Skagit County, Washington

Diablo lake is the perfect place to camp if you're looking for solitude and natural beauty. It's northeast from Seattle in the North Cascades. Colonial Creek Campground has large camp sites right on the lake. It is first come first serve, however check out is at noon so arrive around 11:30 to sna...

The HikeThe hike there isn't short, has several steep sections, and ends at the top of the mountain. There are cliff warnings at the top, so be careful as you explore the view! The steepest portions are at the beginning and right at the end. The trail is very well maintained (because it is so pop...

The best way to describe the location is due east of Bellingham. After driving through gorgeous roads to reach Twin Lakes Road (fire service road 3065), you are treated to about a 4-mile drive up to the trailhead for Yellow Aster Butte (8.3 miles RT with 2850' of gain) and Tomyhoi Peak. The drive...

Yellow Aster Butte has to be one of the most visually rewarding hikes in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest for the effort required to get there. Abundant with lush, rolling mountain meadows, hikers can be treated to an abundance of wildflowers, heather fields, and berry patches with dreamy...

Winchester Mountain is said to have the greatest reward for least amount of effort in all the North Cascades. One of the last fire-lookouts in the region stands on the summit. Views from the summit of Winchester Mountain are beautiful and dramatic to say the least. Being one of the easiest hikes...

Despite this trip report being titled "to Winchester Mountain", the fun doesn’t stop there. Even though Winchester Mountain is the most popular summer hike departing from Twin Lakes, this whole area turns into a fun-zone during the winter.Upon reaching higher ground above the lakes, this zone off...

These two quaint lakes in the Chuckanuts are a must-do for people looking for a day hike, short camping trip or steep trail run in the Bellingham area. Starting at the trailhead off of Old Samish Road, one begins the 2 mile ascent to the two lakes. The first 1,400ft climb has its fair share of up...

Since Blanca Lake is a very popular place for folks to explore and with the nice and sunny weekend. I drove out Friday night and slept in my Jeep. Got up at 7:30am when folks first started arriving to the trail head.A couple of things to keep in mind before you start this hike. The 7.5 miles ro...

We set out from the town of Anacortes, WA from Seafarers Memorial Park with a group of 6 people. Two in single kayaks and four in two tandem kayaks. After setting out into the water, keep to the west of Guemes island and follow the shoreline for a shorter trip or follow the east side for a longer...

THE TRAIL: On the north side of the bridge, you'll come across Rosario Rd. Take this down to the Bowman Bay parking lot and your trailhead begins here. Take a moment to walk out on the fishing pier or watch what people are catching before you continue south on the trail towards Lottie Bay/Lightho...

Note to any hikers taking on this trail, this is a non-repeating trail meaning it goes in a big loop. The trailhead has 2 trail points of entrance. To the right (the pathway that is not paved) is the counter-clockwise route, a little less steep and more scenic at the start. To the left, the trail...

Starting at the Heather-Maple Pass Loop Trailhead, jump onto the trail that will take you counter-clockwise along the loop. After about 1.25 miles, you will come to a split in the trail, take the right path and continue for just under a mile until you reach Heather Pass. Off to the right there ar...

Take Hwy 20 to Rainy Pass, and park at the trailhead on the east side of the highway. Begin on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), heading towards Cutthroat Pass.The trail winds it's way towards the pass at a gentle grade over 5 miles. As the trail ascends, you'll leave the forest behind as you enter ...

With less than 500 feet of total elevation and 4.4 miles of round trip hiking, the Barclay Lake trail is a perfect hike for beginners, families, or those looking for a quick morning or afternoon jaunt. Yet dont let the simplicity of the hike fool you. The end result of the hike is nothing short o...

This is a relatively short hike, at only 2.6 miles round trip, that takes you up to the nearly 5600 foot summit. The hike may be short but it is extremely steep, gaining 1300ft in the 1.3 miles to the summit, so be prepared for a good leg workout. On the way to the top you will walk through field...

The Approach Starting at the Trinity trailhead you'll hike the Buck Creek Trail towards Buck Creek Pass. The trail is fairly obvious once the snows have melted but if you are going early season (June-early July) you will definitely want to bring a GPS.  The trail works it's way up the valley alon...