Do I need a Discover Pass?

Yes for state-land trailheads ($30/year or $11.50 per day). National parks need their own pass.

When does the Enchantments lottery open?

February for the following summer. It's hard to draw; plan a thru-hike as a backup.

Mid-August through mid-September is the statistical worst. Have a coastal bail-out plan.

Jagged peak silhouetted at sunset above an alpine basin of conifers and a small lake in Washington's Cascades

Best Hiking Trails in Washington

North Cascades to Olympic rainforest to the dry east slope — Washington hikes, season by season, with our team's picks.

Washington is three completely different hiking states stapled together. Rae spent a summer working a fire lookout near Winthrop and will tell you the Methow Valley and the eastern Cascades are the best-kept secret in the PNW. Jake's done the Hoh Rainforest to Blue Glacier traverse twice and thinks it's the most cinematic hike in the lower 48. Mia lives near North Bend and can name a dozen I-90 trailheads that fill a Saturday without leaving the county.

Rule of thumb: the west side (Olympic, North Cascades) is July through mid-October for the high country. The east side (Methow, Enchantments, Sawtooth Wilderness) opens a few weeks earlier and burns for longer. Plan around smoke season (mid-August through September) — it can eat a whole trip.

By region

Olympic Peninsula

Temperate rainforest, coastal wilderness, alpine meadows — three ecosystems in one park. Hurricane Ridge for day hikes, Enchanted Valley for the classic backpack.

North Cascades

Glaciated, gnarly, under-visited. The Maple Pass Loop is the single best day hike in the state.

Central Cascades (I-90)

The Mount Si / Mailbox Peak / Rattlesnake Ridge corridor. 45 minutes from Seattle, open most of the year below 3,500 ft.

Mt Rainier

Wonderland Trail, Skyline Loop, Paradise wildflowers. Late July through September is peak. Permits required for overnights.

Methow + Eastern Washington

Drier, warmer, less crowded. Shoulder-season gold.

When to go

jan

feb

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apr

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jun

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sep

oct

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dec

best good ok poor

Plan a hike in Washington

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More hikes in Washington

Common questions

Do I need a Discover Pass?: Yes for state-land trailheads ($30/year or $11.50 per day). National parks need their own pass.
When does the Enchantments lottery open?: February for the following summer. It's hard to draw; plan a thru-hike as a backup.
Smoke season?: Mid-August through mid-September is the statistical worst. Have a coastal bail-out plan.