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
4207 HikesBarnaby Buttes
Eastern Washington > Okanogan Highlands/Kettle River Range
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Length
- 7.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,975 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,534 feet
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
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Length
- 28.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,500 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,921 feet
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
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Length
- 5.9 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,800 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,998 feet
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
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Length
- 6.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,470 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,980 feet
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
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Length
- 14.9 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 2,500 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,000 feet
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
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Length
- 8.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,160 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,640 feet
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
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Length
- 5.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,600 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,940 feet
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
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Length
- 34.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 4,400 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,800 feet
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
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Length
- 14.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 5,074 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,900 feet
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
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Length
- 3.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 600 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,425 feet
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
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Length
- 1.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 150 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,400 feet
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.
Bench and Snow Lakes
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
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Length
- 2.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 610 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,725 feet
Stevens Canyon Road is closed for the winter season.
Escape the crowds within Mount Rainier National Park without going on a lengthy adventure. Visit one or both of two alpine lakes, the second one just a bit more than a mile from the parking lot.
Unicorn Peak
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
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Length
- 4.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,397 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,971 feet
Stevens Canyon Road is closed for the winter season.
Unicorn Peak is the tallest in the Tatoosh Mountain Range and offers spectacular views of Mount Rainier. It's top is somewhat jagged which looks like a Unicorn's horn, hence the name. Climbing expertise and gear is required to summit Unicorn.
Stevens Canyon Waterfalls
Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
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Length
- 8.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,675 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,750 feet
Stevens Canyon Road is closed for the winter season.
You don’t have to be circumnavigating Mount Rainier to see Sylvia Falls and Martha Falls. Do this section of the Wonderland Trail in the shoulder season, or when the weather obscures higher views, or just when you would just rather hike in shaded forest.
Pipestone Canyon Rim Trail
North Cascades > Methow/Sawtooth
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Length
- 9.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,500 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,420 feet
Explore a scenic and incredibly varied landscape near Winthrop where you are almost certainly guaranteed to see some of the region’s abundant wildlife.
Skagit Wildlife Area
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 2.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 0 feet
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Highest Point
- 0 feet
Each year, from fall to spring, this area is a bird paradise, with snow geese and trumpeter and tundra swans overwintering in huge numbers. There are several access points in the wildlife refuge. The Headquarters area has a two mile trail and staff may be able to point you to other appropriate areas to visit.
Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
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Length
- 2.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 223 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,905 feet
Conboy Lake is now more of a marsh than a lake but it is home to a variety of wildlife. The habitat consists of oak, pine, and aspen forests, wetlands and grassy prairies.
Elliott Bay Trail
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 10.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 350 feet
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Highest Point
- 65 feet
The Elliott Bay Trail follows the shoreline of Elliott Bay for 5 miles from S Royal Brougham Way near CenturyLink and SafeCo Fields to Smith Cove Park in Magnolia.
Gas Works Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 1.0 miles of trails
Popular year-round, but especially on sunny summer days, Gas Works Park is a popular greenspace with some old remains from an coal gasification plant. A rolling hill on the north side of Lake Union offers a great place to luxuriate in the sun and watch water traffic on the lake.
Cheshiahud Lake Union Loop
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 6.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 439 feet
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Highest Point
- 77 feet
Named for a Duwamish chief who led a village on Lake Union, this six-mile, mostly-paved urban loop connects pocket parks and multi-use paths around Lake Union in Seattle. If you don't stop for a bite to eat in one of the neighborhoods along the way, Gasworks Park (on the north side of the loop) and Lake Union Park (on the south side) both make great picnic spots with lake views.
Greenbank Farm
Puget Sound and Islands > Whidbey Island
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Length
- 7.0 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 275 feet
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Highest Point
- 300 feet
Greenbank Farm was saved from becoming a housing community by partnerships with local land officials and the Trust for Public Land. Thanks to protection from Island County and the Nature Conservancy, hikers can explore the many trails that web the more than 500 acres of fields that surround the expansive property of Greenbank.
Fort Casey State Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Whidbey Island
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Length
- 2.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 200 feet
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Highest Point
- 200 feet
This is more of a stroll than a hike, with beach walking. It is of historical interest with interpretive signs along the way. Fort Casey was one of three forts chosen in 1896 to form a triangle for protection of Puget Sound. Fort Worden and Fort Flagler were the other two. All have become state parks. Their use for coastal protection proved to be impractical so their use became a place for instruction and training of troops during both of the world wars.
Fort Ebey State Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Whidbey Island
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Length
- 4.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 520 feet
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Highest Point
- 570 feet
There are plenty of interesting things to see at Fort Ebey, and lots of trails to take you there. A beach walk, bluff views, a lake, forest, and history can all be found here. The park has 26 miles of trails, allowing you to put together a very interesting hike, either long or short, that includes most or all of the sights. This loop of approximately four miles will take you on a nice tour.
Ebey's Landing
Puget Sound and Islands > Whidbey Island
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Length
- 5.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 260 feet
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Highest Point
- 260 feet
Perched on a bluff overlooking majestic Puget Sound is the unique acreage of Ebey’s Landing. In addition to the Bluff Trail, visitors can experience the seaport town of Coupeville, observe working farms, and get their fill of wildlife viewing, all in a tiny National Park on Whidbey Island.
Dugualla Bay Preserve
Puget Sound and Islands > Whidbey Island
Dugualla Bay Preserve (not to be confused with Dugualla Bay State Park just down the road) is a natural area on the northeast area of Whidbey Island. Managed by the Whidbey Camano Land Trust, this is an important section of protected shoreline for salmon recovery.
Ala Spit
Puget Sound and Islands > Whidbey Island
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Length
- 1.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 10 feet
This trail only takes about 20 minutes to hike out and back with great views of Mount Baker, Mount Erie, Fidalgo Island, Hope Island and the inner part of Puget Sound.
Deception Pass State Park - Headlands / Rosario Head / Lighthouse Point
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 5.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,000 feet
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Highest Point
- 110 feet
On your next trip to Deception Pass State Park, don’t cross over the Deception Pass bridge. Instead, take the road down to Bowman Bay for some fine hiking along the rugged cliffs. Great views of the bridge over Deception and Canoe Pass, calm Lottie Bay, a woodland walk through hemlock, fir and Pacific Madrone, plus the legend of the Maiden of Deception Pass are what await you here.
Tommy Thompson Trail
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 6.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 0 feet
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Highest Point
- 25 feet
This hike is a flat 3.3 mile one-way blacktop trail that starts at The Port of Anacortes and ends at March Point near The Shell and Tesoro Refineries. The trail has great views of Mount Baker, Fidalgo Bay and lots of blue heron, especially when the tides are low.
Guemes Channel and Ship Harbor
Puget Sound and Islands > San Juan Islands
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Length
- 3.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 100 feet
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Highest Point
- 110 feet
Hike shoreline trails in both directions from this Anacortes trailhead. Take in views of distant islands, ferries, seabirds, eagles, historic displays. All on good trails suitable for all ages.
Cap Sante Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 3.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 490 feet
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Highest Point
- 220 feet
Explore roads and trails on, and around, Cap Sante, an impressive rocky headland at the northeast corner of Anacortes. Enjoy views extending from Mount Baker to Mount Rainier, plus the busy harbor.