Ravensdale, Washington

Getting There From Seattle, drive Interstate 90 to Exit 62, Signed Kachess Lake/Stampede Pass. Turn left and head north over the interstate; you'll reach Kachess Lake Campground in five miles. Turn left where the pavements ends and drive four miles on Box Canyon Road (FS Road #4930) to the Rachel...

Getting There: From I-90 East, take exit 62. Take a left, heading over the highway. After 5.2 miles, the road veers left, passing Lake Kachess Campground. Go another 0.3 miles on the gravel road and take a right at a sign for Rachel Lake/Trail 1313. At this point, the road gets a little rough, bu...

Start off at Trail #1313 to Rachel Lake. The first 2.5 miles is a flat, slow uphill hike till you get to a river crossing. From there, the next 1.3 miles will be a 1,000 foot elevation gain to Rachel Lake. Once you arrive, this is a good spot to rest, eat some snacks, and replenish your water sup...

Begin at the Rachel Lake Trailhead and fill out the registry with your individual/group information.As you start the hike heading Northwest towards the lake itself, the trail begins to steadily climb from its initial elevation of 2500 feet. Once you cross the Alpine Lake Wilderness sign, the path...

This hike is 8 miles roundtrip, with 1600 feet of elevation gain. Once you're on the trail, it starts heading uphill to help get your heart rate up on the hike. As you enter the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, the trail starts to level out. You'll cross a few streams and hike through a fair amount of ve...

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...

Getting Here: Heading North on I5 from Seattle Center, take exit 178 for 236th Street SW and Lakeveiw Dr. Take a left on Lakeview Dr. and follow along for a half a mile before you see the Lake Ballinger Boat Ramp parking area on the left. There is a community park and rental facility on the noir ...

The Milky Way and Mount Rainier is a beautiful combination. In order to get a photo of the Milky Way over Mount Rainier you need to be in the right spot at the right time of year. The spot seen in the photographs is a great spot in that it isn't too far of a hike and provides an unobstructed view...

Escape the crowds at Paradise and come enjoy the best views in the park! Start from the visitor's center parking lot and head up the Sourdough Ridge Trail and hike the 1.3 miles to Frozen Lake. Along the way (depending on the season) you'll hike up snow, through glorious fields of wild flowers, ...

I grew up in Washington, but didn't get out to Mount Rainier until I came home for a visit years later. We took advantage of the nonexistent snowpack and headed up in mid-June, which is normally a terrible time to visit (think late summer). There are two main areas in the park, Sunrise and Paradi...

The Burroughs Mountain Trail comes from a series of trails out of the Sunrise Area. First piece of advice is to set your alarm clocks! The parking lot and trails get busy quite quickly, especially in the summer. From the parking lot you will start by taking the Sourdough Ridge Trail up to Frozen...

Mount Ruth presented a challenge as it was a very hot day to be exposed on a ridge for the entire day. The trek begins in White River Campground parking lot and travels along the White River until you exit at Glacier Basin. Crossing the creek you ascend up to the ridge that leads up and up and up...

Getting There From Seattle: Head East on I90 to 405 South, Take the exit for 169 heading towards Enumclaw. I recommend stopping for a bite at the down home, family restaurant called Kitchen in downtown. The food was great with lots of local flavors! Continue on 169 where you will jump on Highway ...

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 trai...

The Summerland trail is by far the easiest trail that I ever experienced. The trail is well maintained and for the first 3 miles you are surrounded by trees and the sound of waterfalls and rivers, and it's green everywhere. The last 1.3 miles, you encounter switchbacks and you can get some view...

The trail is 12 mi round trip but don’t let the distance for an out and back turn you off - this hike is fantastic and even better with a beer at the top. The trail winds its way through an old growth forest and shortly joins the Wonderland Trail. After crossing a crick the trail steepens and beg...