even better once you reach your destination.