South Whidbey State Park—Amble among ancient trees above the sound

Sunrise Lake─Golden larches brighten the shores of this alpine lake

October 1, 2026 |

Quick Facts: Location: North Cascades – Sawtooth Ridge Land Agency: U.S. Forest Service Roundtrip: 13.0 miles Elevation Gain: 3,730 feet Green Trails Map: Prince Creek, WA- No. 115 Recommended Resource: Day Hiking North Cascades 2nd edition (Romano; Mountaineers Books) Access: From Twisp drive SR 20 east for 2.0 miles. Continue south on SR 153 for 12.0 miles…

Scatter Lake — Golden larch lake high on 8,321-foot Abernathy Peak

September 24, 2026 |

Quick Facts: Location: Twisp River Valley Land Agency: Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Roundtrip: 8.5 miles Elevation gain: 3,800 feet Green Trails Map: Stehekin, WA – No 82 Contact: Methow Valley Ranger District: Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Notes: NW Forest Pass or Interagency Pass required Access: From Twisp, follow Twisp River Road west for 21.8 miles to…

Hall Mountain via Noisy Creek– It’s a haul to this old lookout site

September 10, 2026 |

Quick Facts: Location: Selkirk Mountains, Eastern Washington Land Agency: National Forest Service Roundtrip: 14 miles Elevation Gain: 4130 feet Contact: Sullivan Lake District, Colville National Forest Notes: Practice Leave No Trace principles; grizzly habitat, trail passes recent burn zone–use caution Access: From Newport, Washington follow SR 20 north (west) 47 miles to the junction with SR 31 in…

Bedal Basin–Lonesome and beautiful basin beneath awe-inspiring Sloan Peak

August 27, 2026 |

Location: Mountain Loop Highway Land Agency: Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Roundtrip: 5.2 miles High Point: 4,650 feet Elevation gain: 1,900 feet Difficulty: challenging Green Trails Maps: Mountain Loop Highway No. 111SX Contact: Darrington Ranger District: Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest Access: Take Exit 208 off of I-5 following SR 530 east for 32 miles to Darrington.…

Heather Park─Steep climb to views that are “Tops”

August 6, 2026 |

Quick Facts: Location: Hurricane Ridge-Heart of the Hills Land Agency: Olympic National Park Roundtrip: 10 miles Elevation Gain: 3,940 feet Green Trails Map: Hurricane Ridge-Elwha North No. 134S Access: From Port Angeles, follow Race Street south 1.2 miles passing the Olympic National Park Visitors Center to the Hurricane Ridge Road (Heart O the Hills Parkway).…

Twin Lakes (Monte Cristo) — Follow a rugged old miner’s path to a remote basin

July 9, 2026 |

Quick Facts: Location: Mountain Loop Highway near Barlow Pass Land Agency: Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Roundtrip: 17.0 miles Elevation gain: 3,900 feet Green Trails Map: Mountain Loop Highway no. 111SX Contact: Darrington Ranger District: Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest Notes: Northwest Forest Pass or Interagency Pass required; A washout at the Twin Bridges requires…

Independence Lake–A great place to celebrate the 4th of July and the Freedom of the Hills

July 2, 2026 |

Quick Facts Location: Mountain Loop Highway near Granite Falls Land Agency: Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Roundtrip: 1.5 miles…

Pinnacle Lake — Pretty little lake perched on a shoulder of Mount Pilchuck

June 25, 2026 |

Quick Facts: Location: Mountain Loop Highway, near Granite Falls Land Agency: Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest; Washington State Parks Roundtrip: 4.2 miles Elevation gain: 1,100 feet Green Trails Maps: Mountain Loop Highway 111SX Contact: Darrington Ranger District: Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Notes: access road is rough, high clearance vehicles recommended. Access: From Granite Falls follow the…

Notch Pass–Hike through history over Quilcene Ridge

May 14, 2026 |

Location: Quilcene Valley, Northeast Olympic Peninsula Land Agency: National Forest Service Roundtrip: 8.4 miles Elevation gain: 2,800 feet Contact: Hood Canal Ranger District Olympic National Forest Guidebook: Day Hiking Olympic Peninsula 3rd Edition) Notes: Practice Leave No Trace Principles Access: From Quilcene drive US 101 south for 1.5 miles turning right onto Penny Creek Road. After 1.5…