Vancouver, Washington
Looking for the best backpacking in Vancouver? We've got you covered with the top trails, trips, hiking, backpacking, camping and more around Vancouver. The detailed guides, photos, and reviews are all submitted by the Outbound community.
Top Backpacking Spots in and near Vancouver
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Skamania County, Washington
Indian Heaven to Blue Lake
4.66.71 mi / 997 ft gainCrowds and mosquitoes were nonexistent as we went a bit early in the season. The trails were all covered in snow, but we were able to do some way finding with a GPS and topo map. 3.5 miles in we found a dry spot next to Blue Lake and set up shop. After dropping off our gear we climbed up Gifford...Read more -
Government Camp, Oregon
Tom Dick and Harry Mountain
5.08.28 mi / 1726 ft gainLooking to score those iconic photos of Mt. Hood? Climb the well-graded trail to Tom Dick and Harry Mountain, one of the most accessible summit hikes to Portlanders, and see where they were all taken. Starting from the busy Mirror Lake Trailhead, climb roughly 900 feet and 1.5 miles to Mirror La...Read more -
Toutle, Washington
Mount Margaret's Ridge Camp via Coldwater Trailhead
3.57.12 mi / 1634 ft gainThe 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 ad...Read more -
Government Camp, Oregon
Veda Lake Trail
4.02.5 mi / 748 ft gainThis hike starts at the Fir Tree Trailhead and is an out and back 2.8 mile round trip. It's short, but there's 660 feet of elevation gain. To start, you climb steeply then it's an easy hike to a beautiful viewpoint overlooking the lake. The trail descends via switchbacks down to the lake for the ...Read more -
Toutle, Washington
Snow Lake via Coldwater Lake
5.016.07 mi / 2684 ft gainThe Coldwater Lake Recreation Area has restrooms, telephones, and a picnic area. Make sure you have already acquired your permits for camping in the Mt. Margaret back country. Follow trail #211, which runs along the entire 4.5 mile length of Coldwater Lake. It is a beautiful and fairly flat hike...Read more -
Government Camp, Oregon
Climb the Mt. Hood Summit
4.87 mi / 5239 ft gainStarting at 6,000 ft of elevation at Timberline Lodge, start your climb up the south side of Mt. Hood. If you head out at noon, in 6 hours you can make it about an hour past the last ski lift, called Palmer, where you can set up camp for the night. You may need to dig out a flat spot for your ten...Read more