Hike Washington's National Parks & Forests

The 5.3-mile out-and-back hike to Lena Lake may be a bit of a drive south from Port Angeles, but it's a great spot to stop on your way into the Olympic Peninsula. The hike includes old-growth trees, small but scenic cascades, a forest full of lush ferns and mosses, and ends at Lena Lake with views of its dark green, glassy waters reflecting towering alpine peaks.

The Devil's Punchbowl Hike at Olympic National Park's Lake Crescent is one of the best short and easy hikes in the northern Olympics. Follow the universally-accessible Spruce Railroad Trail out to a dirt path that leads to a footbridge that the turquoise waters of the lake's northwestern shoreline. It's a fun day hike for the entire family.

The hike to Marymere Falls at Olympic National Park on the south shore of Lake Crescent and is another short and popular hike that leads to 90-foot tall free-falling waterfall Marymere Falls. Explore old-growth trees, scenic creek views, and a moderate uphill loop that brings you to an overlook of the moss-covered cliff that Marymere Falls spills over.

The difficult 3.4-mile Hurricane Hill Trail is one of Olympic National Park's more popular day hikes in the Hurricane Ridge area. You'll find breathtaking panormic views of the snow and glacier-capped Olympic Mountains just a stone's throw from the parking lot and the views don't let up throughout the hike to the top. Follow the steep slopes of the paved path to reach the top of Hurricane Hill and find sweeping views of Port Angeles, Mount Angeles, and Vancouver Island in Canada to the north.

The Sunrise Point Loop on Olympic National Park's Hurricane Ridge is a quieter and shorter hike than Hurricane Hill but it features similar alpine views without putting in as much work and effort as Hurricane Hill. This trail is especially awesome during sunrise or sunset.

Located outside of the national parks, Beaver Creek Falls is a beautiful 13-foot tall, 50-foot wide waterfall in Beaver Creek that provides a secluded way to enjoy a waterfall on the Olympic Peninsula without running into other people. The trail that leads down includes a small scramble down a loose dirt hillside, but the seclusion is worth the small effort to reach this waterfall's base.

Hiking to Sol Duc Falls at Olympic National Park is another popular hike near Port Angeles and is one of the most-visited and photographed waterfalls in the park. The hike leads mostly downhill to a footbridge high above the Sol Duc River where you'll find beautiful views of the 50-foot tall Sol Duc Falls and its three streams of waterfalls that plunge into the ravine below.

Take a short and easy stroll along the Ancient Groves Trail in Olympic National Park's Sol Duc River area to enjoy 750-year old Douglas-fir and Hemlock trees growing among a moss-carpeted forest. This old-growth forest is one of the best short hikes in the park that most visitors skip. Due to the lack of visitors, it's the perfect place to find a scrap of seclusion at the park.

Stroll out to the turquoise-tinted waters of the Salmon Cascades along Sol Duc River to find pools of crystal-clear water. The waterfalls here are very short, at about 6-feet tall in total, but the Sol Duc River's turquoise pools create unmatched scenery in the park.

A trip to Olympic National Park is not complete without a hike through the Hoh Rainforest. And the most-popular trail within the Hoh is the Hall of Mosses Trail. Along this short and easy hike, you'll find moss-covered and old-growth trees, trees arched over the trail, and even remnants of decaying nurselogs thatallow new growth to thrive.

Another favorite in the Hoh Rainforest is the Spruce Nature Trail. Along this trail, you'll find similar sights like moss-covered old-growth trees and tree archways, but it also leads to a view of the Hoh River and features a neat downed tree with an exposed root wall. Atop this root wall are now growths towering toward the sky and competing for space. And of course, you'l find more decaying nurselogs.

The last trail in the Hoh that visitors may want to poke around is the lush Hoh River Trail. While this trail is super long and runs for many miles into some serious backcountry, day hikers will find more lush vegetation of the Hoh Rainforest, old-growth trees, and views of the Hoh River along the way.

Ruby Beach on Olympic's western coastline is one of the park's most iconic beaches with its jagged sea stacks that sit on the shoreline. Located just off of the shore sits the forest-capped Abbey Island.

Love old-growth trees? Take a short walk out to the World's Largest Sitka Spruce Tree within the Quinault Rainforest! This super short walk follows a mostly-flat path out to the largest Sitka Spruce tree in the world. Its branches stretch overhead and are as thick as mature east-coast trees.

Just down the road from the World's Largest Sitka Spruce Tree sits the roadside waterfall Merriman Falls. The waterfall spills over a lush moss-covered cliff at about 40-feet tall and is easily visible from the parking turnout. Take a few steps from your car to enjoy the plummeting cascade of Merriman Falls without really any effort at all.

One of the more popular hikes in Mount Rainier National Park's Paradise area is the hike to Myrtle Falls. This short and easy hike leads from the main parking lot to views of the 100-foot tall Myrtle Falls and features breathtaking views of the glacier-capped alpine slopes of the mountain / volcano.

Located in Mount Rainier National Park's Paradise area is the short and easy loop hike along the Nisqually Vista Trail. Follow the loop hike out to dramatic cliffs that sit high above the Nisqually Valley. Watch thousand-foot tall waterfalls pour down from the glacial alpine slopes of Mt. Rainier as the water rushes down the valley. This is a great hike for families and includes several viewpoints along the cliffs, which help hikers spread out for scraps of solitude.

Another super-popular trail in Mount Rainier National Park's Paradise area is the Narada Falls Trail. This super short hike leads downhill to a cliff above the Paradise River with a mist-filled view of the 188-foot tall waterfall, Narada Falls.

A short walk down from the entrance road sits the ultra-scenic turquoise-hued lower waterfall, Christine Falls. Nestled between the Longmire and Paradise areas, this waterfall is one of the most-visited cascades Mount Rainier National Park's has to offer visitors. The views of the waterfall, as it plummets below a scenic stone bridge, is just a stone's throw from the parking area and makes for a great place to chill out to the sights and sounds of the falling water.

Located upstream from the lower cascade of Christine Falls sit the waterfalls that form Upper Christine Falls. While this short out-and-back hike doesn't lead to views of massive waterfalls, it leads to a scenic moss-covered ravine where hikers will find turquoise-tinted waters of Van Trump Creek as it swoops down the bedrock, forming the upper cascades known as Upper Christine Falls.

This trail is found directy in Mount Rainier National Park's Longmire area and is a great walk for the entire family, the Trail of the Shadows. Follow this loop around a meadow with natural mineral springs to find views of Mt. Rainier, old-growth trees, and historical remnants from when the area was owned and operated as private land, long before the national park was established.

One of the most-popular waterfall hikes along the Snoqualmie River is the Twin Falls hike at Olallie State Park. This moderate 2.4-mile out-and-back hike leads to several waterfalls within the Snoqualmie River including the massive Lower Twin Falls and turquoise-tinted Upper and Middle Twin Falls. The guide provided skips Upper Twin Falls, but it's not much further along the route.

For a quiet and more secluded waterfall trail, check out the universally-accessible Weeks Falls Trail. While Weeks Falls may not be the most scenic or tall waterfall that the Snoqualmie River has to offer visitors, it's a great spot to enjoy tumbling water and sounds of the river without really any other visitors around.

The Franklin Falls Trail in Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest is by far one of the best hikes in the Snoqualmie River Valley. This ultra-scenic trail leads along the turquoise-hued waters of the river, passing small swimming holes, and features views of the ravine waterfall, Denny Camp Falls. At the end of the trail sits the 135-foot tall Franklin Falls Trail.

Located in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest's Alpine Lakes Wilderness sits the glacier-fed, turquoise-hued Colchuck Lake. This 8-mile out-and-back day hike include about 2,400-feet of elevation gain and features waterfalls, views of alpine mountains like Mount Stuart and Sherpa Peak, and leads to the breathtaking waters of Colchuck Lake. Towering over the lake sit the alpine ramparts of Dragontail Peak and Colchuck Peak with their snowfields and the Colchuck Glacier nestled between. Take a dip in the freezing waters of the lake or simply sit on the bedrock on the shoreline for some of the best alpine scenery that Washington State has to offer.

Located in the town of Winthrop is a short hike that features views of the North Cascades around Washington Pass and the rolling grassland hills that surround the town, the Meadowlark Trail. The trail is exposed, so there's virtually no shade to be found, but this short 1.9-mile loop hike is well worth exploring if you're staying in Winthrop or nearby and provides a totally different perspective of the North Cascades region. Thanks to our Airbnb host who pointed us to this really nice trail!

Once you drive north from Winthrop, you'll enter the North Cascades Highway where the road begins to ascend into the North Cascade mountains. One of the first stops along the way is the very short, but scenic Washington Pass Overlook. While it's not a hike, this short, paved, and semi-universally-accessible trail provides visitors with panoramic views of the mountain pass from a 500-foot tall cliff. It's a great place to explore, especially if you hiked the Meadowlark Trail with its distant views of Washington Pass from Winthrop.

One of the first subalpine lake hikes along the North Cascades Highway is the easy 4-mile out-and-back Cutthroat Lake Trail. This less-popular lake hike leads along Cutthroat Creek as it slowly ascends through the valley as its surrounded by alpine peaks and ridges of Cutthroat Pass. At the end of the trail sits the glassy waters of Cutthroat Lake. Hikers can enjoy alpine views and you'll likely find flowering mountain heather on-trail during warmer months.

The Blue Lake Trail is one of the most popular day hikes in the North Cascades and for good reason. This 4.7-mile moderate out-and-back hike leads to the sub-alpine lake, Blue Lake and features beautiful alpine views on the hike up. Along the way you'll find views of Whistler Peak and Cutthroat Peak located across the valley and towering overhead are the mountain spires of Washington Pass, which are popular routes for rock climbers — like the Liberty Bell. The hike ends at Blue Lake where its turquoise-blue waters sit below ramparts of an alpine ridge.

Just up the North Cascades Highway from Blue Lake is another popular trail in the North Cascades that leads out to the turquoise-hued waters of Rainy Lake. The Rainy Lake Trail is an easy, universally-accessible 1.9-mile hike that ends along the northern banks of the glacial cirque that envelops the properly-named Rainy Lake. When we visited, it was certainly cloudy with light rain, but the scenery was well-worth the easy effort. Show up during snow melt season to find waterfalls over 1,100-feet in height that continuously feed the lake.

One of the first scenic hikes on the east side of North Cascades National Park is the Ross Dam Trail. This moderate 2.2-mile out-and-back hike leads to the super-tall Ross Lake Dam that separates the Skagit River, forming Ross Lake and helping form Diablo Lake downstream. Along the trail, you'll find scenic waterfalls, views of Ross Lake and the alpine mountains that surround the Colonial Glacier. From the top of the Ross Lake Dam, you can enjoy turquoise-tinted waters of the lake with the massive Lower Happy Creek Falls cascading into the lake.

The Diablo Lake Overlook is one of the best universally-accessible walks that North Cascades National Park has to offer visitors. It's not a hike, but rather an overlook that sits above the glassy, turquoise-hued waters of Diablo Lake with a backdrop of alpine mountains. For visitors to North Cascades National Park this is a must-have on your bucket list.

If you're looking for a proper hike with great views of Diablo Lake without putting in thousands of feet of elevation gain, you should consider hiking the Thunder Knob Trail. The Thunder Knob Trail is a moderate 3.4-mile out-and-back hike that leads through a lush, moss-carpeted forest up to the top of Thunder Knob where you'll find beautiful views of Diablo Lake, its turquoise waters, and towering alpine mountains. It's a great hike for the whole family.

Need some seclusion while exploring North Cascades National Park? Then look no further than the Happy Creek Forest Walk. This super easy trail features a lack of other people, a universally-accessible path, and small but scenic cascades in Happy Creek. Most hikers follow this trail to reach the large waterfall, Happy Creek Falls, but for us it was a great way to wind down from exploring longer trails all day.

On the west side of North Cascades National Park sits the popular, but semi-secluded Gorge Overlook Trail. Take a short loop hike along the Gorge Overlook Trail to find waterfalls plummeting into Gorge Creek Ravine and views of Gorge Lake and the Gorge Lake Dam. Where the universally-accessible path ends, near the Gorge Lake Dam vista, is where the seclusion begins. Most visitors skip the dirt path that circles back to parking, making for a great way to find a bit more seclusion in North Cascades National Park.

For even more seclusion in North Cascades National Park check out the old-growth forest along the Trail of the Cedars. Hike across a suspension bridge over the Skagit River to find a forest full of old-growth trees with a bit of wildfire history that dates back to the early 1900's. The trail loops back to the bridge, passing ancient trees, signs of wildfire damage, views of the Skagit River (if you go off-trail a bit). This is just another trail in North Cascades National Park that doesn't draw a lot of crowds, so you should be able to find some seclusion here.

Near the town of Kendall, Washington sits a lesser-known waterfall that plummets into a ravine carved out by Racehorse Creek, Racehorse Falls. The Racehorse Falls Trail leads through a lush forest with old-growth, moss-covered trees out to the edge of a ravine above Racehorse Creek. Below the steep cliffs sits the multi-tiered waterfall, Racehorse Falls. Just make sure that you keep your distance from the edge of the cliff since the steep drops into the ravine can be extremely dangerous.

Another lesser-known waterfall just west of Mt. Baker is the short but scenic Maple Creek Falls. The to Maple Creek Falls starts near the center of Maple Falls, Washington and follows the Bay to Baker Trail through a lush old-growth forest for 0.3-miles to reach two different viewpoints of the waterfall as it cascades througha fern and moss-covered ravine. Watch your step near the waterfall as the loose soil and wet bedrock can be dangerous and slippery when wet.

You'll enter the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest just east of Glacier, Washington where one of the best riverside hikes can be found, the Horseshoe Bend Trail. The Horseshoe Bend Trail runs for total length of 3-mile one-way along the tumbling turquoise rapids of the Nooksack River and provides hikers with stunning scenery of this glacier-fed waterway. Our Horseshoe Bend Trail guide is a short 1.6-mile out-and-back hike, but you'll find some of the best views of the Nooksack River without having to hike very far.

Just up the Mt. Baker Highway from the Horseshoe Bend Trail sits a super short but scenic waterfall trail that leads to the 88-foot tall Nooksack Falls. The walk to the top of Nooksack Falls is a quick stop to a scenic waterfall that spills down a sheer drop in the Nooksack River. Just make sure you stay on the trail-side of the fence for your own safety as people have accidentally plummeted to their deaths here in the past.

Following the Mt. Baker Highway up to the ski area within Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest you'll eventually come across the universally-accessible Picture Lake Path. From this short but scenic trail, you'll find stunning alpine views of Mount Herman and Table Mountain in the distance on a clear day. If you're lucky, you'll even have views of Mt. Baker and its glacier-capped slopes.

Next up is a fun hike around the Heather Meadows & Bagley Lakes. This moderate 1.5-mile loop hike features massive snow melt waterfalls on Mount Herman and views of Mt. Baker, Table Mountain, glaciers, meadow wildflowers, and the glacier-fed turquoise-tinted Bagley Lakes. We hiked this trail when there were still several feet of snow, but it still made for a super fun hike with great views, even on a cloudy day.

Last on our trip list is the short and easy, universally-accessible, 0.6-mile loop hike, the Fire and Ice Trail. The trailhead is right next to the Heather Meadows visitor center and provides visitors with stunning alpine views from the start. Follow the universally-accessible northern path out to vistas above the Bagley Lakes and then follow the trail as it circles around Terminal Lake.