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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

4203 Hikes

Rainbow Falls Mist Trail

Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
 
Length
0.25 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
30 feet
Highest Point
1,200 feet
Rating
Average rating:
0.00
(0 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Fall foliage
  • Good for kids
  • Old growth
  • Waterfalls

12.16.25: North Cascades National Park asks visitors to refrain from visiting the Stehekin area as crews stabilize the area from recent flooding.

Cascading 312 feet from Rainbow Creek high above the Stehekin valley floor, Rainbow Falls is perhaps the most popular natural destination for day visitors to the Stehekin Valley. And now, thanks to efforts from the National Park Service trail crew, a short trail exists here, offering a modest amount of elevation gain for a new vantage point of the waterfall.
 
 

Rainbow Creek Trail

North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
 
Length
33.0 miles, roundtrip
Rating
Average rating:
0.00
(0 votes)

12.16.25: North Cascades National Park asks visitors to refrain from visiting the Stehekin area as crews stabilize the area from recent flooding.

The Rainbow Creek trail provides day-hike diversions to visitors to the Stehekin Valley, but you'll need more than a few hours to truly appreciate the full length of the trail.
 
 

Purple Pass

Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
 
Length
15.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
5,700 feet
Highest Point
6,884 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.00
(1 vote)
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Ridges/passes
  • Summits
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife

12.16.25: North Cascades National Park asks visitors to refrain from visiting the Stehekin area as crews stabilize the area from recent flooding.

A long, steady climb takes you from the Stehekin Landing to a high pass more than a mile above the surface of Lake Chelan. Those willing to complete the eight miles and 5,700 feet of climbing needed to reach the pass are rewarded with incredible views of the lake gorge, the Stehekin Valley and peaks stretching from the Cascade Pass area to the Glacier Peak Wilderness.
 
 

Buckner Orchard Walk

Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
 
Length
1.6 miles, roundtrip
Highest Point
1,200 feet
Rating
Average rating:
0.00
(0 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Good for kids
  • Mountain views
  • Rivers
  • Wildflowers/Meadows

12.16.25: North Cascades National Park asks visitors to refrain from visiting the Stehekin area as crews stabilize the area from recent flooding.

Take a walk around the historic (and still operational) apple orchard in the Stehekin valley.
 
 

Pacific Crest Trail - Stehekin to Rainy Pass

North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
 
Length
18.7 miles, one-way
Elevation Gain
3,600 feet
Highest Point
4,900 feet
Rating
Average rating:
0.00
(0 votes)
  • Established campsites
  • Fall foliage
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Ridges/passes
  • Rivers
  • Wildlife

12.16.25: North Cascades National Park asks visitors to refrain from visiting the Stehekin area as crews stabilize the area from recent flooding.

Connect between the Stehekin River and Rainy Pass on this section of the Pacific Crest Trail. Views of peaks in every direction capture the hiker's attention as you walk through the beautiful North Cascades.
 
 

Stehekin River Trail

Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
 
Length
7.6 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
100 feet
Highest Point
1,200 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.20
(5 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Established campsites
  • Fall foliage
  • Good for kids
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Rivers
  • Wildlife

12.16.25: North Cascades National Park asks visitors to refrain from visiting the Stehekin area as crews stabilize the area from recent flooding.

If you’re overnighting in the Stehekin Valley and just want a riverside ramble to while away the hours, try the Stehekin River Trail. It’s an easy forested walk along the mighty Stehekin River on a side of the valley that few visitors get to see.
 
 

Foothills Trail

Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
 
Length
21.0 miles, one-way
Rating
Average rating:
4.50
(2 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Good for kids
  • Mountain views
  • Rivers
  • Wildlife

12.16.25: The South Prairie Creek and Voight Creek pedestrian bridges are closed until further notice due to debris accumulation from recent flooding/storms.

This trail runs from Puyallup to Buckley, along the way passing along the Carbon River and offering up great views of Mount Rainier. It is popular with cyclists, walkers and horseback riders.
 
 

Spruce Nature Trail (Hoh)

Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast
 
Length
1.2 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
230 feet
Highest Point
706 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.75
(8 votes)
  • Good for kids
  • Old growth
  • Rivers
  • Wildlife

12.12.25: The Hoh Rainforest area is closed until further notice due to flooding.

Enjoy an easy 1.2-mile loop near the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center. Pair it with the Hall of Mosses for a couple of nice, flat exploratory leg-stretchers in the Hoh. Both make for an interesting introduction to the area, and will be a hit with the kids!
 
 

Jumpoff Ridge

Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
 
Length
8.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,800 feet
Highest Point
2,600 feet
Rating
Average rating:
1.00
(2 votes)
  • Fall foliage
  • Mountain views
  • Ridges/passes

12.12.25 Trailhead inaccessible - road closed due to flooding and water over Index-Galena Road

A brushy hike up an abandoned logging road to Jumpoff Ridge.
 
 

Trout Creek

Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
 
Length
3.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
500 feet
Highest Point
1,400 feet
Rating
Average rating:
2.00
(2 votes)

12.12.25 Trailhead inaccessible - road closed due to flooding and water over Index-Galena Road

This is a walk up an old mining and logging road that follows beautiful Trout Creek up to the old Sundown Mine.
 
 

Troublesome Mountain

Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
 
Highest Point
5,433 feet
Rating
Average rating:
0.00
(0 votes)

12.12.25 Trailhead inaccessible - Index-Galena Road is washed out near Troublesome Creek.

Troublesome Mountain is a modest peak scramble that can be reached via the Index-Galena Road.
 
 

Troublesome Creek Nature

Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
 
Length
1.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
104 feet
Highest Point
1,420 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.60
(5 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Established campsites
  • Good for kids
  • Old growth
  • Rivers
  • Waterfalls

12.12.25 Trailhead inaccessible - Index-Galena Road is washed out near Troublesome Creek.

A short but scenic nature trail that begins and ends at the Troublesome Creek Campground. Hikers and campers will enjoy the walk along and over the turquoise creek, which indeed could be troublesome without the bridges spanning the shores.
 
 

Wallace Falls - Lake Loop

Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
 
Length
9.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,544 feet
Highest Point
1,844 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.54
(26 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Established campsites
  • Lakes
  • Rivers
  • Waterfalls
This fine loop trail gives you scenery, mileage, and some elevation gain, with the bonus of being hikeable year-round. Start by wandering along the Wallace River as it tumbles down from the famous falls. Get your pictures of the falls, then continue your hike by including the large forested Wallace Lake. Return through a green shag carpet of moss, sword ferns and hemlock, following the North Fork Wallace River as it rushes to meet the main Wallace River and your return trail.
 
 

Jumbo Peak

South Cascades > Dark Divide
 
Length
6.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
1,300 feet
Highest Point
5,801 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.20
(5 votes)
  • Mountain views
  • Summits
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
Jumbo Peak's wide, grassy slopes and seemingly endless trailside views make hikers feel like they're trekking through a storybook landscape. With huge extinct and active volcanoes in your sights, and an unbelievable bounty of flowers in the spring and huckleberries in the fall, Jumbo lives up to its name--big and impressive on a grand scale.
 
 

May Creek Trail

Issaquah Alps
 
Length
3.5 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
585 feet
Highest Point
398 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.38
(8 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Fall foliage
  • Good for kids
  • Rivers
This pleasant woodland trail follows the historic route of the Seattle-Walla Walla Railroad, which transported coal from the mines once operating in present-day Cougar Mountain Park.
 
 

Larrabee State Park - Chuckanut Falls

Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
 
Length
2.6 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
640 feet
Highest Point
540 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.62
(8 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Fall foliage
  • Good for kids
  • Mountain views
  • Waterfalls
  • Wildlife
Take a short hike to a pleasant waterfall tucked away on the northeast corner of Larrabee State Park.
 
 

Green River Natural Area

Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
 
Length
4.32 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
500 feet
Highest Point
500 feet
Rating
Average rating:
2.45
(11 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Fall foliage
  • Good for kids
  • Rivers
  • Wildlife
The 1,000-acre Green River Natural Area is a wonderful gateway to the middle stretch of the Green River. Composed of steep valley walls and a broad valley floor, the natural area provides trails for hiking and horseback riding as well as access to the most dynamic reach of the Green River in King County.
 
 

Ryan Lake

South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
 
Length
0.7 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
165 feet
Highest Point
3,465 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.20
(5 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Lakes
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife
What was once a nice, short loop hike for families on the east side of Mount St. Helens National Volcanic monument has been lost to downed trees and heavy brush. Thankfully, the lake is still visible from an overlook partway up.
 
 

Quartz Creek Big Trees

South Cascades > White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley
 
Length
0.4 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
15 feet
Highest Point
2,000 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.29
(7 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Good for kids
  • Old growth
  • Wildlife
An almost-completely-forgotten nature loop near Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. You won’t see the mountain here, but two giant trees remain from time gone by, and are impressive enough for a visit if you’re in the area.
 
 

Norway Pass

South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
 
Length
4.5 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
860 feet
Highest Point
4,500 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.30
(20 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Ridges/passes
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
Witness the destructive force and the restorative power of nature on this hike in the blast zone of Mount St. Helens’ 1980 eruption. The rocky ash and treeless areas are testaments to the devastation caused by the explosion, while wildflowers and shrubs signal the return of vegetation to the denuded landscape.
 
 

Mount Margaret

South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
 
Length
11.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
2,820 feet
Highest Point
5,780 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.82
(11 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Established campsites
  • Mountain views
  • Ridges/passes
  • Summits
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
On maps, Mount Margaret doesn’t seem impressive enough to warrant its namesake Mount Margaret Backcountry. It is not the tallest nor the most majestic peak in the area. However, it is easily summited and it offers clear unobstructed views of Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, and Mount St. Helens (in three different directions), and expansive views of much more, including legendary Spirit Lake.
 
 

Iron Creek Campground Loop

South Cascades > White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley
 
Length
1.5 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
0 feet
Highest Point
1,200 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.00
(5 votes)
  • Established campsites
  • Fall foliage
  • Good for kids
  • Old growth
  • Rivers
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
Lose yourself amid ancient giants on this 1.5 mile flat loop around the Iron Creek Campground.
 
 

Green River

South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
 
Length
11.6 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
940 feet
Highest Point
2,850 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.25
(8 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Old growth
  • Rivers
  • Waterfalls
  • Wildlife
Walk in the deep shade of towering, ancient Douglas-firs and western redcedars and become humbled in the presence of these survivors of volcanic eruption.
 
 

Ghost Lake

South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
 
Length
5.2 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
640 feet
Highest Point
4,000 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.00
(2 votes)
  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Lakes
  • Ridges/passes
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife
Hike to a lovely, glittering, quiet little lake that at Mount St. Helens that few visit. You’ll have to work for it, of course. But it’s a neat little treat to share with friends, or head to it solo for some solitude.
 
 

Goat Mountain and Deadman's Lake

South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
 
Length
11.2 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
2,400 feet
Highest Point
5,025 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.92
(12 votes)
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Summits
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
Hike along a lofty ridge at the demarcation of the blast zone. Look south at blown-down and toppled forests and a series of sparkling alpine lakes surrounded by silver snags. Look north at alpine meadows flush with wildflowers and hillsides cloaked in verdant old-growth canopies. One of the best trails for comparing before and after the eruption landscapes, Goat Mountain is also one of the best for views.
 
 

Plains of Abraham - Windy Pass Loop

South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
 
Length
9.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
2,000 feet
Highest Point
4,850 feet
Rating
Average rating:
5.00
(5 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Mountain views
  • Ridges/passes
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
  • Wildlife

This hike is closed (except for the Loowit Trail segment) all M-F between May 15 and Oct 31 through the end of 2027. The trail will remain open on all weekends and federal holidays.

Hike a challenging loop outside of the Windy Ridge area of Mount St. Helens, including a route-finding scramble to the pass. For your efforts, you’re rewarded with expansive, ever-changing views of one of the world’s most dynamic landscapes.
 
 

Mosquito Meadows

South Cascades > Dark Divide
 
Length
2.2 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
350 feet
Highest Point
4,350 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.40
(5 votes)
  • Wildflowers/Meadows
This mile-long gentle climb in the Dark Divide brings you to the Boundary Trail, where you can turn left towards Badger Lake or right towards Mount St. Helens.
 
 

Windy Trail

South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
 
Length
1.0 miles, one-way
Elevation Gain
200 feet
Highest Point
4,300 feet
Rating
Average rating:
3.50
(2 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Mountain views
  • Wildflowers/Meadows

This trail is closed through all M-F between May 15 and Oct 31 through the end of 2027. The trail will remain open on all weekends and federal holidays.

A short trail accessible from the Windy Ridge area of Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, the Windy Trail makes it possible for hikers to loop up a variety of trails in the blast zone.
 
 

Windy Ridge and Plains of Abraham

South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
 
Length
8.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
2,000 feet
Highest Point
4,850 feet
Rating
Average rating:
4.08
(13 votes)
  • Dogs not allowed
  • Mountain views
  • Ridges/passes
  • Wildflowers/Meadows

This trail is closed through all M-F between May 15 and Oct 31 through the end of 2027. The trail will remain open on all weekends and federal holidays.

Climb to really excellent views of Rainier, Adams and Mount St. Helens via an exposed ridgeline before traversing east through hillside wildflowers, and ending at junction with the Loowit Trail in the center of the Plains of Abraham.
 
 

Miners Car Interpretive Site

South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
 
Length
0.3 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
15 feet
Highest Point
3,600 feet
Rating
Average rating:
0.00
(0 votes)
  • Fall foliage
  • Good for kids
  • Lakes
  • Mountain views
  • Wildflowers/Meadows

The site is closed for the season.

Hike a short paved trail to the remains of a vehicle that was subject to the 1980 blast when Mount. St. Helens erupted.