Ronald, Washington

This hike has unreal views of Mount Rainier. On a great clear spring day, the mountain is out. It's right in your face. It's incredible. If you tackle this hike in the spring the bear grass and wildflowers are alive and blooming towards the top and it makes for some fantastic picture-taking. Once...

Start out in Crystal parking lot A. There is a small and steep trail that heads up the hill labeled as Silver Creek Trail. The trail follows a horse trail for the majority of the route and gets renamed Bullion Basin Trail shortly after you enter the woods, so when it doubt keep following the hoof...

This trail starts off going through the forest of fir and hemlock for the first mile. Once you reach the top of the first hill, you will get a glimpse of all the views you will have the opportunity to enjoy later on. As you descend, the trees will start to thin out. The trail follows the ridge l...

Catching a beautiful sunset has never been so easy. This lookout tower is accessible by vehicle. The road is fairly smooth too. No car would have any trouble getting up to the top.  The last gate before the lookout tower/peak is about a mile down. The gate does close at 8pm but is ran by volunte...

This hike takes you past 5 lakes and a few different waterfalls, so if you don't wish to push on to Big Heart, you won't be disappointed! Start at the West Fork Foss River Trailhead, about 2.6 miles past the Necklace Valley Trailhead. The first mile is relatively flat. Once you reach the bridge t...

Choose from Trout Lake (1.6 miles each way with 500 feet of elevation gain), Copper Lake (4.2 miles each way with 2400 feet of elevation gain), or Big Heart Lake at 7.3 miles each way, with 3300 feet elevation gain). There are plenty of camp sites if you decide to go overnight at any of the lakes...

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...

Sauer’s Mountain is one of those well defined, moderate, and rewarding hikes that give you just the right amount of views for the effort, but the real treat is catching the wildflower bloom in mid-May. The trailhead is located on private property. Start by parking along the private drive and walk...

Tucked high in the heart of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Tank Lakes has everything you could ask for out of a Washington hike. You start low at the Necklace Valley trailhead just south of Skykomish along Highway 2 and meander five miles to a giant log crossing of the East Fork Foss River. From h...

This beautiful tucked-away trail offers runners, hikers, and backpackers a new view of their favorite neighboring peaks - like Mailbox Peak and Mt. Si - from one of the most scenic river trails in the Seattle area. Often overlooked in favor of more rigorous hikes, the Middle Fork is a gently gra...

While the full Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) road trail can be quite a challenging adventure, the upper section of the trail is perfect for a modest hike or trail run through some beautiful classic PNW forest terrain. Just adjacent to the Middle Fork Road the 3.4-mile trail runs between a sm...

This is an abandoned trail that heads south along Rainy Creek, off of the downstream section of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Trail, and up to Rainy Lake. The lake is popular among fisherman, since it is home to lots of trout, but be warned -- route-finding skills are a must on this trip. I do my be...

This one can be a bit tricky to find. The trailhead is unmarked and is a bit hidden around a curve of Middle Fork Road so it is easy to miss. At about 9.80 miles from the junction of 468th St. and Middle Fork Road, look for two signs on the right warning of upcoming gravel patches (probably will ...

You start out at an elevation of about 1200 feet and you gradually make your way up to the top at 4450 feet. You are hiking through forest land the whole time with peaks of a beautiful view to the north every so often. Along the way there are many rock walls which you can climb at, however on our...

Traveling east from Seattle on Highway 2, take a right hand turn onto Foss River Road (Road 68) just after the township of Skykomish. The pavement ends in 1.1 miles, beyond that be cautious of potholes. Continue along this road for a further 1.3 miles, at which point you will pass under a railroa...