Washington has so many breathtaking hiking trails that it can be overwhelming to pick one. A list of 10 places to hike in Washington is available here but if you’re looking for a simple hike that doesn’t take packing in and out, camping, or driving for hours to get to I would suggest starting in your own backyard. (Which isn’t very hard to do in the state of Washington I might add.) These 5 hikes are easily accessible while still offering amazing views and best of all they are under 2 hours driving distance from downtown Seattle.
Peep some BTS action of all my hikes here in my PNW Hikes highlight on Instagram.
Snoqualmie
- Distance: 1.6 miles roundtrip
- Elevation Gain: 374 feet
- Difficulty: Easy
- Pass Required: No
- Drive From Seattle: 54 minutes
- Pet Friendly: Yes
- Kid-Friendly: Yes
Snoqualmie Falls offers a pleasant stop if you’re driving over the pass as it’s 10 minutes from North Bend. It’s an easy out-and-back trail that takes you from the top of the falls to the bottom.
Start at the upper falls viewpoint and make your way along a short trail to the Snoqualmie River. Here you’ll see the iconic falls made famous from the 90’s TV show Twin Peaks. The bottom has a nice “beach” area to relax, eat lunch or a snack, and enjoy the falls.
It’s a heavily trafficked area full of tourists on weekends, so arrive early, plan for crowds or avoid tourists all together by arranging to go on a weekday.
Rattlesnake Ridge Trail
- Distance: 4 miles roundtrip
- Elevation Gain: 1160 feet
- Difficulty: Easy
- Pass Required: None
- Drive From Seattle: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Pet Friendly: Yes
- Kid-Friendly: Yes
Rattlesnake Ledge is the most popular and easiest hike near Seattle while still offering breathtaking views. Unfortunately, this means it can get quite crowded! I suggest arriving bright and early to beat the crowds. The hike begins passing by the gorgeous Rattlesnake Lake where you’ll see Rattlesnake Ledge rockface. It’s quite hard to believe you’ll be up there in no time. After some gruesome switchbacks, a steady elevation gain, and abrupt cliffs, you’ll make your way to the top. Here you can admit yourself into Washingtons’ most basic hiking photo club!
Wallace Falls
- Distance: 5.6 miles roundtrip
- Elevation Gain: 1,300 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Pass Required: Discover Pass
- Drive From Seattle: 1 hour
- Pet Friendly: Yes
- Kid-Friendly: Yes
Wallace Falls is a well-maintained trail and unlike some trails, it offers beauty from start to finish. Throughout the trek to the 3 waterfalls, there is something for everyone. The trail follows Wallace River and just 2-miles in brings you to the first of 3 falls. This first section is beginner and kid-friendly. Just half a mile further will bring you to the middle falls, which is the most stunning waterfall of the three. The trek between the middle and last falls is quite rugged with switchbacks on an extremely steep grade. It can be hard to navigate between the middle to upper falls as the path for the trail isn’t as clear. This section has a lot less traffic and is best for a more advanced hiker.
Coal Creek Trail
- Distance: 5.1 miles roundtrip
- Elevation Gain: 416 feet
- Difficulty: Easy
- Pass Required: None
- Drive From Seattle: 23 minutes
- Pet Friendly: Yes
- Kid-Friendly: Yes
Cougar Mountain Regional Wildlife Park offers a variety of hiking trails that intertwine. This allows for nearly all trails to be as long or short as you choose! Coal Creek Trail provides this beautiful waterfall pictured above within .2 miles of the trail. Being that it’s the closest on the list to Seattle, it’s known for being quite muddy. As you can see on my hiking boots in the photo, the mud can and will engulf your foot. It’s not a trail that requires hiking boots but I definitely recommend wearing waterproof shoes or shoes you do not mind getting muddy!
Twin Falls Trail
- Distance: 3.6 miles roundtrip
- Elevation Gain: 967 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Pass Required: Discover Pass
- Drive From Seattle: 36 minutes
- Pet Friendly: Yes
- Kid-Friendly: Yes
As the name suggests, Twin Falls has 2 waterfalls. There seemed to be some confusion around that with some hikers I ran into on the trail. The trail runs along the river, so there are many side trails that take you to the water. Just be mindful to stay on marked trails to limit your impact on the environment. The first waterfall pictured above is less than a mile on the trail. Venture about half a mile further and you’ll find the second falls shown below.
Have you hiked any of these trails? Leave a comment below with your favorite and don’t forget to check out my other hiking posts in the Washington area below:
- Beginner Hikes in Washington
- 10 Best Hikes in Washington
- Hiking the Enchantments
- The Ultimate Guide to a Weekend in Bellingham
- Weekend Getaway Guide to Orcas Island
- 5 Things to Do in Anacortes
