Top 10 Hikes in Washington State
Olympic National Park, WA
Top 10 Hikes in Washington State
April 5, 2021
Although hiking in the snow and rain can be its own unique experience, there’s nothing like PNW hiking in the summer! Now that spring is here and summer is right around the corner, I’m already creating hiking plans for when I’m back in WA for June. Because let’s face it… growing up in the Pacific Northwest has SPOILED me rotten when it comes to my hiking expectations. Sorry New England... we love you, but the PNW trails just hit differently!
As of April 6, 2021,
Here are my Top 10 Hikes in Washington State and 10 PNW Trails on my Hiking Bucket List!
My Top 10 Favorite Hikes in Washington State
(Ranked in order of difficulty!)
Mount Storm King
Difficulty: Hard
Length: 5.3 miles
Elevation Gain: 2,076 ft.
Location: Olympic National Park
Completed On: August 14, 2019
We completed this one right before sunset! That said, I highly recommend hiking this trail during daylight hours when hiking it for the very first time. The top rope section may leave you scrambling, so proceed with extreme caution.
2. Crystal Peak Trail
Difficulty: Hard
Length: 6.9 miles
Elevation Gain: 2,995 ft.
Location: Mount Rainier National Park
Completed On: May 23, 2020
On the day we hiked Crystal Peak, we were prepared to hike only a 1.0 mile loop trail, but since the road to our original trail was closed, we decided to tackle this snowy beast instead. Took us much longer, but the frozen lake views were worth it!
3. Colchuck Lake (via Stuart Lake)
Difficulty: Hard
Length: 9.0 miles
Elevation Gain: 2,283 ft.
Location: Leavenworth, WA
Completed On: August 22, 2020
This hike was sitting at the VERY top of my PNW Bucket List for the longest time. So happy I was able to complete it on a weekday early morning, so we were able to enjoy the lake before the heavy crowds arrived.
4. Skyline Trail
Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 6.0 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,794 ft.
Location: Mount Rainier National Park
Completed On: July 23, 2019
This hike was much more difficult than we thought it was going to be. Breathing at a higher elevation may have contributed to its difficulty, but the views of Mount Rainier helped us continue forward!
5. Snow Lake
Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 6.4 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,669 ft.
Location: Snoqualmie Pass, WA
Completed On: Spring 2014
I hiked this one during the spring, when there was still a little bit of snow on the trail. There were moments of scrambling across rocks which made the adventure extra unique. Would love to hike this one in the summer!
6. High Rock Lookout
Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 3.2 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,299 ft.
Location: Ashford, WA
Completed On: July 6, 2020
Although we hiked this trail on a cloudy day, Mt Rainier still peaked through the clouds - just had to be patient! The viewing area by the fire lookout tower has space large enough to fit many groups of hikers - plenty of space to spread out and enjoy your lunch if you’d like!
7. Rattlesnake Ledge
Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 5.1 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,469 ft.
Location: North Bend, WA
Completed On: July 10, 2017
Out of all of the hikes on this list, I’ve definitely hiked this one the most. Its convenient location near Seattle made it a quick weekend day trip when I attended UW. Although the view is definitely still a sight worth seeing, the intense crowds have increasingly made the experience much less enjoyable. I recommend enjoying the views on a weekday!
8. Blue Lake
Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 4.6 miles
Elevation Gain: 921 ft.
Location: North Cascades National Park
Completed On: July 25, 2020
Hiking Blue Lake was one of my favorite hiking adventures, because it was my first hike over in the North Cascades National Park. Although it’s rated as moderate, it was relatively easy most of the way up! Enjoyed our lunch right by the lake!
9. Twin Falls
Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 3.6 miles
Elevation Gain: 967 ft.
Location: North Bend, WA
Completed On: Spring 2014
Hiked this one in the spring so the soil was a little muddy, but with that said, the waterfalls were roaring! A quick but wholesome hike, perfect for a weekday evening adventure.
10. Franklin Falls
Difficulty: Easy
Length: 2.0 miles
Elevation Gain: 364 ft.
Location: Snoqualmie Pass, WA
Completed On: June 24, 2019
Although it’s listed for 2.0 miles, if you hike this trail in the winter, it adds on a few more miles (the road to the trailhead parking lot is usually closed due to snowy conditions). I’ve hiked this one both in the summer and winter now, and I enjoyed seeing the waterfall both frozen and roaring just the same!
10 PNW Hikes (that are currently) on my Bucket List
1. The Enchantments
Difficulty: Hard
Length: 23.6 miles
Elevation Gain: 5,003 ft.
Location: Leavenworth, WA (surrounding)
2. Lake Serene Trail and Bridal Veil Falls
Difficulty: Hard
Length: 7.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 2,716 ft.
Location: Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
3. Mount Pilchuck
Difficulty: Hard
Length: 6.0 miles
Elevation Gain: 2,125 ft.
Location: Granite Falls, WA
4. Lake 22
Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 5.7 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,466 ft.
Location: Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
5. Tolmie Peak
Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 6.4 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,522 ft.
Location: Mount Rainier National Park
6. Mount Fremont Lookout
Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 5.7 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,151 ft.
Location: Mount Rainier National Park
7. South Wedge Mountain Trail
Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 3.0 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,706 ft.
Location: Leavenworth, WA
8. Hurricane Hill via Hurricane Ridge
Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 3.1 miles
Elevation Gain: 797 ft.
Location: Olympic National Park
9. Dirty Harry’s Balcony (via Little Balcony)
Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 4.0 miles
Elevation Gain: 849 ft.
Location: Snoqualmie Pass, WA
10. Beacon Rock
Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 1.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 574 ft.
Location: Stevenson, WA
Have you hiked any of these trails? Do we share in similar Bucket List hikes? Let me know which trail you're blazing through next!
'Til the next one,
Gen
