Central Washington often gets overlooked as a place to visit in Washington State, but it’s known for some of the best hikes in Washington State. No matter the season, all 13 of these hikes will not disappoint with breathtaking views.
Colchuck & Lake Stuart
Lake Stuart
- Distance: 9 miles roundtrip
- Elevation Gain: 1,665 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Pass Required: Northwest Forest Pass
- Pet Friendly: No
- Kid-Friendly: No
I hiked Lake Stuart a few years ago between moving from South Florida to China and wrote an entire blog post here about Hiking the Enchantments.
Colchuck
- Distance: 8 miles roundtrip
- Elevation Gain: 2,280
- Difficulty: Hard
- Pass Required: Northwest Forest Pass
- Are Dogs Allowed: No
- Kid-Friendly: No
If you’re in Central Washington YOU MUST hike Colchuck! It’s one of the most popular hikes in Washington State and for good reason. The elevation and mileage are a great workout and the views are absolutely stunning! If you’re visiting in the summer, make sure to bring a swimsuit and towel, jumping in the alpine lake of Colchuck is a local tradition. There are tons of places around the lake to rest, snack, and maybe even catch sight of the mountain goats that roam around this area.
Sauers Mountain
- Distance: 6 miles roundtrip
- Elevation Gain: 2,000 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Pass Required: None
- Pet Friendly: Yes
- Kid-Friendly: No
Mr. Sauer built the trail on his private property and opened Sauers Mountain to the public. There is a limited amount of parking spots, so if you arrive and it’s full, it’s best to find another hike nearby so as to not disturb the locals. The trailhead is located in Peshastin, between Leavenworth and Wenatchee and if you’re lucky, Mr. Sauer might be sitting in his wooden chair at the trailhead to greet you! -He was when I went hiking on a late summer weekday.
2024 Update: Mr. Sauer passed away a few years ago (RIP) but his children still maintain the trail.
Twin Lakes Trail
- Distance: 5.2 miles roundtrip
- Elevation Gain: 300 feet
- Difficulty: Easy
- Pass Required: Northwest Forest Pass
- Are Dogs Allowed: Yes
- Kid-Friendly: Yes
Twin Lakes Trail is one of my favorite hikes in Central Washington in autumn! The leaves are stunning along the entire trail.
Hidden Lake Trail
- Distance: 1.6 miles roundtrip
- Elevation Gain: 220 feet
- Difficulty: Easy
- Pass Required: Northwest Forest Pass
- Pet Friendly: Yes
- Kid-Friendly: Yes
Hidden Lake Trail is located 30 minutes from Leavenworth near Lake Wenatchee State Park. The trail is quite short but steep and there are TONS of mosquitoes so make sure to spray yourself with bug repellent before and take your spray with you for mid-hike.
There are plenty of fallen trees and rocks to sit on when you reach the lake, so pack a lunch or snack to enjoy the relaxing water. The trailhead has plenty of parking but the last bit of the drive is on a dirt road.
Icicle Ridge
- Distance: 6 miles roundtrip
- Elevation Gain: 1,800 feet
- Difficulty: Easy
- Pass Required: None
- Pet Friendly: Yes
- Kid-Friendly: Yes
This hike is a 3-minute drive from downtown Leavenworth, so definitely one of the most accessible on this list. With a steep incline, large elevation gain, and switchbacks it’s not for the faint of heart but don’t let that scare you. I’ve taken friends of all activity levels on this trail and none have died haha! It offers stunning views on the way up but the best is always from the top overlooking Leavenworth.
Icicle Gorge Trail
- Distance: 4.5 miles roundtrip
- Elevation Gain: 387 feet
- Difficulty: Easy
- Pass Required: Northwest Forest Pass
- Pet Friendly: Yes
- Kid-Friendly: Yes
The road up to Icicle Gorge Trail is quite rough but once you arrive the trail is extremely easy. A 4.5 mile loop offers 2 entrances, so even when the parking lot is overflowing, the trail is pretty quiet. This is a very popular trail nearby Leavenworth, so it’s well maintained and there are plenty of side trails and stopping points to take in the surrounding beauty.
Eightmile Lake Trail
- Distance: 7.2 miles roundtrip
- Elevation Gain: 1,300 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Pass Required: Northwest Forest Pass
- Pet Friendly: No
- Kid-Friendly: No
Eightmile Lake Trail was one of the more difficult hikes I’ve done in a while. Not because it’s necessarily strenuous but I’d been a few days after a huge wind storm and 2 miles of the trail was completely covered in fallen trees. I literally had to crawl over and under fallen trees. There were points on the trail that I almost gave up and turned around. I was solo hiking, so I was worried about getting lost and had zero cellphone service. I ended up pushing on and was rewarded with these stunning views of Eightmile Lake at the end.
Checkout my TikTok or IGTV for the behind the scenes video of this hike!
Old Pipeline Bed Trail
- Distance: 2.4 miles roundtrip
- Elevation Gain: 85 feet
- Difficulty: Easy
- Pass Required: None
- Pet Friendly: Yes
- Kid-Friendly: Yes
Saddle Rock
- Distance: 2.5 miles roundtrip
- Elevation Gain: 912 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Pass Required: None
- Pet Friendly: Yes
- Kid-Friendly: Yes
Saddle Rock trail is the most popular trail in Wenatchee and provides an overlooking view of the Wenatchee Valley. Spend a weekend in Wenatchee with this Weekend Guide to Wenatchee, Washington.
Cedar Falls Trail
- Distance: 3.2 miles roundtrip
- Elevation Gain: 374 feet
- Difficulty: Easy
- Pass Required: Northwest Forest Pass
- Pet Friendly: Yes
- Kid-Friendly: Yes
Cedar Falls Trail is located near Winthrop, which is a cute little town to explore before or after. The narrow trail is lined with wildflowers which makes a beautiful haven for butterflies. Springtime snow melts make the best time to find an active waterfall. There is a lovely clearing and logs to sit on nearby which provide the perfect midpoint to have lunch or grab a snack on the trail.
Clara Lake & Marion Lake
- Distance: 3 miles roundtrip
- Elevation Gain: 961 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Pass Required: Northwest Forest Pass
- Pet Friendly: Yes
- Kid-Friendly: Yes
Clara Lake & Marion Lake trailhead can be found at the entrance of Mission Ridge outside of Wenatchee. It took me a minute to find because the trailhead is across (heading up to Mission on the righthand side) from the parking lot before you enter the main lot for Mission Ridge. There are a few trails the breakoff from here but if you keep going straight you’ll reach Clara and Marion.
Ancient Lakes Trail
- Distance: 3.6 miles roundtrip
- Elevation Gain: 452 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Pass Required: Northwest Forest Pass
- Pet Friendly: Yes
- Kid-Friendly: Yes
Are you looking for more things to do in Washington state? I’ve got quite an extensive list from Wenatchee, Seattle, Anacortes, Orcas Island, Bellingham, and of course tons of hikes around the state.
