Washington Trails

Whether you’re new to the area, just visiting, or a lifelong resident here, there’s always new trails to explore!

Hit up one of these 7 hikes for a late-season color show.

Whether it’s big elevation changes, big miles, or big moves, these 23 routes prove that the best hikes are often the hardest. There’s a world of adventure out there—if you’re strong enough to seize it.

Looking for a great dayhike, weekend trip, or multiday expedition near Seattle? We've got you covered.

Link pristine forests, wildflower meadows, and two picturesque lakes on this gentle, 3.7-mile hike near Snoqualmie Pass.

Wind through a chain of alpine lakes with spectacular views of Mts. Baker and Shuksan on this easy 6.5-mile overnight.

Find alpine bliss halfway through this snowshoe beneath an active volcano in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

Destinations Editor Kristin Smith loves this shoulder-season overnight on East Bank Ross Lake Trail in Washington's North Cascades National Park.

Hike to one of these nine fire lookouts for unbeatable views and a unique backcountry experience.

Late summer means the high country has finally melted out—and as the snow leaves, the blooms move in. Check out one of these seven hikes for colorful meadows just below the peaks.

Combine the best of car camping (spacious tents, comfy chairs, frosty margaritas!) and the best of backpacking (deep solitude, outrageous scenery, swimming holes!) with these 16 accessible hideaways.

Rest your feet by a backcountry oasis on one of these nine hikes.

Good conditions and better timing make this Washington spot a gorgeous place for photographs.

Plan your trip to the alpine as the snow melts out from meadows and ridgelines

Take off for one of these forested hikes to find some respite from the summer heat beneath the trees.

Hike to total relaxation in Washington's Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

Like your life and limbs intact? Then you'd better get skilled before visiting these trails.

Rocky peaks, meadows, and squeaky little pikas: this hike showcases the northwest in all its glory.

Young people are flocking to historic--and closed--Vance Creek Bridge for adrenaline-fueled selfies.

The "very high threat" volcano currently has only one seismometer.

Bans will also affect national forests.

Was clinging to Haystack rock formation

The man slid about 100 feet in Larrabee State Park.

The 22-year-old was swept away in the West Fork of the White River.

The man fell about 90 feet after reportedly climbing on the butte's lookout.

Crews rescued the woman with a helicopter after she climbed 30 feet to escape the wolves.

Rescuers airlifted the pair off a steep slope at 8,800 feet.

Pity the poor Seattle hikers: On any given day, they must decide whether to explore one of three national parks, venture into the Central or South Cascades, head north into the Canadian Coast Mountains, or just stick around Puget Sound and the Pacific. But before decision paralysis sets in, try one of these can’t-miss picks.

Researchers will plumb the underwater depths for chunks of a meteorite that fell last March.

The 31-year-old went missing after camping at Colonial Creek last weekend.

The park's new management plan calls for relocating some mountain goats to the Cascades and shooting the rest.

Giant hogweed, found in at least 12 states, causes painful blisters and blindness.

What Seattle hikers need to know this weekend.

Visitation and rescue incidents are both up at Mt. Adams--but what does Instagram have to do with it?

What Seattle hikers need to know this weekend.

The Seattle scouts are recovering from hypothermia after an unplanned night in a snow cave.

A climber and a swimmer were killed in separate incidents recently.

What Seattle hikers need to know this weekend.

The fatal encounter has some people extra-alert around North Bend's trails.

Verizon and T-Mobile will install wireless equipment at Paradise.

The remote mountain is also one of the Cascades' least-monitored volcanoes.

The 15-year-old threw firecrackers into the Columbia River Gorge last fall, starting the destructive blaze.

Officials think the body recovered outside the ski area is a man who disappeared last January.

Sonja Brooks, a 32-year-old from Seattle, was killed while mountain biking near North Bend last Saturday.

Play in the parks fee-free on June 2, 9, and 10.

Elementary school- through college-aged students explore local parks and take field trips as part of the coalition project.

What Seattle hikers need to know this weekend.

Biologists confirmed the rare mammal's return to the area south of I-90 after being extirpated in the early 1900s.

The Raging River State Forest network near Tiger Mountain will debut 17 miles of trail, most of it singletrack.

The 24-year-old, stationed on the USS Nimitz, disappeared after a dayhike near Sequim.

What Seattle hikers need to know this weekend.

Pacific Northwesterners cherish this wilderness mecca, with its vibrant greenery, roaring waterfalls, and bird’s-eye summit views. But many hikers have stayed away since the Eagle Creek fire tore up nearly 49,000 acres of the Gorge last year. Bad decision. Enjoy the best of the National Scenic Area—and avoid the fire damage—with these tips and trips.

Risky avalanche conditions extended the plowing project on State Route 20.

What Seattle hikers need to know this weekend

Rangers caught Alexander Turney after a string of burglaries and vehicle vandalizations in fall 2017.

Beachgoers captured a video of the whales in Dabob Bay Tuesday.

What Seattle hikers need to know this weekend.

Washington's top multiday trails, as selected by BACKPACKER Local scouts Jason Bickford and Anastasia Allison.

An unidentified woman was found floating below Wallace Falls this week.

Warming temps will create significant risk for wet-snow avalanches across the Cascades and Olympics this week.

The new public transit program delivers hikers to three popular trailheads.

A Monroe woman's body was recovered after falling over a cascade at Cedar Ponds Lake, while a Spokane man is presumed dead at Palouse Falls.

The woman was attacked while running on the Olympic Peninsula's path last weekend.

What Seattle hikers need to know this weekend.

Last year's wildfire forced the shutdown of more than 30 trails on the gorge's south side.

Gift comes from estate of Bette Wallace.

Major road work is scheduled for US Highway 101 and East Beach Road this spring and summer.

The #1 tip from biologists to protect awakening black bears: Take down your bird feeder.

The government is considering proposals to restore the bears to a slice of their historic habitat in Washington state.

This year's abundant snowfall means plenty of water for irrigation, towns, and salmon.

The FBI tracked pornography found in the illegal structure to a Mill Creek man.

The King County Sheriff's Department released a video of the rescue of an injured snowmobiler from an avalanche that killed two others.

The 27-year-old Edmonds man triggered the slide that claimed his life.

Officials think the 23-year-old fell into the Nisqually drainage below Paradise.

How many of these iconic Washington adventures have you checked off your list?

The slide occurred in the backcountry near Setting Sun Mountain.

The new system is an attempt to alleviate crowding at the popular Columbia River Gorge trail.

The 16-year-old slipped on the icy trail and fell several hundred feet.

The two men were from Bonney Lake; one was a police officer.