Lake Stevens, Washington

This is the Section J hike of the Pacific Crest Trail between Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass. It is about a 70 mile hike, and I started near Stevens Pass heading South. The PCT starts at the Stevens Pass Ski Resort off of Highway 2. The trail starts out under chairlifts and through ski runs – I chos...

Start out at the Tunnel Creek trailhead. You will follow the trail for about 1.6 miles until you reach Hope Lake and the PCT. From here, you want to travel south along the PCT.For the next 3/4 of a mile, you will hike up switchbacks until you reach the saddle, where it will start to level out a b...

This 2.5 mile roundtrip hike with a little over 1,000 feet of elevation gain is a great winter trip for beginners. The trail is typically well-worn, making it easy to stay on target even in some of the most difficult conditions. If you have route finding and off trail skills, you can venture ou...

Starting in the parking lot at Steven's Pass Ski Resort (roughly 4,062 feet in elevation; I recommend parking in E lot), start by walking between the two main lodges towards the ski lifts. You'll see a trail on the northwest-facing slope that switches back across the mountain - this is the PCT. O...

You start out at Stevens Pass just across the street from the lodge. The trailhead is slightly hidden but it is located to the left of the substation. Parking is plenty before ski-season.  Once you are all geared up, you wanna hit the trail running cause this is a long one to snowshoe. With short...

Skiers or snowshoers looking to explore this route should park in the uppermost parking area at the Alpental ski area. This lot is past the main parking lot for the ski area. After getting your gear on, you can proceed down the groomed access run heading northwest out of the parking area. This ru...

It’s no surprise to outdoor enthusiasts in the PNW just how popular the Alpine Lakes Wilderness can be.  With numerous access points, this terrain is unlike any around; offering those who enter a combination of alpine views, crystal blue lakes, lush forest canopies and untouched natural terrain. ...

This place is really the stuff of fairy tales. Where else can you find a tiny cabin with 360-degree views of stunning mountain scenery? To the west, you can see all the way to Bellingham and the Puget Sound. To the south and east lie the jagged North Cascades. And the entire northern horizon is ...

Begin at the Park Butte trailhead, trail 603. Hike past the first Scott Paul trail sign a few hundred feet from the trailhead. Continue on and cross appropriately name Rocky Creek heading up on the Park Butte Trail. Continue up the Park Butte trail passing the Scott Paul trail again at about 4,50...

The Easton Glacier route is one of the mountain’s most popular and likewise, most crowded. Check out Mt. Baker’s Squak Glacier route or Coleman Deming Glacier route for an alternative climb with similar difficulty.You’ll start out at Schreibers Meadow Trailhead (3,200 ft.). To get there, exit off...

NOTE: THIS ROUTE REQUIRES GLACIER TRAVEL SKILLSMt Baker, or Kulshan, is a remarkable mountain in northwest Washington. Whether you're in Anacortes, Bellingham, Vancouver or on the San Juan Islands you can see Mt Baker standing as a citadel over the Northwest. Unlike the more popular routes like t...

This hike gets crowded fairly quickly so get there early. The parking lot is very large so parking is not really a problem.  There are bathrooms at the very beginning of the trail so I highly suggest using them. However at the top there is also a designated restroom area. Starting at 2600 ft, thi...

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...

For this hike, you park at the same parking lot as the Snow Lake hike. The trailhead to Snoqualmie Mountain is an unmarked trail just 30 feet or so before the Snow Lake trail. This is a tough hike even though its only a ~4 mile out and back trip because you gain 3100 feet to reach the summit. Th...

Starting near Snoqualmie Pass, hike the historic Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) through old-growth forests and boulder fields to the "Kendall Katwalk," a high ledge of rock carved out of a mountain side many years ago using dynamite.The hike to the Katwalk gradually gains elevation using switchbacks w...

Hike or snowshoe to the ridge below Chair Peak and above Snow Lake and camp among numerous Snoqualmie Pass peaks.Drive to Snoqualmie Pass WA via I-90 and park at the Alpental parking lot (exit 52). Take the Snow Lake trail, which initially climbs 200 feet with wooden steps and eventually evens ou...