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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 Hikes

Observation Rock via Echo Rock

Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich
 
Length
13.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
3,435 feet
Highest Point
8,364 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.00
(2 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Established campsites
  • Mountain views
  • Ridges/passes
  • Summits
  • Waterfalls
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife

The Fairfax Bridge (3 miles south of Carbonado) is closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic until further notice due to safety concerns. The bridge closure renders this hike inaccessible.

From Spray Park, in Mount Rainier National Park: a fun, class 2 scramble to Observation Rock.
 
 

Mother Mountain Loop

Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich
 
Length
15.3 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
4,650 feet
Highest Point
6,380 feet
Rating
Average rating:
0.00
(0 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Established campsites
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Ridges/passes
  • Rivers
  • Waterfalls
  • Wildflowers/Meadows

The Fairfax Bridge (3 miles south of Carbonado) is closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic until further notice due to safety concerns. The bridge closure renders this hike inaccessible.

A popular route in the northwest corner of Mount Rainier National Park -- try this one as a day hike, an overnight (be sure to get permits first) or as a trail run!
 
 

Knapsack Pass

Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich
 
Length
2.9 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,300 feet
Highest Point
6,200 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.17
(6 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Fall foliage
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Ridges/passes
  • Wildflowers/Meadows

The Fairfax Bridge (3 miles south of Carbonado) is closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic until further notice due to safety concerns. The bridge closure renders this hike inaccessible.

Knapsack Pass follows a no-longer-maintained hiking trail. It now requires GPS or map and compass skills to reach the pass, located near Mother Mountain.
 
 

Wonderland Trail - Mowich to Longmire

Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich
 
Length
34.0 miles, one-way
Elevation Gain
10,521 feet
Highest Point
6,000 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.00
(1 vote)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Established campsites
  • Fall foliage
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Ridges/passes
  • Rivers
  • Waterfalls
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife

The Fairfax Bridge (3 miles south of Carbonado) is closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic until further notice due to safety concerns. The Wonderland Trail is inaccessible from Mowich Lake due to the bridge closure.

A section of the Wonderland Trail. It is a strenuous hike with ample elevation gain and loss through lowland forests, valleys, into high alpine and sub-alpine areas. You move through forests with moss and ferns, wildflower-filled rolling meadows, and along hillsides covered in beargrass and thick with huckleberry bushes.
 
 

Sunset Park and Golden Lakes

Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich
 
Length
18.6 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
5,200 feet
Highest Point
5,000 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.67
(6 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Established campsites
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Rivers
  • Wildflowers/Meadows

The Fairfax Bridge (3 miles south of Carbonado) is closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic until further notice due to safety concerns. The bridge closure renders this hike inaccessible.

The trail to Sunset Park and Golden Lakes is a section of the longer 93-mile Wonderland Trail that can also be hiked as an out-and-back beginning at Mowich Lake.
 
 

Spray Park Loop

Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich
 
Length
16.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
5,100 feet
Highest Point
6,375 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.89
(18 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Established campsites
  • Fall foliage
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Ridges/passes
  • Waterfalls
  • Wildflowers/Meadows

The Fairfax Bridge (3 miles south of Carbonado) is closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic until further notice due to safety concerns. The bridge closure renders this hike inaccessible.

Considered one of the best loop hikes in Mount Rainier National Park, the trail through the alpine meadows of Spray and Seattle Parks blazes with a bounty of seasonal wildflowers. Throw in an ample serving of glassy tarns, a couple of wispy waterfalls, an optional side trip to Carbon Glacier and a forested stroll up Ipsut Creek, and you have a photographer’s dreamland.
 
 

Mowich Lake Snowshoe

Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich
 
Length
10.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,400 feet
Highest Point
5,000 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.14
(7 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Established campsites
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views

The Fairfax Bridge (3 miles south of Carbonado) is closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic until further notice due to safety concerns. The bridge closure renders this hike inaccessible.

Mowich Lake is a moderate snowshoe tucked into the northwest corner of Mount Rainier National Park.
 
 

Moraine Park - Mystic Lake

Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich
 
Length
25.4 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
4,400 feet
Highest Point
6,100 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.00
(4 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Established campsites
  • Fall foliage
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Ridges/passes
  • Rivers
  • Waterfalls
  • Wildflowers/Meadows

The Fairfax Bridge (3 miles south of Carbonado) is closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic until further notice due to safety concerns. The bridge closure renders this hike inaccessible.

Mystic Lake is a charming emerald tarn nestled in a subalpine basin along the Wonderland Trail. A scenic saddle separates it from Moraine Park, an expansive mountain meadow threaded with gurgling brooks under the dome of Mount Rainier. Getting there requires first hiking or biking the 5 miles of closed Carbon River Road and then hiking to the Carbon Glacier. This route is longer than starting at Sunrise, but backpackers will appreciate the numerous streams and forest shade.
 
 

Green Lake

Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich
 
Length
9.6 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,500 feet
Highest Point
3,270 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.19
(36 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Good for kids
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Rivers
  • Waterfalls

The Fairfax Bridge (3 miles south of Carbonado) is closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic until further notice due to safety concerns. The bridge closure renders this hike inaccessible.

The Green Lake Trail is a moderately strenuous but relatively short hike to a pocket lake set among a rare high-elevation rain forest. The trail's wide, ambitious grade rewards accordingly for your efforts, ascending through stands of humbling firs, passing a picturesque waterfall, and ending on the shore of a lovely mountain lake.
 
 

Florence Peak

Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich
 
Length
8.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
3,700 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.67
(3 votes)
  • Mountain views
  • Ridges/passes
  • Summits
  • Waterfalls

The Fairfax Bridge (3 miles south of Carbonado) is closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic until further notice due to safety concerns. The bridge closure renders this hike inaccessible.

A scramble up to a peak just off the Alki Crest Trail in Mount Rainier National Park. Climbing experience and equipment strongly recommended.
 
 

Carbon Glacier

Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich
 
Length
18.4 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,800 feet
Highest Point
3,500 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.95
(22 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Established campsites
  • Good for kids
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Rivers
  • Waterfalls
  • Wildflowers/Meadows

The Fairfax Bridge (3 miles south of Carbonado) is closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic until further notice due to safety concerns. The bridge closure renders this hike inaccessible.

The Carbon Glacier is a dramatic expanse of slow-moving ice beneath the shadow of Mount Rainier’s north face. While the glacier sits at a relatively low elevation, the approach is long due to the additional 5 miles of road that must be walked or biked to reach the trailhead. The trail to reach the glacier is equally as exciting as the scenery along the way, including seasonal foot logs and a suspension bridge over the raging Carbon River.
 
 

Yellowstone Cliffs and Windy Gap

Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich
 
Length
24.6 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
3,500 feet
Highest Point
5,800 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.86
(7 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Mountain views
  • Ridges/passes
  • Wildlife

The Fairfax Bridge (3 miles south of Carbonado) is closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic until further notice due to safety concerns. The bridge closure renders this hike inaccessible.

Yellowstone Cliffs and Windy Gap offer a chance to experience a side of Mount Rainier National Park like no other. Most trails in the park highlight views of the main mountain, but here, it’s more about the surrounding peaks, which make the area seem more like somewhere in Alaska or Montana, rather than Washington. Add to that the fact that accessing this area now requires an approach hike in the double digits, and you’ve got a remote, high mountain valley where relatively few people come, despite the fact that it’s in Washington’s most popular national park.
 
 

Wonderland Trail - Ipsut Creek to Mystic Lake

Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich
 
Length
24.5 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
5,500 feet
Highest Point
6,000 feet
Rating
Average rating:
0.00
(0 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Established campsites
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Rivers
  • Wildlife

The Fairfax Bridge (3 miles south of Carbonado) is closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic until further notice due to safety concerns. The bridge closure renders this hike inaccessible.

A section of the Wonderland Trail between Ipsut Creek and Mystic Lake, starting from the Carbon River trailhead.
 
 

Fairfax Ghost Town

Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich
 
Length
2.35 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
104 feet
Highest Point
1,446 feet
Rating
Average rating:
2.20
(5 votes)
  • Fall foliage
  • Good for kids
  • Rivers
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife

The Fairfax Bridge (3 miles south of Carbonado) is closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic until further notice due to safety concerns. The bridge closure renders this hike inaccessible.

Once a booming coal town, Fairfax Ghost Town is an adventure of exploration and discovery. Expect thick vegetation and undefined trails once you arrive at the town site, so pack a good sense of direction, plenty of time and a thirst for exploration is highly recommended.
 
 

Alki Crest

Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich
 
Rating
Average rating:
3.60
(5 votes)
  • Ridges/passes
  • Summits

The Fairfax Bridge (3 miles south of Carbonado) is closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic until further notice due to safety concerns. The bridge closure renders this hike inaccessible.

A long, meandering hike in Mount Rainier National Park that tours Tolmie Creek, August and Virginia Peaks, and Martin Peak.
 
 

Grand Ridge Park - Water Tower Loop

Issaquah Alps
 
Length
3.3 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
283 feet
Highest Point
1,175 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.60
(10 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Fall foliage
  • Good for kids
Perched high on a hill in the Issaquah Highlands, Grand Ridge Park offers hiking opportunities for both residents of the neighborhood and visitors.
 
 

Peshastin Mill Trail

Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - East
 
Length
0.8 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
0 feet
Highest Point
1,171 feet
Rating
Average rating:
0.00
(0 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Good for kids
  • Mountain views
  • Rivers
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife
Try this trail for riverside Ponderosas and a low-key walk.
 
 

White River Trail - Auburn

Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
 
Length
4.7 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
115 feet
Highest Point
155 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.00
(2 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Established campsites
  • Good for kids
  • Rivers
The White River Trail in Auburn is a paved, multi-use trail that starts at the East Valley Highway and runs through Roegner Park and Game Farm Wilderness Park before ending at Stuck River Road.
 
 

Steamboat Mountain

South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
 
Length
1.4 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
625 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.14
(7 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Good for kids
  • Mountain views
  • Summits
Enjoy great views of Mount Adams from the site of a former fire lookout tower.
 
 

Yakima Skyline Trail

Central Washington > Yakima
 
Length
4.4 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,446 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.64
(14 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Rivers
  • Summits
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife
Bird's-eye views of the stunning Yakima Canyon, wildflower fields for days, and a line of ragged fenceposts marching all the way along the trail -- the Yakima Skyline Trail is a great conditioner, or extend it to a full day hike.
 
 

Burke-Gilman Trail

Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
 
Length
20.0 miles, one-way
Rating
Average rating:
5.00
(1 vote)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Good for kids
  • Lakes
This trail is a main thoroughfare through Seattle and beyond. It is popular with cyclists, runners and walkers.
 
 

Silver Falls Loop

Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
 
Length
3.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
600 feet
Highest Point
2,300 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.00
(34 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Established campsites
  • Rivers
  • Waterfalls

Ohanapecosh Campground is closed through 2025 for construction. Hikers can access the Silver Falls trail via the Eastside Trail. The hike cannot be completed as a loop during construction.

The Ohanapecosh River is arguably the most beautiful in Mount Rainier National Park, with water so clear you can see all the way to the bottom in many places. Where it's not crashing over rocks, of course. The Silver Falls Loop takes you upstream along this impressive river, to a majestic waterfall and back through humbling forest, all in just three miles.
 
 

Rowena Plateau and Tom McCall Point

Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - OR
 
Length
3.4 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,200 feet
Highest Point
1,750 feet
Rating
Average rating:
5.00
(1 vote)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Mountain views
  • Rivers
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
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.
 
 

Valley Trail

South Cascades > Dark Divide
 
Length
16.7 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
3,500 feet
Highest Point
3,005 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.75
(4 votes)
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Rivers
  • Wildlife
The gently-rolling Valley Trail offers a 14+ mile one-way hike paralleling Forest Road 28 and links up with a variety of trails along the road so it is possible to do loop or out and back hikes of various lengths and difficulties.
 
 

High Bridge

South Cascades > Dark Divide
 
Length
2.58 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
992 feet
Highest Point
3,088 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.80
(5 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
Hike a multi-use trail past a beaver pond to connect with the Tongue Mountain Trail and eventually the summit of craggy Tongue Mountain.
 
 

Cispus Braille Trail

South Cascades > Dark Divide
 
Length
0.6 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
80 feet
Highest Point
1,388 feet
Rating
Average rating:
2.75
(4 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Good for kids
  • Old growth
  • Rivers
  • Wildlife
The Trail for The Blind is a level grade trail adjacent to the Cispus Learning Center in foothills of the Cowlitz Valley. It is a part of the Covel Creek Trail System and is designed to allow easier access and highlight natural features in the forest for those who are visually challenged. This is also a great hike smaller children and those with less mobility.
 
 

Redmond Watershed Preserve

Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
 
Length
4.5 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
400 feet
Highest Point
580 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.21
(14 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Fall foliage
  • Good for kids
  • Rivers
  • Wildlife
Explore 800 acres of wooded area right in Redmond’s backyard.
 
 

Teneriffe Falls Connector

Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
 
Length
0.4 miles, one-way
Elevation Gain
100 feet
Highest Point
2,000 feet
Rating
Average rating:
0.00
(0 votes)
The Teneriffe Falls Connector trail connects the Mount Teneriffe trail to the Teneriffe Falls trail.
 
 

North Beach County Park to McCurdy Point

Olympic Peninsula > Northern Coast
 
Length
6.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
800 feet
Highest Point
100 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.00
(2 votes)
  • Coast
  • Dogs allowed on leash
This beach walk demonstrates the successful rehabilitation of a former dumpsite into a popular hiking destination, with views of the Strait of San Juan de Fuca and ample opportunities for wildlife viewing.
 
 

Revere Wildlife Area

Eastern Washington > Spokane Area/Coeur d'Alene
 
Length
5.3 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
268 feet
Highest Point
1,734 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.00
(1 vote)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Good for kids
  • Rivers
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife
Gravel roads, dirt tracks and game trails provide many options for hikers to enjoy the Revere Wildlife Area. This loop hike begins on an upland road, descends to Rock Creek and then returns via the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail.