Langley, Washington

The nine primitive campsites and one Cascadia Marine Trail campsite of Obstruction Pass State Park are the only first come, first serve campsites available on Orcas Island. The campsites themselves overlook a fantastic (and accessible beach) and Obstruction Pass itself. There are four composting ...

Obstruction Pass State Park is something of a hidden gem on Orcas Island given that its nearby neighbor, Moran State Park, gets most of the tourist attention. What this means is that you can find solitude and quiet, *and* make a visit to the only publicly owned beach on the island. There are seve...

Obstruction Pass State Park is something of a hidden gem on Orcas Island given that its nearby neighbor, Moran State Park, gets most of the tourist attention. What this means is that you can find solitude and quiet, *and* make a visit to the only publicly owned beach on the island. There are seve...

The San Juan Islands are one of the most stunning places you could go for a paddle. If you can go for a 3-5 day (or even longer) expedition you will get the most out of it.Start off in Friday Harbour, and get dropped off at one of the launching beaches. Many expedition operators work in Friday Ha...

Begin by parking at Barlow Pass and following the Gothic Basin Trail to Foggy Lake. Most of the trip's mileage is consumed by just getting to Foggy Lake, from here, the summit sits about 3/4 of a mile distant and over a thousand above you.Face the mountain and identify the obvious leftward trendi...

Looking for a hike that will make you feel like you're in a foreign landscape, but don't have to deal with that far of a drive? Then consider hiking Gothic Basin. This hike is located only 30 miles down the Mountain Loop Highway, which is nearly a hour shorter for people that live in the greater ...

Drive the Mountain Loop Highway to Barlow Pass and park at the pass using your Northwest Forest Pass. (In early or late season, be aware of snow conditions at the pass and, more importantly, along the trail up to Gothic Basin.) From Barlow Pass, start hiking south past the trail gate and in the ...

The Rattlesnake Mountain Trail is often associated with Rattlesnake Ledge, one of the busiest hiking destinations around. But most people don't know that you can continue on from Rattlesnake Ledge another 10 miles to Snoqualmie Point Park. Using the Snoqualmie Point Trailhead, this hike is a wo...

On Chuckanut Drive (State Route 11) pull off onto a small, unmarked, one-way road that offers parking for Teddy Bear Cove before quickly rejoining the road. There is space to pull over on the road for approximately 15-20 cars. If you are heading North to South, the road is on your right, if headi...

Start off by traveling down the Mountain Loop Highway, arriving at the Barlow Pass Trailhead. You will walk about 200ft to reach an old gated road. This road will lead you towards Monte Cristo. About 1.5 miles down the road, the road will start to turn into a trail that runs along the river. You ...

This trail is a perfect winter hike for the average outdoorsmen. Be warned that the most difficult part of this hike is getting to the trailhead in winter. The Mountain-loop highway can be a dangerous drive with black ice, snow, and serious potholes along the way. Take proper precautions like cha...

If you just loved your day hike to Goat Lake so much that you want to return and spend some more time, you're in luck - the lake offers a camping area that holds at least 15 campsites and even comes with a pit latrine. This is a great overnight option if you aren't looking for a difficult hike in...

Olympic National Park is built for someone with a week or more to spare for backpacking deep into the heart of the park's endless miles of wilderness. Between the mountains, the coast, and the rainforest, there is a lot of park to see for someone who is trying to fit their visit into an extended ...

The beauty of many of the north coast trails in the Olympic Peninsula is that your car does a lot of the heavy lifting for you.  This is certainly true of the Grand Valley Trail, which begins more than a vertical mile above the Strait of Juan de Fuca at the end of the Obstruction Point Road.  Six...

The trail starts by lazily winding through beautiful forest. Fairly quickly, you'll reach a fork for the Upper and Lower Elliot Creek Trails. Both will take you to Goat Lake in about the same distance (~3 miles), but each offers a different take on the area. The lower trail winds along as it foll...

The hike to Upper Lena Lake is a beautiful one. It first takes you past Lena Lake, which is a very popular weekend destination for families. Luckily you're pushing on to Upper Lena Lake that sits in a peaceful alpine meadow with Mt. Lena and Mt. Bretherton towering above. The first part of the t...