Boulder River- waterfalls among old-growth forest

Vancouver Lake Regional Park

January 22, 2026 |

Volcano views and excellent birdwatching just west of downtown Vancouver, WA Quick Facts: Location: Vancouver, WA Land Agency: Clark County Parks Round Trip: 3.0 miles of trails Elevation Gain: minmal Contact: Vancouver Lake Regional Park Detailed Information: Urban Trails Vancouver WA (Mountaineers Books) Notes: year round parking fee of $5.00; Dogs permitted on-leash and prohibited…

Yost Park– Slice of Nature in the heart of Edmonds

January 15, 2026 |

Quick Facts: Location: Edmonds Land Agency: Edmonds Parks and Recreation Department Roundtrip: About 1.5 miles of trails Elevation Gain: up to 300 feet Contact: Edmonds Parks and Recreation Access: From Everett or Seattle take I-5 to Exit 179. Then head west on 220th Street SW for 2.1 miles. Turn right and head north on 96th Ave…

Lake Padden Park- big trees and placid lake minutes from bustling Bellingham

January 1, 2026 |

Quick Facts: Location: Bellingham Distance: more than 9.0 miles of trails Elevation Gain: up to 600 feet Contact: City of Bellingham Park Map: Square One Maps Chuckanut Recreation Area Notes: on-leash and off-leash trails Trailhead directions: From Bellingham follow I-5 south to Fairhaven Exit 252. Then continue south on Samish Way for 2.3 miles turning…

Dockton Forest and Maury Island Natural Area — Explore Vashon Island’s grand park

December 18, 2025 |

Quick Facts: Location: Vashon Island Land Agency: King County Parks Round Trip: More than 10 miles of trails Elevation Gain: up to 450 feet Contact: King County Parks Detailed Information: Urban Trails Seattle (Mountaineers Books) Notes: Dogs allowed on leash Access: From Seattle take Washington State Ferry from Fauntleroy (West Seattle) to Vashon Island Ferry…

Squaxin Park─ Make it your mission to hike this park

December 11, 2025 |

Quick Facts: Location: Olympia, Washington Land Agency: City of Olympia Parks and Recreation Roundtrip: 2.5 miles Elevation Gain: 300 feet Notes: Dogs must be on a leash. Access: From Lacey, follow I-5 south to Olympia taking Exit 105B to Plum Street. From Tumwater, follow I-5 north to Olympia taking Exit 105. Turn right onto Henderson…

Cranberry Lake Trail—A sweet little hike on Camano Island

November 27, 2025 |

Quick Facts: Location: Camano Island Land Agency: Washington State Parks Roundtrip: 2.2 miles Elevation Gain: 125 feet Contact: Cama Beach State Park Notes: Discover Pass required; Dogs must be leashed Recommended Guidebook: Urban Trails Everett (Mountaineers Books) Access: From Exit 212 on I-5, travel west on SR 532 to Camano Island to a junction at 10.0 miles.…

Sultan River Canyon Trail

November 13, 2025 |

A near yet remote canyon housing big trees and a wild stretch of river Quick Facts: Location: Sultan Basin Land Agency: Snohomish County Public Utility District Roundtrip: 4.4 miles Elevation Gain: 850 feet Green Trails Map: Mountain Loop Highway 111SX Access: From Everett follow US 2 east to Sultan. At a traffic light just past Milepost 23 turn left onto…

Moss Lake Natural Area

October 30, 2025 |

Extensive peat bog teem with flora and fauna Quick Facts: Location: Snoqualmie Valley Distance: 3.0 miles of trails Elevation Gain: minimal Contact: King County Parks Recommended Guidebook: Urban Trails Eastside (Mountaineers Books) Notes: dogs welcome on leash Trailhead directions: Use your phone App to map to Moss Lake Natural Area 35646 NE Moss Lake Rd,…

Diablo Lake– Hell of a lake, but not a devil of a hike

June 5, 2025 |

Quick Facts: Location: North Cascades Highway Land Agency: Ross Lake National Recreation Area Roundtrip: 7.6 miles Elevation Gain: 1400 feet Contact: North Cascades National Park Detailed Information: Day Hiking North Cascades 2nd edition (Mountaineers Books) Notes: Dogs must be leashed. Access road gated at 4:15 pm during winter Access: From Marblemount follow SR 20 east for 21.5 miles.…