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
4066 HikesSpencer Island
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 6.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 0 feet
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Highest Point
- 15 feet
Spencer Island is part of a larger area known as the Snohomish River Estuary and is a stop on the Washington State Great Birding Trail. The mix of saltwater from Possession Sound and fresh water from the Snohomish River create a unique ecosystem, making it one of the best birding spots in Puget Sound. On this walk, you don’t want to forget your binoculars!
Squak Mountain's East Side Loop
Issaquah Alps > Squak Mountain
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Length
- 8.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,700 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,025 feet
It's appropriate that this hike begins in the heart of Issaquah. In the language of the native tribes, Ishquowh means "sound of water birds." The raspy name of this mountain destination, meanwhile, comes from the raucous calls of the herons that migrate through this area in the spring and fall--their mighty squak, squak, squak! echoes off the forested slopes of Squak Mountain.
Goat Lake
South Cascades > Goat Rocks
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Length
- 12.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,000 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,600 feet
Travel deep into the Goat Rocks Wilderness and enjoy stunning views of Mount Adams, Mount St. Helens, Jordan Basin, and Goat Lake.
Heather - Maple Pass Loop
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 7.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,020 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,650 feet
If ever there was a hike to satisfy all a hiker's desires, this one comes as close as any. A loop hike with many fabulous changing faces throughout the seasons, Heather-Maple Pass features ridgelines blanketed in wildflowers in summer, lakes ringed with golden larches in fall, and before the highway closes for the season, a dramatic place to experience early winter’s snows.
Cutthroat Pass via Cutthroat Lake
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
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Length
- 11.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,300 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,800 feet
Wildfire: Trail Closed - the Cutthroat Creek Trail is closed between its junctions with the Cutthroat Lake Trail and the PCT (Cutthroat Pass)
Take this gentle trail to a beautiful alpine lake surrounded by rocky cliffs before heading up some steeper switchbacks to a pass and junction with the iconic Pacific Crest Trail.
Fobes-Ebey Slough Dike Road Trail
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 3.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 13 feet
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Highest Point
- 13 feet
Spend some time in the quiet countryside on a wide gravel trail just a few miles away from the city of Everett.
Tomyhoi Lake
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
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Length
- 8.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,800 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,400 feet
Gold Run Pass is a great picture spot and awesome lunch rest area. Also, about a quarter mile from the pass there is a new trail over to Yellow Aster Butte.
Bagley Lakes
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
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Length
- 2.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 150 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,300 feet
Bring the family for this easy hike at Heather Meadows. Two sparkling alpine lakes, an abundance of wildflowers, an impressive mountainous backdrop and a year-round snowfield make this a hike that will please everybody. What's more, this trail gets a fraction of the foot traffic that the trails at Artist Point get in late summer.
Jensen Family Forest Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
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Length
- 0.7 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 94 feet
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Highest Point
- 170 feet
This forested park in Bellingham was made possible by the Jensen Family’s generous donation of a public easement. The short, stroller-friendly loop trail includes a picnic table and parking area.
Lake Ingalls
Snoqualmie Region > Salmon La Sac/Teanaway
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Length
- 9.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,500 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,500 feet
There's no question why Ingalls Lake is one of the most popular destinations in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. It is a stunning blue lake, set high in a basin beneath rocky peaks, showcasing striking Mount Stuart as its backdrop. The trail to this treasure is filled with delights, both for the summer adventurer as well as for those hikers who appreciate fall colors. Views of the craggy Esmeralda Peaks, a walk through beautiful Headlight Basin plus a pretty picture of the imposing Stuart Range are just a few of the wonders along the way.
Twisp Pass
North Cascades > Methow/Sawtooth
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Length
- 9.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,460 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,064 feet
Twisp Pass is a stunner in summer and autumn. Though it is a bit of a drive to get there from almost anywhere in the state, it's well worth it!
Skyline Trail Loop
Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise
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Length
- 5.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,450 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,800 feet
The Skyline Trail is the main route for hiking out of Paradise, Mount Rainier’s south side hub and most popular destination, providing visitors a unique opportunity to experience the breathtaking beauty of Washington’s grandest mountain. In peak season your trip along the Skyline Trail will be filled with views of cascading waterfalls, mighty glaciers and subalpine meadows brimming with colorful splashes of lupines, mountain heather, scarlet paintbrush, cascade asters and bistort.
Thompson Lake via Granite Creek Trail
Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area
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Length
- 14.2 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,400 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,200 feet
Hike a well-built trail to a beautiful, quiet, forested lake at the edge of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.
Ira Spring Trail - Mason Lake
Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass
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Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,420 feet
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Highest Point
- 4,320 feet
Sun drenched ridgelines, blooming trillium, and sparkling alpine waters define this fitting tribute to one of Washington’s greatest trail advocates.
Turtleback Mountain Preserve: Ship Peak Loop
Puget Sound and Islands > San Juan Islands
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Length
- 3.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 860 feet
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Highest Point
- 931 feet
Explore beautiful Turtleback Mountain Preserve and take in of the most breathtaking views on Orcas Island. Ship Peak, is a moderate loop full of views and a summit starting at the south end of the preserve.
Murhut Falls
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 1.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 250 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,050 feet
This trail is closed until further notice due to the Road 2620 Fire.
This short trail in the Hood Canal Ranger District on the east side of the Olympics takes hikers to a relatively unknown waterfall that delivers its reward -- a captivating 130-foot plunging waterfall -- in just under a mile.
Duckabush River
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 10.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,300 feet
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Highest Point
- 1,750 feet
This trail is closed until further notice due to the Road 2620 Fire.
Explore one of the quieter Olympic Peninsula river valleys. Quiet, that is, if you don't count the Duckabush River's constant belching, crashing, and churning as it tumbles over giant boulders and squeezes through narrow rocky clefts.
Ranger Hole - Interrorem Nature Trail
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 1.85 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 292 feet
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Highest Point
- 515 feet
This trail is closed until further notice due to the Road 2620 Fire.
A short hike through history, the Ranger Hole trailhead features a ranger’s cabin built over 100 years ago, a short trail through a re-growing forest, and a walk down to the turquoise waters of the Duckabush River.
Mount Jupiter
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
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Length
- 14.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,950 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,701 feet
This trail is closed until further notice due to the Road 2620 Fire.
A long road walk through a logging operation is required to access this trailhead.
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
This trail is closed until further notice due to the Road 2620 Fire.
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.
Blue Creek
Central Cascades > Blewett Pass
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Length
- 4.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,700 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,360 feet
Hike steeply up a scenic and little-used trail to Red Top Lookout.
Church Mountain
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
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Length
- 8.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 3,750 feet
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Highest Point
- 6,100 feet
The rewards for this strenuous hike are vast alpine meadows and a wide panorama of North Cascades peaks.
George C Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary
Puget Sound and Islands > San Juan Islands
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Length
- 3.0 miles of trails
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Elevation Gain
- 30 feet
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Highest Point
- 10 feet
Enjoy birdwatching opportunities in coastal, marsh and forested environments while exploring the refuge’s three miles of looping trails.
South Tiger Summit
Issaquah Alps > Tiger Mountain
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Length
- 0.6 miles, one-way
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Elevation Gain
- 260 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,040 feet
The South Tiger Summit Trail starts on the South Tiger Traverse Trail, passes the south summit of South Tiger Mountain and ends at the north summit. The trail was built in 2023 after the area was logged in years 2018 and 2019.
Beckler Peak
Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West
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Length
- 7.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,240 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,026 feet
Hike a re-built trail adjacent to the Wild Sky Wilderness. The Beckler Peak trail opened in September of 2011, and with it, the Jennifer Dunn trailhead. The trail takes you through an old-growth forest to summit views of Glacier Peak, Baring, Index, the Monte Cristo Range, and Evergreen Mountain. It's easy to get to and provides great rewards for your effort. The trail has a gentle grade, it is well built, and suitable for kids. Be sure to take water with you, because there is no reliable water along the trail.
Marine View Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 1.5 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 275 feet
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Highest Point
- 275 feet
This hidden gem offers picnic tables and benches with views over Puget Sound, and access to a section of public beach. The trail network can be confusing. Familiarize yourself with the map ahead of time.
Eagle Landing Park
Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area
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Length
- 0.6 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 115 feet
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Highest Point
- 250 feet
A small neighborhood park, through a wooded area which leads to an overlook of Puget Sound.
Mount Pilchuck
North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
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Length
- 5.4 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 2,300 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,327 feet
Despite its intermediate difficulty, hikers flock to Mount Pilchuck for its historic restored fire lookout with grand panoramic views of Mount Baker, Mount Rainier and the Olympics.
Palisades Park
Eastern Washington > Spokane Area/Coeur d'Alene
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Length
- 7.0 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 500 feet
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Highest Point
- 2,200 feet
The Palisades Conservation Area must have been what the Chamber of Commerce had in mind when it came up with the Spokane logo, “Near Nature, Near Perfect.” Visitors to this city park can both view wildlife and native plants in the foreground and peer out over the cityscape from the edge of the basalt cliffs.
Ahtanum State Forest - Whites Ridge
Central Washington > Yakima
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Length
- 10.9 miles, roundtrip
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Elevation Gain
- 1,900 feet
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Highest Point
- 5,000 feet
8.15.24: The portion of Ahtanum State Forest north of North Fork Road is closed until further notice due to wildfire activity.
The Whites Ridge trailhead is a forested hike with mountain views located in Ahtanum Forest. It is only open to hikers and equestrians from April 1 to November 30.