Pacific Northwest
8 curated day hikes
Every trail below is hand-picked, fully described, and free to read. Log your own completed hikes by signing in.
Easy
Silver Falls Out-and-Back
Mount Hood NF, OR
A gentle riverside walk through a canyon of mossy basalt columns ending at a 70-foot plunge waterfall. The path follows Silver Creek the whole way, keeping the sound of water constant. Perfect for an after-work hike or introducing beginners and kids to the trail.
Cedar Grove Circuit
Olympic Peninsula, WA
A hushed circuit through one of the largest remaining coastal temperate rainforest stands on the Olympic Peninsula. Ancient western red cedars — some exceeding 12 feet in diameter — crowd the path, festooned year-round with club moss and licorice fern. One boardwalk segment crosses a beaver marsh midway.
Heather Meadows Ramble
Mount Baker, WA
A short, paved meander through sub-alpine meadows at the foot of Mount Baker's ice-clad slopes. In August, heather blooms carpet the hillsides in deep magenta. The loop passes two mountain lakes with direct glacier reflections on calm mornings. A rare trail where the scenery punches well above the effort.
Moderate
Twin Peaks Loop
Cascade Foothills, WA
A satisfying loop through old-growth hemlock and fir that crests two rounded summits separated by a narrow saddle. On clear days both peaks deliver panoramic views of the central Cascades, with Mount Rainier floating above the southern skyline. The trail is busy on weekends but the ridgeline feels remote once you're above the treeline.
Obsidian Summit Trail
Three Sisters Wilderness, OR
A volcanic plateau hike through otherworldly obsidian lava fields and lodgepole pine forest that emerges onto a pumice summit with direct views of South Sister. The volcanic geology is unlike anything else in the Oregon Cascades — chunks of natural glass glitter in the trail.
Rattlesnake Ledge
Snoqualmie Valley, WA
The most-hiked trail in King County and for good reason: a direct shot up a forested hillside delivers sweeping views of Rattlesnake Lake, Cedar River Watershed, and the Cascades beyond. The ledge itself is a broad rock outcrop — bring a lunch and linger. The view-to-effort ratio is unmatched close to Seattle.
Blue Lake Trail
North Cascades, WA
A classic sub-alpine lake hike in the Methow highlands with an extraordinary payoff: a cirque lake the color of glacial milk, ringed by larches that turn gold in late September and early October. The larch window is brief and the crowds reflect it — plan accordingly. Off-season, the trail is beautifully quiet.