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 HikesWagonwheel Lake
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 5.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,200 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,100 feet
7.7.25: This trail is closed until further notice due to the Bear Gulch Fire.
A steep trail climbing to a small lake. What this trail lacks in views and photo ops it makes up for in the excellent workout.
Four Stream
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
7.7.25: This trail is closed until further notice due to the Bear Gulch Fire.
A short hike near the Staircase area of Olympic National Park.
Flapjack Lakes via North Fork Skokomish River
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 15.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,050 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,850 feet
7.7.25: This trail is closed until further notice due to the Bear Gulch Fire.
This is a burly day trip, but a great overnight destination for exploring the Sawtooth Range in the Olympic high country.
Black & White Lakes
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 15.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 4,000 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,200 feet
7.7.25: This trail is closed until further notice due to the Bear Gulch Fire.
This beautiful hike takes you through a canopy of old growth trees until you find yourself in a high alpine meadow with small quiet lakes. Yes it's gorgeous but this hike isn't easy.
Shady Lane
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 1.8 miles, roundtrip
Explore a beautiful riverside forest, perfect for kids and adults alike.
O'Neil Pass
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 12.0 miles, one-way
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Highest Point
- 5,000 feet
The O’neil Pass Trail travels through the southeastern corner of Olympic National Park. It is a trail segment that sits well within the backcountry so you must hike a considerable distance to reach the start of this trail.
Lake of the Angels
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,400 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,950 feet
Tucked high in the mountains of the Olympic Peninsula, in the appropriately named Valley of Heaven, is a breathtaking lake — the Lake of the Angels. The heavenly goal is accessed by a trail built for more mortal interests. Keep in mind, though, if you tackle this trail, it's devilishly difficult. In some places, it requires a vertical climb where falling is not an option. Be prepared, both physically and mentally, for this challenging hike.
LaCrosse Pass
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 6.4 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 2,000 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,566 feet
The Lacrosse Pass Trail runs up and over the ridge between the West Fork Dosewallips River valley and the Duckabush River Valley.
Gladys Divide
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 18.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 4,000 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,050 feet
Find solitude among expansive views of the Olympic interior on this strenuous but rewarding backpack.
Church Creek Shelter
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 1.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 180 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,060 feet
Church Creek Shelter sits in a delightful clearing near the South Fork of the Skokomish River. The short hike to it was once part of the longer Church Creek Trail that extended from the “Skok” to Satsop Lake. Now just a half mile from the road, the shelter is one of the most easily attained on the Olympic Peninsula.
Camp Pleasant
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 14.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 800 feet
The hike to Camp Pleasant is often included in more lengthy backpacks or dayhikes on the Olympic Peninsula, but hikers will find an easy conditioner when they undertake this early season stroll.
Brown Creek
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 0.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 20 feet
A pleasant 0.8 mile loop around a beaver pond and wetland is ideal for a morning stroll or post-dinner walk while camping at Brown Creek Campground.
Upper Duckabush
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 16.1 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 1,500 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,950 feet
The Duckabush River trail spans two land management agencies -- the US Forest Service and the National Park service. The first 6.2 miles of the trail weaves through Olympic National Forest. It's a popular early season backpack and a frequent site for WTA work crews. The upper section, in Olympic National Park, melts out much later, but provides a gateway to gorgeous backpacking destinations.
Sundown Lake Way Trail
Olympic Peninsula > Olympia
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Length
- 12.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,150 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,820 feet
This former route towards Sundown Lake in Olympic National Forest is no longer navigable.
Staircase Rapids
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 2.1 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 574 feet
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Highest Point
- 950 feet
Staircase Rapids is a beautiful 2.1 mile loop trail following the North Fork of the Skokomish River. Enjoy the Olympic old growth forests with a lush understory of mosses and ferns.
Indian Flat
Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
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Length
- 5.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,200 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,800 feet
There are no superlatives along the Indian Flat trail, with the possible exception of the unique rock formations. But views are available, and shade is abundant in an area that can get quite hot during the summer.
Mount Ruth
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
Mount Ruth is a peak in the northeast corner of Mount Rainier National Park. The route to this peak is an off-trail mountaineering route, not an official trail.
Banshee Peak
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Highest Point
- 7,400 feet
Banshee Peak is an off-trail summit that requires advanced mountaineering skill to reach. It lies east of Mount Rainier.
Skyscraper Pass
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Length
- 6.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,700 feet
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Highest Point
- 7,079 feet
The road to Sunrise is closed for the winter season. It is expected to reopen in July 2026.
The trail to Skyscraper Pass makes an ideal dayhike to take you a little further from the popular visitor center at Sunrise, and the crowds that head to Dege Peak and the Burroughs. It's a bit longer, so you'll need to be ready for push. Particularly enthusiastic hikers can push onto Skyscraper Mountain via a bootpath.
Dege Peak
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Length
- 4.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 600 feet
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Highest Point
- 7,006 feet
The road to Sunrise is closed for the winter season. It is expected to reopen in July 2026.
Unlike many of the trails out of Sunrise Visitor Center that lead you closer to the hulking presence of Mount Rainier, Dege Peak walks you just far enough away from the mountain to get a little perspective. With stunning 360-degree views ranging from nearby Cowlitz Chimneys to the far-off peaks of Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams, Glacier Peak and Mount Baker, this perch above Sourdough Ridge is terrific for an easy alpine stroll on a clear day.
Berkeley Park
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Length
- 7.7 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,700 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,800 feet
The road to Sunrise is closed for the winter season. It is expected to reopen in July 2026.
Here's a hike that takes you through a stark landscape to a stunningly lush one. Berkeley Park is a flower-filled utopia where creeks chatter, pikas squeak, marmots lounge, and you can soak it all in just a few miles from the Sunrise Visitor Center.
Sunrise Nature
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Length
- 1.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 300 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,773 feet
The road to Sunrise is closed for the winter season. It is expected to reopen in July 2026.
This hike is short but stunning with Mount Rainier keeping watch over a wildflower-filled sub-alpine meadow. You'll see iconic views of Mount Rainier, butterflies fluttering between colorful blooms, and if the sky is clear, a view of the Cascades all the way to Mount Baker.
Silver Forest - Emmons Vista
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Length
- 2.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 325 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,400 feet
The road to Sunrise is closed for the winter season. It is expected to reopen in July 2026.
The Silver Forest Trail is a lesser-known and therefore less-crowded alternative at Mount Rainier’s Sunrise. Enjoy mountain, glacier and river valley views along a gentle trail that is mostly out of sight of the bustle of Sunrise.
Sunrise to Mystic Lake
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Length
- 18.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 5,324 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,800 feet
The road to Sunrise is closed for the winter season. It is expected to reopen in July 2026.
This is a trail where the journey is as interesting as the destination. Enjoy a beautiful waterfall and views of icy Winthrop Glacier. Gaze directly at Mount Rainier and witness the fascinating destruction caused by the floods of 2006. All of this is chased by the peaceful basin of Mystic Lake and surrounding meadows.
Grand Park via Sunrise
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Length
- 14.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,700 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,815 feet
The road to Sunrise is closed for the winter season. It is expected to reopen in July 2026.
Grand Park provides one of the absolute best views of The Mountain from any of the trails in the park. Though longer than the access from Lake Eleanor, this route is more scenic, passing through the stark rocky landscape of Sunrise to flower-filled Berkeley Park and then climbing gradually through cool forest before getting to alpine meadows and majestic Grand Park itself.
Sunrise to Carbon River Traverse
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Length
- 13.7 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 5,200 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,700 feet
The road to Sunrise is closed for the winter season. It is expected to reopen in July 2026.
A section of the scenic Wonderland Trail, enjoy views of Mount Rainier and the Carbon Glacier, numerous creek crossings, and meadows as you connect between Sunrise and the Carbon River.
Sunrise Lake
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Length
- 1.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 425 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,150 feet
The road to Sunrise is closed for the winter season. It is expected to reopen in July 2026.
This short, one-mile, downhill jaunt from the hairpin turn on the road to Sunrise makes a great detour when hiking the Palisades Lakes trail, or a nice warm up before tackling longer hikes like Burroughs or Dege Peak from Sunrise.
Naches Trail Preserve
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 0.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 0 feet
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Highest Point
- 340 feet
Spring is the perfect time to enjoy native flowers in bloom and a landscape alive with birdsong in this Pierce County Parks preserve.
Sinlahekin Natural Area
Eastern Washington > Okanogan Highlands/Kettle River Range
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Length
- 8.0 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 0 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,700 feet
Tucked in a lush river valley in the Okanogan region, the Sinlahekin Wildlife Area provides the opportunity to wander at will, through a rich ecosystem harboring hundreds of species of big game, waterfowl, and native plants.
Mill Gulch Trail
Snoqualmie Region > Cle Elum Area
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Length
- 5.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 900 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,600 feet
The Mill Gulch Trail is open to off-road vehicles and hikers and travels through the forest to a ridge overlooking the Teanaway.