Fall City, Washington

Visited here in August and the water was possibly the coldest I've ever swam in. A great half-day trip as the hikes are easy and the spots are quick to get to. The falls are located just to side of the road with a couple of different places to park. There's a $5 or $10 entrance/parking fee. A gre...

The Franklin Ghost Town trailhead is just a large muddy lot, surrounded by no trespassing signs. When you pull in you will see signs for a $5 day use fee, just fill out the form and drop it in the box. There are two trails that leave the lot, one heads down to the river and is probably a mile rou...

The Washington Park Arboretum is the perfect place to swing through if you're looking for a short and gentle trail run without leaving the city. This expansive park includes the UW Botanic Gardens, Japanese Gardens, entire length of the Arboretum Creek - all landmarks you'll pass on this trail. ...

There isn’t a clearly designated trail to start this scramble/hike. Look for the trail that more resembles a boot path. The trail won’t be well marked, but there might be some orange tape or markers to help you find your way.During the first mile of the hike, you’ll see the most elevation gain, s...

Goldmyer Hot Springs is a beautiful little gem nestled within the wilderness of the stunning Cascade Mountains. This hot springs complex is situated on the old remains of a mining town, and delivers steadily flowing water to a set of tiered pools along the mountainside. The “cave” pool at the top...

With a moderate grade on a wide trail, the hike to Talapus Lake is the perfect introduction to the outdoors for hikers and beginning backpackers. Upon arrival at Talapus, break out lunch or pitch camp. Either way, you can cool off in the large lake. If you feel like pressing on, Ollalie Lake is j...

The trail up to Talapus Lake is well graded and relatively short, at only about 2.5 miles in length RT. The trail starts off on a wide old road cut and then veers off into the old growth woods in a slowly winding uphill tack. A few mellow switch backs deliver you to the top, where a short stretch...

There are 2 ways to get to Blake Island: private boat or via the Argosy Cruises tour boat (or if you're ambitious, I guess you can swim there!). If traveling by private boat, there is a marina with limited dock space as well as buoy moorings around the island for a moorage fee. Blake Island is ...

The road to the hike is rough in some spots but overall any car can make it up. Quite a lot of campsites along the first mile if you choose to camp here. The trail is well maintained and easy to follow. You start out by cutting across the road and starting at the Hansen Creek trailhead. Follow t...

The trek up Granite Mountain is a strenuous and fairly steep hike located east of Seattle and west of Snoqualmie pass off of I-90. Take exit 47 and turn North to a T intersection, park at the Pratt lake Trailhead at approximately 1860' and right beside I-90. The trail splits just after the first...

This overnight hike is definitely a challenge with 2,300 feet of elevation gain but all that huffing and puffing will be worth it when you reach the beautiful Pratt Lake Basin. The trail can be a bit busy in the first mile but most of the traffic is from day hikers on their way up the popular Gr...

Consider this a must-do if you are in Seattle and feel like knocking out two amazing hikes AND getting to see a hidden lake all along US 2. The trail starts out on an old road with the typical amazing forest surrounding you. After roughly 2 miles the road will end and you can go right (signage i...

From Seattle drive east on I-90 to exit 47 (Asahel Curtis/Denny Creek). Turn right from the off-ramp and continue 0.25 mile, then turn left on Forest Road 5590. You'll find the parking area in 0.3 mile. Between the thick second-growth forest stands and the high alpine lake, the trail rolls along...

The trailhead is located at the far end of the parking lot, next to the info kiosk and bathrooms. It starts out in a wide-open area that shortly leads to stunning views of Mt. Index and Baring Mountain. The trail turns to the left and you're greeted by a beautiful Wordsworth quote carved into a t...

An alluring State Park for its massive waterfall display, Wallace Falls is a high traffic destination along Highway 2, but don't overlook Wallace Lake as the falls steal the limelight. Head East on Highway 2, once you enter the town of Gold Bar keep on the lookout for the State Park signs and tu...

This hike shares the trailhead for Snow lake at the Alpental Ski area in Snoqualmie Pass. You'll start out with a great warm up, walking through dense green underbrush and a brief wooded area. Before too long the trail increases in inclination slightly and begins to offer up some small rocky sect...