Trails in Washington
14 mapped routes in Washington: 8 hiking trails, 4 cycling routes and 2 scenic drives. Together they cover 570 km with 6,815 m of climbing, and the highest point reaches 1,945 m. Every route has a GPX download, elevation profile, gradient and surface analysis.
- Mapped routes
- 14
- Total distance
- 570km
- Total climbing
- 6,815m
- Highest point
- 1,945m
- Water crossings
- 15
Destination guide
About trails in Washington
Washington splits neatly in two for anyone with a map and a pair of boots. West of the Cascade crest, trails wind through wet conifer forest around North Bend, Carnation and the Issaquah Alps, where the Cougar Mountain De Leo Wall Loop gives a solid 12 km workout within sight of Seattle. Higher up, the High Divide Trail, Mount Baker climbs to about 1,750 m for views across the North Cascades, and the Iron Creek Teanaway Ridge Hike tops out near 1,950 m on the drier east slope.
East of the mountains the country opens into sagebrush and basalt. The Chelan to Grand Coulee Dam Ride covers 115 km of Columbia Plateau road with more than 900 m of elevation, while the Spokane River Centennial Trail Ride is an easy, paved spin near the Idaho line. Puget Sound adds island walking on Vashon and flat rides around Bellingham.
- Best time to go
- July through September is the reliable window for high Cascade trails, which often hold snow into early summer. Lowland forest walks and the eastern rail trails work much of the year, though winter brings rain west of the mountains and cold east of them.
- Terrain
- Expect everything from flat shoreline paths to steep, rooty mountain trails that reach nearly 1,950 m. The mix leans demanding, with hard ridge hikes balanced by easy riverside rides and short waterfall walks.
- Permits & access
- Many Forest Service trailheads, including those on several routes here, require a Northwest Forest Pass, and Washington state parks and recreation lands require a Discover Pass for parking. Check forest road conditions before driving to higher trailheads early in the season.
Difficulty spectrum
How hard are trails in Washington?
- Easy
- 29%4 trails
- Moderate
- 36%5 trails
- Hard
- 36%5 trails
Signature routes
Limitless routes in Washington
Interactive map
Map of trails in Washington
Hiking trails in Washington
View all 8 →Cycling routes in Washington
4Scenic drives in Washington
2Keep exploring
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Navigate Washington with TrailX
Download any route as GPX, or open it in the TrailX app to follow it on the trail and record your own.