Mountlake Terrace, Washington

Starting at the McClellan's Butte Trailhead, right off of I-90 exit 47, head out on the main (only) trail at the trailhad. The first half mile of the trail is quite easy as it meanders through the forest, but don't be fooled or worried, it will get harder. This first half mile has a crossing of a...

North Lake is everything you could want in a subalpine lake: emerald green hues, cold, clear water, lots of brook trout and far from cell-phone reception. This backpack is perfect when the weather gets hot and sunny, though it does reside in what is known as “the wettest section of the Cascades,...

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 ...

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...

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 ...

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...

Start off by traveling along Highway 2 and turning towards the Money Creek Campground. Turn off onto Forest Road 6410 and follow that to the Lake Dorothy Trailhead (about 9 miles). This first section of the hike can be pretty crowded on a nice summer day as the trail is very family friendly and ...

The trail was not crowded although when we got to Snoqualmie Lake there were only a couple camping spots left. The trail up from Dorothy is not too hard at all. The weather was perfect. After passing Dorothy you have to ford a creek where the bridge has been washed out. We went through it on foot...

Get out of town and into the wild with this easy hike. Starting out fast you feel the solitude as soon as you turn off Highway 2 towards Money Creek Campground with a little under 10 miles of dirt road that winds through old forest growth. As you proceed and get closer to the trailhead the pothol...

A strait separating Whidbey Island from Fidalgo Island, Deception Pass and the bridges that span it are a fascinating day trip from Seattle. Located 82 miles from Seattle, a 90 minute drive will get you to the Deception Pass State Park. Once here, there are a myriad of activities to do - explore ...

Once you've parked your car, there is a $10 fee which can be paid at the station right next to the bridge unless you have a Discover Pass. From there, you can either go down the stairs to the beach or continue to walk across. Towards the middle, there are some stairs to get down and take some pho...

Deer Park Campground is really a hidden gem. With an elevation of 5,400 feet, the campground has amazing views of Olympic National Park, making you feel like you are camping above the clouds.There are also several hiking trails in the area that lead to even more spectacular views. Deer Park is on...

The trail up to Lake of the Angels, known as the Putvin Trail, starts out pretty mellow with a gradual uphill climb. Your first marker will be an old roadbed at around 1.4 miles, but you'll need to cross two ravines before making it there. It's thick forest with gorgeous views in the clearings, s...

Deception Pass State Park is one of Washington state's favorite year-round destinations; Beachside camping, salt-water kayaking, and plenty of short, accessible trails with endless views of the strait. Goose Rock, the tallest point on Whidbey Island, is just southeast of the Deception Pass bridge...

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...