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
4203 HikesAcorn Trail
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 0.3 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 200 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,000 feet
This short connector trail, maintained by WTA, links Max's Shortcut trail to BL-1616 on Blanchard Mountain.
Larrabee State Park - South Lost Lake Trail
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 9.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,950 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,650 feet
Tucked away atop Chuckanut Mountain is shallow Lost Lake. The south trail to the lake leads through a recovering forest of bigleaf maple, alder, Douglas fir, and western hemlock, meandering 4.5 miles to a riparian hideout, providing waterfalls, old growth, fall color, and year-round hiking to those who make the journey.
South Fork Silver Creek Trail to Gunsight Pass
Eastern Washington > Selkirk Range
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Length
- 14.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,370 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,600 feet
The aspen groves and golden larch are a sight to behold on this remote hike through a seldom-seen corner of the Colville National Forest.
South Fork Cascade River
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 9.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,800 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,000 feet
This trail is not recommended — it has sustained severe wildfire damage and is not maintained.
A hidden gem revealed! The South Fork Cascade Trail was in the Mineral Park Fire of 2003, but recent efforts by WTA crews and other volunteer organizations have helped reopen a section of it, and continue to repair it.
South Coldwater Trail
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
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Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,400 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,000 feet
This early or late-season hike takes you for a ridge walk high above Coldwater Lake, which was not a standing body of water prior to the massive eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980. You'll walk through a serene willow forest, marvel at the power of nature when you encounter twisted hulks of logging machinery, and see plenty of gnarled stumps where tall evergreens once stood.
Sourdough Ridge
Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River
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Length
- 2.5 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 400 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 short trail allows you a quick escape from the Sunrise parking lot to stunning views of Mount Rainier and the peaks and valley nearby.
Source Lake
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
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Length
- 4.5 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,000 feet
-
Highest Point
- 4,100 feet
In winter the trail to Source Lake crosses a large avalanche chute early in the hike. Please have experience navigating avalanche terrain and the proper equipment when hiking this trail in the winter.
If you want to see the headwaters of the mighty Snoqualmie River, head for the source. Source Lake, that is. It's a modest pond, but the setting is remarkable. Craggy peaks ring this pool, found along the way to one of the state's most popular alpine lake -- Snow Lake.
Soda Peaks Lake
Southwest Washington > Lewis River Region
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Length
- 9.76 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,874 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,700 feet
There are two ways to reach Soda Peak Lake, a beautiful sub-alpine lake in an old growth forest. This approach is from the Trapper Creek trailhead to the east. It's a tough hike to a serene location, with plenty of secluded camps.
Soaring Eagle Regional Park
Issaquah Alps
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Length
- 12.0 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 0 feet
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Highest Point
- 500 feet
Soaring Eagle Regional Park features 12 miles of trails that are regularly used by hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians. The Pipeline Trail crosses through the park and is wide and flat—in fact, it is quite common to see families with baby strollers out enjoying the trail. Soaring Eagle is also popular for trail running competitions.
Snowgrass Flat
South Cascades > Goat Rocks
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Length
- 8.2 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 1,600 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,800 feet
Enjoy a hike to a beautiful subalpine meadow in the Goat Rocks Wilderness. A good destination all on its own, it can also provide a jumping off point for a longer trip.
Snow Creek
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 4.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,944 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,274 feet
One of three ways to reach the summit of Mount Zion. It's steep, but short, and you'll be rewarded with view of the Olympics at the top.
Snoqualmie Lake
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
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Length
- 18.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,900 feet
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Highest Point
- 3,147 feet
Visit this large, quiet lake in the heart of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Snoqualmie is accessible both via Highway 2 and the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Road. From the trailhead on Highway 2, it's 7.3 miles to Snoqualmie Lake, and from the Middle Fork Road, it's 7.5 miles. You can even make this a thru-hike if you can arrange a pick-up at the other end.
Slavin Pond Loop
Eastern Washington > Spokane Area/Coeur d'Alene
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Length
- 3.3 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 246 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,341 feet
With more than 600 acres of rolling fields, pine-forested buttes and wetlands, the Slavin Conservation Area provides plenty of room to stretch legs all year-round.
Skyline Divide
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
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Length
- 9.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,500 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,563 feet
The road to this trailhead (NF 37) is washed out 9.6 miles before the trailhead.
The Skyline Divide is a 6000-foot-high ridgeline extension of Mount Baker that transforms itself into a summertime paradise of unrivaled mountain views and unending wildflower fields, a trail that deposits you just 3.5 miles from the summit itself.
Six Ridge
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 21.1 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,150 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,650 feet
8.7.25: This trail is closed until further notice due to the Bear Gulch Fire.
The Six Ridge Trail is a rugged route that traverses the South Fork to the North Fork of the Skokomish River. It is known for its solitude, meadows and grand mountain vistas, but it comes at a price -- a steep, long trail to these destinations.
Siouxon Creek
Southwest Washington > Lewis River Region
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Length
- 13.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 635 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,697 feet
Although this gently rolling creekside ramble is one continuous trail, an adventure in three parts awaits. The first few miles are a quiet walk through a classic fern-dotted, mossy forest. In the second section, hikers find Siouxon Creek and fellow waterfall seekers, and the final miles offer more solitude and small narrow canyons with more waterfalls to enjoy.
Silver Star Mountain
Southwest Washington > Lewis River Region
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Length
- 6.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,990 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,390 feet
See beautiful wildflower meadows on the way up to a panoramic view that includes many of the big peaks in both Washington and Oregon.
Yacolt Burn State Forest - Silver Shadow Trail
Southwest Washington > Lewis River Region
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Length
- 2.81 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 87 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,250 feet
Silver Shadow Trail is a three-mile connector trail in the Yacolt Burn State Forest named for being in the shadow of neighboring Silver Star Mountain. Hike it one-way, or connect it with the Tarbell trail to make a 5 mile loop.
Sherlock Peak
Eastern Washington > Selkirk Range
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Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,580 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,200 feet
On this remote hike in the Colville National Forest, you'll find wooded trails and panoramic views of the Columbia River, the Pend Oreille Valley, and Deep Creek.
Sheep Canyon
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
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Length
- 9.3 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,200 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,600 feet
The road to the Sheep Canyon trailhead has washed out and the trailhead is closed. The hike to the Sheep Canyon viewpoints now requires an extra 2.4 miles, and begins at the Blue Lake trailhead, found at the end of the drivable portion of Forest Road 8123.
Shedroof Divide
Eastern Washington > Selkirk Range
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Length
- 22.8 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 5,300 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,600 feet
The Shedroof Divide offers some of the best views in northeast Washington as it traverses the wild high country of the Salmo-Priest Wilderness.
Sharpe Park - Sares Head
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 2.1 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 440 feet
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Highest Point
- 490 feet
This hike just south of Anacortes offers superb views of the ocean and islands from a pair of high vantage points, and it has some fine trails through mixed forest along the way.
Sharpe Park - Montgomery - Duban Headlands
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 1.9 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 425 feet
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Highest Point
- 370 feet
Follow well-signed but sometimes rough trails to a great viewpoint near the water's edge at Porpoise Point. Enjoy views of distant islands, and on a clear day of the distant Olympic Mountains. Sightings of seals, eagles, waterfowl, and sometimes otters are likely.
Shangri La
Issaquah Alps > Cougar Mountain
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Length
- 3.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 643 feet
A gorgeous trail accessible from the Harvey Manning trailhead on Cougar Mountain. Enjoy wildflowers, as well as the notable "Fantastic Erratic" glacier boulder.
Shadow of The Sentinels
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
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Length
- 0.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 50 feet
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Highest Point
- 900 feet
This interpretive trail is a great one for visitors of all ages. Thanks to the boardwalk, it's great for all comers, including those with mobility issues. Educational signs found along the trail illustrate the purpose of our forests and the reason we need to preserve them.
Sehome Arboretum
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 6.0 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 325 feet
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Highest Point
- 620 feet
A lush, green refuge with 6 miles of trails is the backyard playground for Western Washington University and Fairhaven College in Bellingham.
Section Line Trail
Issaquah Alps > Tiger Mountain
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Length
- 5.8 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,022 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,522 feet
A steep trail to the summit of West Tiger 3.
Scott Paul Trail
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
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Length
- 8.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,000 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,200 feet
A loop hike to the base of Mount Baker or a rugged alternate route to Park Butte; take your pick. Along the way, soak in sweeping views of the North Cascades, gaze at Koma Kulshan’s glistening glaciers, munch on an inexhaustible supply of berries and marvel at old-growth western hemlock forest.
Scatter Lake
North Cascades > Methow/Sawtooth
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Length
- 9.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,850 feet
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Highest Point
- 7,047 feet
This is one of the best day hikes for larch-spotting in the fall. In the summer, enjoy the reward of swimming or fishing after a steep climb. Scatter Lake is also an excellent destination for an overnight backpack.
Sauk Lake
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 6.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,100 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,200 feet
You’ve done Sauk Mountain and marveled at the fabulous views, now hike down to the delightful little lake you see from the top! The trail is a bit rough and overgrown, but the lake is a quiet alternative to the busy trail above.