HomeHiking GuidesBest Hikes in Washington

Best Hikes in Washington

Washington packs a rain forest, a volcano, an alpine granite range and an open coast into a few hours of driving, and the two best-known routes here both run on lotteries that open once a year. These are the trails worth planning around, with the permit dates that decide whether you get on them at all.

32 trail guides and 7 ready-to-book itineraries

Ready-to-book trips

Day-by-day, with the permits and the stays already worked out.

Chain Lakes Loop: A Mount Baker Hiking WeekendMount Baker · Washington CascadesGeorge Washington National Forest Hiking: A 3-Day Virginia ItineraryWestern Virginia · Appalachian RidgesNorth Cascades Backpacking: A 4-Day ItineraryWashington · the American AlpsOlympic Peninsula Family Road Trip: 7-Day LoopOlympic National Park · WashingtonOlympic Peninsula Loop: 3-Day Pacific Northwest Road TripPacific Northwest · WashingtonPresidential Traverse: A New Hampshire Weekend ItineraryNew Hampshire · White MountainsStehekin Washington: A 3-Day ItineraryNorth Cascades · Head of Lake Chelan

National park hikes

North Cascades BackpackingGranite spires, glacier-blue lakes, almost no crowds. The North Cascades hold some of the wildest backpacking in the Lower 48, herOlympic Peninsula Backpacking: The Best Multi-Day RoutesThree river valleys, one alpine traverse, and one wild coast. Here's where to actually backpack on the Olympic Peninsula, permits,Olympic Peninsula in WinterHurricane Ridge in snow, empty rain forest trails, hot springs that finally feel right, and storm-watching on the wild coast. HereBest Day Hikes at Mount RainierMount Rainier rises 14,411 feet above sea level and is surrounded by more acres of wildflower meadow than anywhere else in the Pac

Backpacking and multi-day routes

The Enchantments, WashingtonThe Enchantments in Washington's Alpine Lakes Wilderness is one of the most stunning, and hardest to access, hikes in the US. HereGraves Creek TrailheadEverything you need to start the Enchanted Valley hike from the Graves Creek trailhead in Olympic National Park: how to drive therNorth Cascades Backcountry PermitsHow to get a North Cascades backcountry permit, including the Recreation.gov lottery, walk-up rules, and the best wilderness camps

Day hikes

Artist Point at Mount BakerA practical guide to Artist Point at Mount Baker, the highest paved viewpoint in the North Cascades, plus the best short hikes thaBest Day Hikes in North Cascades National ParkA trail-by-trail guide to the best day hikes in North Cascades National Park, from Maple Pass to Cascade Pass and the Sahale Arm.The Best Stehekin HikesA trail-by-trail guide to the best day hikes in Stehekin, from the easy Rainbow Falls loop to the wildflower-lined Agnes Gorge and

When to go

Best Time to Hike Enchanted ValleyA season-by-season guide to the best time to hike Enchanted Valley in Olympic National Park, including when the waterfalls peak, wBest Time to Visit North Cascades National ParkA season-by-season guide to the best time to visit North Cascades National Park, including the larch season, road openings, and weBest Time to Visit Olympic National ParkWhen to visit Olympic National Park for wildflowers, dry trails, fewer crowds, and open mountain roads, broken down by season.Best Time to Visit Stehekin: A Season-by-Season GuideWhen to ride the Lady of the Lake to Stehekin for wildflowers, fall color, low crowds, or open trails in the North Cascades.

More guides in this state

Washington and Oregon Coast Road Trip: The Full PNW DriveHow to plan a Washington and Oregon coast road trip from the Olympic Peninsula south down the Oregon Coast, with suggested days anEnchanted Valley Chalet and the Valley of 10,000 WaterfallsThe story of the historic Enchanted Valley Chalet in Olympic National Park, why the valley is nicknamed the Valley of 10,000 WaterHeather Meadows TrailsA guide to the Heather Meadows trails at Mount Baker, including the Bagley Lakes loop, the Fire and Ice Trail, and Picture Lake, wHoh Rain Forest HikesA trail-by-trail guide to hiking the Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park, from the famous Hall of Mosses loop to the long, flHoh Rain Forest Hiking GuideEverything you need to hike the Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park, from the easy Hall of Mosses loop to the long Hoh River How to Get to Stehekin: Ferry, Floatplane and Trail OptionsStehekin has no road in, so getting there means the Lady of the Lake ferry, a floatplane, or a long hike. Here is how each option Hurricane Ridge HikesA guide to the best Hurricane Ridge hikes in Olympic National Park, from the paved Cirque Rim loop to the wildflower-lined HurricaMount Baker Fall Colors: Where and When to See Peak AutumnWhen and where to catch peak fall colors at Mount Baker, from the blueberry meadows of Heather Meadows to the golden larches aboveOlympic Peninsula BeachesA guide to the wild sea-stack beaches of the Olympic Peninsula coast, from Ruby Beach to Rialto and the Second Beach trail.Ruby Beach Tide PoolsHow to time the tides and explore the sea stacks and tide pools at Ruby Beach and nearby beaches along the wild Olympic National PThe Stehekin Pastry Company: A Guide to the Famous BakeryEverything to know about the Stehekin Pastry Company, the legendary North Cascades bakery PCT hikers detour for, including how to Things to Do in Stehekin: Falls, Ferries, Orchards and MoreFrom Rainbow Falls and the red shuttle bus to the Buckner Orchard and a swim in Lake Chelan, here is how to fill your days in remoFly Fishing the Olympic PeninsulaThe Hoh, Sol Duc, Bogachiel, and Calawah hold some of the last truly wild steelhead and salmon runs in the lower 48. Here's where The Olympic Peninsula Rain Shadow: Why Sequim Stays DrySequim gets 16 inches of rain a year. Forks gets 120. They're 70 miles apart. Here's the rain shadow that makes one side of the OlRattlesnake Ledge Trail Guide: Seattle's Most Popular HikeRattlesnake Ledge is Seattle's most-hiked trail, 4 miles round trip with sweeping views of the Cascades and Rattlesnake Lake, acceMount Si Hiking Guide: The Classic Puget Sound Workout HikeMount Si is the training ground for Cascade mountaineers, 8 miles round trip, 3,150 feet of gain, and a summit that feels genuinelLake Serene Trail GuideLake Serene earns its name, a perfect alpine cirque below the north face of Mount Index, with a brutal 2,500-foot gain that pays o

Three of the hardest permits in the country are in this state. If you are reading this after the lottery closed, the guided versions of these trips carry their own permits, and our permit watcher emails you the moment a cancelled date frees up.

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Free permit watch

You can't hike it if you can't get the permit.

The best hikes in America run on lotteries that open once a year and sell out in minutes. Every trail runs on its own calendar. Pick the ones you want and we do the watching.

28 trails watched daily

How it works

  • An email the morning each window opens, never the day after.
  • A 14-day heads-up so you can line up your group and dates.
  • Win odds and a ranked backup plan for every trail you pick.

Didn't win? We keep watching. We check recreation.gov every day for The Enchantments, Half Dome and Angels Landing, and email you the moment a sold-out date frees up. Cancellations are the second chance most people never hear about.

Hikers we've helped

Excellent itinerary planner! Detail oriented with thoughtful tips for my family's trip.

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