Carbonado, Washington

This beautiful tucked-away trail offers runners, hikers, and backpackers a new view of their favorite neighboring peaks - like Mailbox Peak and Mt. Si - from one of the most scenic river trails in the Seattle area. Often overlooked in favor of more rigorous hikes, the Middle Fork is a gently gra...

The Washington Park Arboretum is the perfect place to swing through if you're looking for a short and gentle trail run without leaving the city. This expansive park includes the UW Botanic Gardens, Japanese Gardens, entire length of the Arboretum Creek - all landmarks you'll pass on this trail. ...

The hike begins at Snoqualmie Lake Trailhead, but you'll actually have to start your hike about a half mile down the road from the trailhead as some cement barricades are up. There is plenty of room to park below the barricades, and the walk up to the trial head is easy and quick. Once at the tr...

This is an abandoned trail that heads south along Rainy Creek, off of the downstream section of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Trail, and up to Rainy Lake. The lake is popular among fisherman, since it is home to lots of trout, but be warned -- route-finding skills are a must on this trip. I do my be...

Goldmyer Hot Springs is a beautiful little gem nestled within the wilderness of the stunning Cascade Mountains. This hot springs complex is situated on the old remains of a mining town, and delivers steadily flowing water to a set of tiered pools along the mountainside. The “cave” pool at the top...

Getting There From Seattle, drive Interstate 90 to Exit 62, Signed Kachess Lake/Stampede Pass. Turn left and head north over the interstate; you'll reach Kachess Lake Campground in five miles. Turn left where the pavements ends and drive four miles on Box Canyon Road (FS Road #4930) to the Rachel...

Getting There: From I-90 East, take exit 62. Take a left, heading over the highway. After 5.2 miles, the road veers left, passing Lake Kachess Campground. Go another 0.3 miles on the gravel road and take a right at a sign for Rachel Lake/Trail 1313. At this point, the road gets a little rough, bu...

Start off at Trail #1313 to Rachel Lake. The first 2.5 miles is a flat, slow uphill hike till you get to a river crossing. From there, the next 1.3 miles will be a 1,000 foot elevation gain to Rachel Lake. Once you arrive, this is a good spot to rest, eat some snacks, and replenish your water sup...

Begin at the Rachel Lake Trailhead and fill out the registry with your individual/group information.As you start the hike heading Northwest towards the lake itself, the trail begins to steadily climb from its initial elevation of 2500 feet. Once you cross the Alpine Lake Wilderness sign, the path...

This hike is 8 miles roundtrip, with 1600 feet of elevation gain. Once you're on the trail, it starts heading uphill to help get your heart rate up on the hike. As you enter the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, the trail starts to level out. You'll cross a few streams and hike through a fair amount of ve...

The Loop Trail in Discovery Park offers a nice respite from the city, with views of the Puget Sound, open fields and forest. Given it's a loop, there are a couple of different options to begin the hike. The most common is to park at the East Visitor Center Parking lot and take a short connector t...

Discovery Park and its beach area great for walking, running, photography, and taking in a sunset. If you want to put your feet in the sand, head down to the western most part of the park. This beach is a sand beach with an iconic lighthouse at the end. Dirftwood also washes up on the beach provi...

This is a S5 T4 scramble that involves some routefinding past the alpine lakes. We did this as a day trip and we were out and back in about 12 hours. There are multiple routes to get to Chikamin, one from the PCT, which is 24 miles RT and the other is from the Mineral Creek Trailhead (47.4176, -...

This trail features beautiful wildflower meadows during the summer season and is relativity low trafficked. Bring your hammock for breathtaking views from the lookout and catch an incredible sunset. The summit has no established camping spots, so if staying overnight prepare to sleep on uneven gr...

Hex Mountain is a steep but rewarding out and back hike/snowshoe with 360 views from the peak. On a clear day you can see Mount Rainier, the Teanaways, the Stuart range, and many other surrounding peaks. Low avalanche risk makes this an enjoyable winter destination for snowshoers and backcountry ...

This area is a very secluded camp area, so unless it's a holiday weekend, be prepared to be alone :) It is a very quiet lake and along the roadside there are plenty of spots to hike, camp, and fish by the lake or the Cle Elum river.So bring your day hiking gear and pole as well and head out in th...