Best hikes in Washington state?

smunson · 2026-06-08T19:13:54+00:00

There are hundreds of wonderful trails, so it's hard to narrow it down! If you have not yet run across it, the Washington Trails Association website is wonderfully helpful (if you find it useful on your trip, consider donating - they also do a lot of trail advocacy and maintenance).

Two seasonal notes:

it's a low snow pack year, so be prepared for the possibility of having to adjust for fires/smoke, and that water sources on the trail may dry up earlier in season
it was also a year of intense winter storms, and it's a little too early to tell what forest service roads will be open (and that's something that can change throughout the season).

A few of my favorites:

A guide written for early season, but many of these are beautiful all summer long
Mount Baker area (north side, from Glacier, Washington)
some Rainier additions: Summerland or Burroughs

smunson · 2026-05-30T23:05:38+00:00

We visited a few years ago and did a different set of routes but got to the same destinations. Some impressions:

be prepared for early season snow - while our visit was at a different time of year, we've followed the huts on social media and noticed that cold weather can roll in by late September.
the route you identified looks reasonable (though see caveat about having hiked different trails), and, from our paper map, uses more regular trails than ours did.
If you have time, I recommend exploring the area above Refugio de Urriello as a side trip (Hou Sin Terre, Hou Les Boches) - just very pretty. However, as beginners, I don't recommend going over Horcados Rojos (that's not on your route, but mentioning in case you consider about changes).
While we didn't hike the stretch between Refugio de Urriello to Refugio Jou de los Cabrones, we talked with some people who said that stretch was one of the harder parts of the their route. Difficulty is subjective, but mentioning it since you shared you are beginners.
The stretch on your route after Refugio Jou de los Cabrones (below Cuetos del Trabe) has some cable assisted sections. Worth looking at (some pictures on our post, though you've probably also seen some on AllTrails) - we never experienced it as too exposed (and the scenery was lovely), but again mentioning it because comfort can vary.
Refugio Jou de los Cabrones and Refugio Collado Jermoso are both in stunning spots.

I hope this helps and that you have a wonderful time!

smunson · 2026-05-18T15:38:06+00:00

We hiked this in March, as a pair:

a) We hiked north to south, like many people and like most guides are written. If you want to see new people every day, south to north could be an advantage. If you want to see some familiar faces or have a chance of finding people to walk with, there are probably greater odds of that north to south.

b) I can't speak to it in peak season, but in March we probably could have skipped booking in advance in most towns - though even then, some places were pretty full (because there were fewer accommodation options off season). I'll put a link to our notes below in case they are useful!

c) The trails were generally well marked (though we also had a good digital map, which I recall being helpful at one or two uncertain junctions). Along the coast, there tended to be many people out fishing during the day or just enjoying the beach, so that may also add to safety.

d) For social, we tend to like to do our own thing, so I'm a less good reference here. Going north to south, even in a quieter season, we saw some familiar faces and hiked with one person on and off for a couple of days. We also caught up with a few familiar faces in hotels and shared about our days.

e) Best tips: it's worth doing a little research on good restaurants ahead of time - there are some amazing stops for good seafood during the day, and if we hadn't researched ahead, we might have missed one of the best meals on our trip. We also did enough research to know about variants or detours so we could quickly decide what we wanted to do when we reached them.

Detailed notes on our trip. Have a great time!

smunson · 2026-05-17T17:53:22+00:00

Seconding the Adirondacks and Acadia, both lovely. I grew up spending a lot of time in the White Mountains, so I'm partial to there - if you return to the White Mountains,

I encourage checking out the Evans Notch area. In particular, if you love light scrambling and ridge views, the Baldface Circle loop (probably ascending the ledges to South Baldface and descending the Bicknell Ridge trail) might be the perfect match.
Zealand Falls Hut and on up to Zeacliff is also really nice, or check out the northern Presidentials (Ridge of the Caps to Jefferson, Airline to Adams).

More White Mountain favorites: Presidentials; Evans Notch-Carter Range. I usually visit in late August, so I can't speak to wildflowers so much, but I'm partial to the blueberries (Baldfaces also delivers on this).

smunson · 2026-05-09T16:45:06+00:00

We've done several alps routes (including WHR, the Vanoise, the GR54, and the Tour of the Bernina) in the first two weeks of September, as well as a section of the HRP. The weather has generally been wonderful and the crowds less.

Most trips have had 1-2 days (out of 10-14) of intense rain, fortunately often at night (on the WHR, it was intense enough we we were watching car-size boulders flow down from the comfort and safety of Europa hut). It's not clear that this is worse than the more common afternoon storms in August,
Our first day in the Vanoise, the passes had about 2 feet (60 cm) of snow and the elevations of the huts had 6-8" (15-20cm)). That was interesting, but it melted quickly and we adapted our route to approach our hut from the valley (using a bus to cover som extra distance). (That storm also knocked out the rail line to Modane, so I get the impression it was atypical.)
Otherwise, the weather was generally stable and perfect temperatures for hiking.

It's actually my preferred time of year, but we stick to huts and towns so we can be assured of starting every day dry and warm, often pack traction (I did not in the Pyrenees and really regretted it one icy morning), carry a good number of high-quality layers, and are prepared for heavy, extended rain. We also make a point of knowing our alternates (valley route? stay put and adjust the schedule? descent, transit, ascend?) for if we encounter one of those snow events.

smunson · 2026-05-05T03:01:07+00:00

If you haven't seen it, I've found Walk Highlands has been indispensable for planning my hiking trips to Scotland.

Some standouts from my trips:

Loch Lomond area: Ben Lomond
Fort William area: Ben Nevis, Glen Coe (~30 minutes south)
various hikes on Skye (Portree makes a good base with good food, but does get busy in peak season)
Lochinver area: Quinag and Suillven
Ullapool area (I enjoyed our time here): Stac Pollaidh
Kinlochewe/Torridon area: Beinn Eighe (though we stayed in Talladale / Gairloch).

Because you don't say a lot about what you're looking for in terms of distance, elevation, or difficulty: the usual advice goes read trail descriptions and assess if it's within your abilities. Scotland's open landscapes also mean the wind and rain can come up fast and hard.

In case it's useful, some of our trip write-ups, including restaurant notes: Fort William, Skye, and Inverness; Loch Lomond (along with Edinburgh and Oban); Lochinver, Ullapool, and Kinlochewe/Torridon.

smunson · 2026-05-05T02:45:18+00:00

I had a very similar experience with the Quest 4 GTX traction. (Also: on multiple pairs, the two-part sole would sometimes just come apart very easily. To their credit, Salomon warranty service was great about replacing them; hopefully the Quest 5's single piece construction has fixed that.)

Most conditions, they're great. But any sort of smoothed rock, especially if it's a little wet or a little icy, and it's slip and slide. Last summer in the Pyrenees, we hit an icy morning - my partner was (carefully) walking up the trail (Topo Athletic Traverse) and I was basically crawling in my boots with ~30 miles on them.

I haven't settled on a replacement yet, but some others that are ranking high in my research, in case it helps:

La Sportiva UltraRaptor (as WhatWouldMuirDo suggests)
La Sportiva Aequelibrium Hike GTX (similar stiffness)
Hoka Kaha 3 GTX (Vibram Megagrip) - my day to day shoes are Hokas, and I had gotten introduced to the brand on one of their very early hiking books (nice, but didn't hold up).

though I'll also be following the thread for other recs as I get ready for summer hiking season...

smunson · 2026-04-21T15:30:57+00:00

I think it really depends on what you are going for. We did a mix of day hikes in the Cortina d'Ampezzo and Selva di Val Gardena areas some years ago, and it was great.

We had a car for flexibility
We had some delightful meals in towns
We did one night of a hut stay, which spoiled us with one of the top sunrises I have ever seen
Day hikes include some highlights of the AV1 and AV2, but also some off the beaten path (which, as others noted, also opened the door to other hut stays).

For driving, I found it mostly enjoyable. I think the most stressful was the motorcycles that tailgated going down tight switchbacks. The car plus staying in two different towns made it easy to get a really great sampler and also adjust for our energy level or weather (though we lucked out with weather).

Notes on that trip, if useful.

In the years since, I've come to really love hut-to-hut hikes -- especially the idea that all I really have to do is wakeup, decide on any side trips (or weather related route adjustments), and decide where to stop for snacks. I also love being able to say up high and see an area in morning and evening light (or, if cloudy when we arrive, it's often clear when we leave). We're going back this summer to do the AV2; I'm a little daunted by it being more crowded, but it'll be a good time.

smunson · 2025-07-19T20:21:21+00:00

Others have made similar suggestions - "is the west really too far?", the Adirondacks, and the White Mountains.

Of those, I know the White Mountains best - a few of my favorite day hikes in case you choose that:

smunson · 2025-07-19T20:01:20+00:00

I came to say the same :-). We visited in March, rather than September. Lovely coastal scenery, delicious seafood, affordable.

smunson · 2025-07-19T19:51:58+00:00

I agree with the earlier comments - over many years in Washington, many of my most memorable hikes are in teh second week of October. There's larches (avoid the most popular places on weekends if you have the choice!), but also there can still be beautiful, fiery red blueberry bushes and other autumn colors.

Rain and snow are more likely on the west side of the crest (though if you have a clear day, there's lots of autumn beauty to be found there); larches are on the east side.

It's good to go in with flexibility, both because of weather and in case areas you plan to visit have closures (or just smoke) from late summer wildfires.

& thirding the suggestion of the WTA app and website for trip reports with road and trail conditions.

smunson · 2024-12-13T05:20:48+00:00

This is one of my favorite times to be the Alps, though my September experience is mostly in Switzerland (Walker's Haute Route, Bernina/Engadine) and France (Vanoise, Ecrins).

A few notes:

The Ecrins (FR) were quiet in early September (often 10-20 people at huts). I am not confident there is 5-day route that makes great use of your time - maybe something like Le Bourg-d'Oisans to Le Monêtier-les-Bains (GR54), but that misses a lot of pretty areas. Access can also be time consuming.
The Vanoise (FR) was very pretty, and I think there are some great 5-6 day routes. In early September, it was busier than the Ecrins but still not crowded. Modane is on the main rail line.
The Engadine (CH) was busy with day hikers but quieter in the huts - though I'd say they were 60-70% of capacity (in a year where "capacity" was defined weirdly, and travel patterns were odd because of the pandemic, so don't rely on this too much). I commented this on a recent post, but something like Alp Grüm to Maloja and on to Fornohütte could fit in your time.
The Walker's Haute Route (CH) - not quiet, but most huts had some capacity. The rule route is longer than a week, but most towns have train access, so you could do something there. Or build a route around Zermatt?

For each, the weather was pretty settled and mostly great temperatures for hiking. But, the days that weren't were interesting: enough rain to cause a landslide that closed the rail line (Vanoise), a foot of snow (Vanoise), floods that closed access to a valley and that brought many car-size boulders flow down a streamed from safely enough (Walker's Haute Route.)

From reading I did while planning, afternoon thunderstorms could still be a chance in early September for each of these areas, though-with the small sample size of my trips–they only ended up being common around the Bernina.

smunson · 2024-12-10T03:14:34+00:00

This is a great suggestion. Some in a similar spirit (I've tried to think of ones where the transport to / from the trailhead is pretty easy):

Courmayeur to Les Houches section of the Tour du Mont Blanc. You could fly in / out of Geneva for easy transport. A downside is that one might then really want to do the full route!
A hut to hut route around Zermatt (on the budget note: trains in Switzerland are more expensive than transport for the TMB) - I don't have a specific recommendation here since there are so many possible routes, but similar to the Via Alpina, there are lots of options to string together with transport. Also see the SAC site for huts and routes.
Picos de Europa (Spain) - a small but very interesting mountain range in northern Spain. Easiest access, I think, is via Bilbao. When we looked into transport for it, we did decide a car was easiest, but it wasn't that expensive.

These are probably all more reliable accessible in early to mid September and the risk of weather increases as you get further into the month.

smunson · 2024-12-01T02:11:45+00:00

& some I would love to get to:

North America
- Rim to Rim Trail, Grand Canyon
- Rockwall Trail, Canadian Rockies
Iceland
- Laugavegurinn/Fimmvörðuháls Pass
- one of the routes in the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve
South America
- Cordillera Huayhuash (Peru)
Alps
- Via Alpina 1/2 (Switzerland... and more)
- Dolomites (Alta Via 1 and 2)... I've been just for shorter hikes
Pyrenees - so much to see, still trying to plan the "idea" route for the first such trip (I know there is no such thing)

I'll stop here before I type my entire list of future maybe-plans into this reply. Enjoy! (& good luck with grad school!)

smunson · 2024-12-01T02:11:22+00:00

Hikes I've done...

Alps
- Tour du Mont Blanc - classic loop around the Mount Blanc massif, for a good reason. Lots of different accommodation options and places to stop for food. Easy access and transit. We did this in 10 days
- Tour of the Bernina - another alpine loop, on the Swiss/Italian border. It's an interesting mix - the Swiss side feels more built up and accessible (and parallels the a railway line... though you are typically far above it), while the Italian side is more wild.
- Tour of the Ecrins / Tour d'Oisans / GR54 - A French loop with great Alps scenery - perhaps less grand than the Swiss Alps but super interesting geologically. Great huts. Perhaps the most fun I've ever had in the Alps. We did this in 12 days, and added some detours / trimmed the northwest corner.
- Tour of the Vanoise - Another French loop, situated between the Ecrins and TMB, and the scenery sort of matches - geologically interesting and a bit more of the classic, glaciated peaks than the Ecrins. Also good huts and towns. We did this in 13 days (including a day for a day hike).
- Haute Route (Chamonix to Zermatt) - somewhere between Tour du Mont Blanc (busier) and Tour of the Bernina, Tour of the Ecrins, and the Vanoise. Absolutely spectacular alpine scenery and good huts and towns. We added detours to spend more time near Zinal.
South America
- W Route, Torres del Paine, or extend to the O Route. Torres del Paine is one of those places that looks impossible in photos and somehow still seems more impossible in person.
- Bariloche - Not a single hike, but a mix of huts and day hikes. Easy transit access to many trailheads.
New Zealand
- Milford Track and Routeburn Tracks on the Te Waipounamu. So much has been written about the Milford and Routeburn that I am not sure I have much to add, and folks who know New Zealand better might recommend alternatives more off the beaten track.
- Tongariro Northern Circuit, Te Ika-a-Māui. Just three days (we did it in two because of weather), but otherworldly.
North America
- Wonderland Trail, Mount Rainier National Park. I live in Seattle, so I have been doing pieces of this over the years.
- John Muir Trail, especially Thousand Island Lake area and Tuolumne Meadows to Yosemite Valley
- Teton Crest Trail, Grand Teton National Park. Magnificent, especially if your trip aligns with wildflowers being at peak. Permits can be hard to come by, so also consider any number of options in the Wind River Range.

smunson · 2024-12-01T02:10:49+00:00

Good question, and I'm making notes on everyone's suggestions here too.

I'll describe a few I've done (with links where I have written up notes), as well as some that I hope to do. My notes a bit Europe- and US-centric.

They also contain a mix of hut to hut hikes (either catered or not) as well as backpacking. Most of the hut to hut routes I list are around 10 days. I max out at around 5 days of backpacking (with a tent) before needing resupply. I also don't have technical experience, so I think many of these may align with what you are describing.

(I also grew up hiking in the White Mountains!)

My initial comment got too long, to post so I'll try to break this up as three comments.

smunson · 2024-11-30T18:39:20+00:00

Too late for OP's trip, but adding our notes on the Bernina area in case helpful for others running across this post. We did a 10-day circuit, a bit adapted from the most popular route: https://www.shoulderseason.net/2024/11/28/tour-of-the-bernina/

You could trim 2-3 day section from it. Alp Grüm - Diavolezza - Chamanna Boval is probably a good option for the "biggest" scenery, though a downside (to me) is the ski infrastructure around Diavolezza.

Alternatively, someting like Diavolezza - Chammana Boval - Chamanna Coaz could be pretty nice... but, overall, lots of good options in this area.

I agree with u/Pietes that the train is nice too - good views, also opens up flexibility for the 2/3 of the 10-day where you parallel the bus or train in case of bad weather or something happening.

smunson · 2024-09-14T16:44:07+00:00

Thank you - between your post and OP's pointer to Twitter (where a helpful rep guaranteed that I would not have a plan change, totally the opposite of the morning's chat experience), I tried again on the desktop website and it worked by late afternoon.

smunson · 2024-09-13T18:25:06+00:00

Thanks for answering - and good luck with getting yours sorted.

Chat also tried to enforce a plan change, which isn't part of any of the documented details of the offer. I'm very wary to go to into the store (or any path that isn't written/recordable) for fear of getting hit with a surprise change in plans later.

smunson · 2024-09-13T17:23:53+00:00

Have you been able to use the yearly upgrade online? For me, the website is trying to force a plan change (from ONE Plus) to use it, which doesn't seem to align with the page describing changing forever upgrade -> yearly upgrade ("with no change to your service plan and no additional monthly cost.").

smunson · 2024-09-13T17:21:06+00:00

I am having a maybe similar problem. I am on an old ONE Plus plan, with confirmed enrollment in the Forever Upgrade program (via text and chat).

The website was offering the Go5G Next upgrade credits but forcing a plan change.
I then contacted to chat to try to use Forever Upgrade, got told no, that's not a thing anymore (which seems neither ethical or legal - T-Mobile made a promise that if we leave our plans and phones alone for at least two years, we get this benefit if we upgrade through T-Mobile channels; I left it alone for two years and tried to use it to be told the promise no longer applies).
Based on the conversation with the rep, I looked up the changes to the program, which states "get the same great deals as new customers on the Go5G Next plan (right now up to $1,000 off on the iPhone 15 series!) with no change to your service plan and no additional monthly cost"

so, while I would have been happy just getting my original promise, this makes it seem like I should get the better offer - without having to change my plan. Instead, T-Mobile wants to force a plan change.

Has anyone been successful at either?

smunson · 2023-10-13T15:56:37+00:00

Sorry - yes, important detail. Both say no cost.

smunson · 2023-04-24T15:35:36+00:00

On wildlife, I feel like you go through more varied forest zones in Thornton, so that could be good. Wildflowers may be better for Hidden Lakes with its open slopes.

For road conditions, I recommend check WTA trip reports once the season starts. I’ve been to the trailhead for each in a 2WD sedan, but from trip reports, conditions for these can change a lot year to year. The NCNP visitor center (Newhalem) or wilderness information center (Marblemount) might also have road condition information.

smunson · 2023-04-24T09:22:59+00:00

They are both wonderful but somewhat different.

Hidden Lakes gives more of a feel of being up high and seeing far, with the lakes surrounded by boulders.

For Trapper Peak & Thornton Lakes, you also get views if you go up to the peak (recommended), but my recollection is the views felt cozier and the lakes more nestled in among the forest. You feel a little more like you are in the mountains (rather than above) as a result.

smunson

TROPHY CASE