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 HikesPalouse to Cascades Trail - Easton
Snoqualmie Region > Cle Elum Area
A segment of the cross-state Palouse to Cascades Trail
Palouse to Cascades Trail - Rattlesnake Lake
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
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Length
- 11.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 300 feet
-
Highest Point
- 1,100 feet
3.20.26: The Palouse to Cascades trail is closed (1) between the Olallie Trail to Homestead Valley trailhead and (2) between the Carter Creek campsite to the west side of the Snoqualmie Tunnel until further notice due to storm damage.
The Palouse to Cascades Trail in Iron Horse State Park provides access to notable North Bend hikes, views of mountains and waterfalls, and a journey back into Washington’s history. Take in the wildlife and cross soaring bridges as you make a level traverse from Rattlesnake Lake to Change and Hall Creeks 5.5 miles to the east.
Puyallup Riverwalk Trail
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 8.4 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 413 feet
-
Highest Point
- 73 feet
Walk along the Puyallup River on a nature walk without ever leaving the city.
Anderson and Watson Lakes
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
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Length
- 6.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,100 feet
-
Highest Point
- 4,900 feet
3.20.26: FR 1107 is closed at mile 4 due to storm damage.
This trail features plenty of variety, with destinations spaced perfectly for families or first-time backpackers. Beautiful hemlock forest, meadows dotted with wildflowers, gleaming lakes, mountain views, juicy berries and excellent camping are all available. Wait until later in the hiking season though, as this area is known for its bugs.
Mount Baker
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
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Highest Point
- 10,778 feet
3.20.26: Glacier Creek Road is closed at mile 1 due to washouts at mile 3.6 and 3.8.
The dominant feature in the North Cascades is Mount Baker, a glaciated volcano that can be seen on clear days from as far as Seattle and makes a great backdrop for photos of Vancouver, BC. Many hiking trails follow the ridges around Mount Baker and offer stunning views of the summit. Climbing to the summit is done mainly via the Coleman and Easton glaciers and requires technical expertise with high-altitude snow and ice.
Heliotrope Ridge
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
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Length
- 5.5 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,400 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,100 feet
3.20.26: Glacier Creek Road is closed at mile 1 due to washouts at mile 3.6 and 3.8.
If you'd like nose-to-nose access to Mount Baker, this first-rate woodsy walk delivers. Over a relatively short, well-maintained trail with mild elevation gain, you can be glacier-side in no time... if the creek crossings allow.
Coal Pass Snowshoe
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
-
Length
- 10.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 2,400 feet
-
Highest Point
- 4,500 feet
3.20.26: Glacier Creek Road is closed at mile 1 due to washouts at mile 3.6 and 3.8.
Following a series of winding, snow-covered forest roads, the route to Coal Pass culminates in sweeping views of Mount Baker’s glaciated northwest flank.
Silent Swamp Loop
Issaquah Alps > Tiger Mountain
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Length
- 8.8 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 600 feet
-
Highest Point
- 1,780 feet
Hike a restored trail in the southeast corner of the Tigers, through an area that is very green, with impressive moss cover and with many huge, decaying stumps remaining from logging a century ago.
Inside Passage
Issaquah Alps > Tiger Mountain
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Length
- 6.2 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,600 feet
-
Highest Point
- 2,150 feet
This 1.6-mile section of trail is located in the Tiger Mountain State Forest. It is popular with mountain bikers and hikers.
East Side Road
Issaquah Alps > Tiger Mountain
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Length
- 6.5 miles, one-way
-
Elevation Gain
- 200 feet
-
Highest Point
- 1,400 feet
The East Side Road is an access road on Tiger Mountain that is closed to vehicle traffic and open to hikers. The road roughly parallels the eastern boundary of Tiger Mountain and connects with several other trails.
Custer's Bridge - Middle Tiger Loop
Issaquah Alps > Tiger Mountain
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Length
- 11.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,600 feet
-
Highest Point
- 2,607 feet
Hike the forested Iverson Railroad Trail and the little-used middle section of the main Tiger Mountain Trail (TMT). Look in on the site of a 1925 logging train wreck. Continue on to remote Custer's Bridge, and return via a loop over Middle Tiger Mountain, including views south-side hikers miss.
Tiger Mountain Road
Issaquah Alps > Tiger Mountain
Tiger Mountain Road is a gravel road that starts at the East Tiger Mountain Summit Parking Lot and winds up near the summit.
Lord Hill Regional Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
-
Length
- 6.5 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,000 feet
-
Highest Point
- 633 feet
Lord Hill Park is a wonderful wild park and an excellent place to hike, covering about 1,463 acres of wetland and forest. Hikers can roam all day on the network of trails leading through the forest, down to the Snohomish River and up to views of the Cascades and Snohomish Valley.
Elowah and Upper McCord Creek Falls
Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - OR
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Length
- 3.5 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 620 feet
-
Highest Point
- 660 feet
This hike is actual a twofer, forking to two paths each leading to a waterfall – go up to Upper McCord Creek’s twin waterfalls, or down to the towering Elowah Falls. Each waterfall has its own character and it is worth visiting both of them.
Coyote Wall
Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
Thanks to an extensive planning process in this popular area, this formerly user-created trail has been re-routed and improved to make it enjoyable for hikers and mountain bikers, and sustainable for the land it is on.
Mima Mounds
Olympic Peninsula > Olympia
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Length
- 2.75 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 10 feet
-
Highest Point
- 225 feet
These mysterious mounds inspire imagination and speculation among visitors. With a half-mile ADA accessible path and another two miles of more rugged wandering, the Mima Mounds are a great destination for many hikers.
Parkland Prairie
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
-
Length
- 0.5 miles of trails
The preserve is closed until late 2026 for a trail resurfacing project.
This neighborhood park has a short loop trail that takes visitors through a prairie ecosystem brimming with interesting trees, flowers and grasses.
Ross Dam Trail
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 1.6 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 500 feet
-
Highest Point
- 2,100 feet
3.19.26: Highway 20 is closed at (and east of) Colonial Creek Campground until further notice due to a rock fall.
This forested trail in the North Cascades National Park Complex leads down to Ross Lake and the network of trails in the Ross Lake National Recreation Area. Look out over both Ross Lake and Ross Dam before making your way down to Ross Dam itself
Happy Creek Nature Trail
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 2.6 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 570 feet
-
Highest Point
- 2,780 feet
3.19.26: Highway 20 is closed at (and east of) Colonial Creek Campground until further notice due to a rock fall.
Hikers can choose from an easy loop partially along Happy Creek, or a longer hike to Happy Creek Falls, site of an old sawmill that supported the mining in the late 1800's.
Thunder Woods Nature Trail
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 1.5 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 350 feet
-
Highest Point
- 1,200 feet
3.19.26: Highway 20 is closed at (and east of) Colonial Creek Campground until further notice due to a rock fall.
Hiking the North Cascades is a treat for all ages. This short nature trail gives a taste of moss-draped old growth with moderate elevation gain.
Erinswood
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 0.7 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 50 feet
-
Highest Point
- 600 feet
Heybrook Ridge Park (including this trail) is closed due to construction on the Erinswood Trail. It is expected to reopen in June.
Erinswood is a barrier-free trail that meanders through a variety of ecosystems over its short length. Meditate to the sound of rushing streams as you pass through riparian, deciduous, and evergreen habitats that form the backdrop of a 0.7-mile sojourn under the shadow of Heybrook Ridge. Erinswood is still under construction and likely to be completed by the end of 2019.
Heybrook Ridge
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 3.3 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 775 feet
-
Highest Point
- 1,327 feet
Heybrook Ridge Park (including this trail) is closed due to construction on the Erinswood Trail. It is expected to reopen in June.
The Leovy Trail, a testament to community land conservation, is a moderate ascent through second-growth Cascade rainforest to the summit of Heybrook Ridge. At the top, take in stunning views of Mount Index, Bridal Veil Falls, and the Skykomish Valley.
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 5.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 10 feet
-
Highest Point
- 10 feet
Formerly known as the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge and renamed to honor the memory of a noted activist, this an excellent year-round destination for wildlife viewing and photography.
Roundup Park
Eastern Washington > Okanogan Highlands/Kettle River Range
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Length
- 1.6 miles of trails
-
Elevation Gain
- 10 feet
-
Highest Point
- 775 feet
This short loop trail visits a riparian island rich with birdlife and beavers in this forgotten corner of the Okanogan River.
Wild Horses Monument
Central Washington > Yakima
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Length
- 0.4 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 150 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,300 feet
Witness up close one of the most frequently viewed public artworks in the state of Washington, while admiring a broad view of the Columbia River and the tiny hamlet of Vantage.
Monte Carlo
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
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Length
- 10.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,560 feet
-
Highest Point
- 3,360 feet
Get a good workout on this trail that climbs to a summit with views of the south Cascade range. Continue on to make it a longer hike, continuing down into deep forest to the south trailhead.
West Elwha
Olympic Peninsula > Northern Coast
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Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,400 feet
-
Highest Point
- 650 feet
Take a short but very scenic hike starting from the Altair campground in Olympic National Park. Traverse along the edge of the Elwha River, recently free-flowing thanks to the removal of the Glines Canyon Dam.
Murhut Falls
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 1.6 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 250 feet
-
Highest Point
- 1,050 feet
This short trail in the Hood Canal Ranger District on the east side of the Olympics takes hikers to a relatively unknown waterfall that delivers its reward -- a captivating 130-foot plunging waterfall -- in just under a mile.
Steptoe Butte State Park Heritage Site
Eastern Washington > Palouse and Blue Mountains
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Highest Point
- 3,612 feet
Fans of geology, history and, of course, nature can enjoy this 168-acre day-use park. The top of the butte has magnificent views from above the Palouse Hills, and you can learn more about the area’s unique geology from interpretive panels at the summit.
Divide Camp
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
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Length
- 5.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,400 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,100 feet
The Divide Camp Trail features dense forests, glacial creeks and wildflower-strewn meadows. It also sees less traffic than the nearby Killen Creek Trail – the standard approach to High Camp.