Washington

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, this hi...

Naches Peak Loop Trail is a great introductory trail to Mount Rainier National Park situated on the Eastern side of Rainier. Half located within Mount Rainier NP and half within Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Naches Peak is a 3.5 mile trail with minimal elevation gain (700ft) yet with views wor...

North Cascade National Park is home to some of the most rugged and remote mountains in the lower 48 states. Because of this, the area is rarely seen up close and personal in the winter, but there are a few spots where you can see these wild mountains that will defy all imagination. In terms of locat...

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 Hum...

The hike is relatively easy. I'd say intermediate due to the incline at the beginning. Also intermediate due to it being an backpacking camp adventure. A friend of mine and I backpacked in to shoot the sunset and sunrise. We went a little early in the season so it was also to scout for future advent...

Park at the Sunrise Point parking lot and find the Palisades Trail at the northeast corner of the parking lot. If you bring along a pair of binoculars, you can stop at the first overlook on the left and scan the adjacent mountain slopes for the white dots of mountain goats. Continue down the trail a...

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 chains...

The trail begins on the Pacific Northwest Trail, which ascends quickly up the side of Blanchard Mountain. The trail contains several switchbacks which wind through second-growth alder, Western red cedar, and Douglas fir forest. After about one mile there is an overlook with a bench that offers a gre...

Takhlakh Lake is located 7 miles NW of Mt Adams with a 53 site campground on the west side of the lake as well as a day use picnic area. The campground features a boat ramp and a wheelchair-accessible 1.1 mile flat trail, which encircles the lake, and accesses the Meadows Trail that climbs up to the...

If you're looking for a long day hike or multi-night backpacking trip in the Olympics, add Royal Lake and Royal Basin to your adventure list! The first mile of trail along the Dungeness River gains a gentle 300 feet. When you reach the bridge, do not cross it (the trail across the bridge goes to Mar...

Since the parking lot is not plowed in the winter you have to park along the main road next to the driveway toward the hike or at the Gold Creek Sno-Park. Once to the trailhead it is smooth sailing the rest of the hike. When I went the snow was compacted so snowshoes were not necessary but they are ...

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 4,500'....

Backpacking the Spider Gap to Buck Creek Pass Loop in the Glacier Peak Wilderness is no easy task, but yields some of the most spectacular views found in Washington. Plan for at least four days in order to stay fresh and to allow for extra time to soak in the Cascadian beauty that assaults your sens...

Driving Directions: Travel east on Mt. Baker Highway 542 to the road's end and the Mount Baker Ski area. Follow the signs to the upper parking lot and the Bagley Lakes/Chain Lakes trailhead. The trail can also be accessed from Austin Pass and Artist Point. Trail: From the Bagley Lakes trailhead, fol...

This trailhead is easily accessed at the parking lot at Reflection Lakes in Mount Rainier National Park. A short but sweet hike (1.3 miles one way) that leads to beautiful views of Rainier, Mount Adams, Mount St. Helens, and if clear enough, Mt. Hood (Oregon). Pinnacle itself can be climbed to summi...

Did you know that Cape Flattery is the northwesternmost point in the continental United States? This is the place where the Straight of Juan de Fuca collides with the Pacific, creating strong currents and loud crashing waves. This short and accessible hike leads you through a forest to an unforgetta...