Seattle’s Top 10 Dayhikes
The finest local trails, as selected by BACKPACKER Native scouts Anastasia Allison and Jason Bickford.
Pity the melancholy Seattle hikers: On any given day, they occupy to mediate whether or now not to explore one of three national parks (Olympic, North Cascades, and Mount Rainier), challenge into the Central or South Cascades, head north into the Canadian Wing Range, or upright stick around Puget Sound or the Pacific Ocean. It be a tricky job, but any individual’s gotta establish it.
ANASTASIA ALLISON’S TOP 5
1. Mt. Dickerman, Mountain Loop Motorway
Trailhead: Mt. Dickerman/Perry Creek Meadows
Mileage: eight (spherical-shuffle)
Pressure from Seattle: 1.5 hours
I in fact esteem this hike as a result of it’s miles so accessible (no prolonged drive on a bumpy wooded space provider avenue!). The elevation invent packs a punch, however the burn is rate it – the summit views are expansive, wanting out over the Monte Cristo design and, on a transparent day, all of the Cascades. From the same automotive automotive automotive car automobile parking space, potentialities are you’ll well well additionally opt to hike to Perry Creek Meadows, which is a limiteless space for fair views, without the reputation of Mt. Dickerman.
2. Mt. Pugh, North Cascades/Mountain Loop Motorway
Trailhead: Mt. Pugh
Mileage: eleven (spherical-shuffle)
Pressure from Seattle: 1.5-2 hours
Mt. Pugh, with 5,300 feet of invent, is a obvious quad-burner, but it absolutely has all the pieces that anybody would possibly maybe well well well ever desire in an very great wanting dayhike: magnificent meadows, a ridge stroll, a fun Class 3 trail, and dreamy summit views. The major time I did Mt. Pugh, I be conscious wanting at the final trail to the summit, and taking into account, “No manner!” Maintain now not occupy any bother – it’s conceivable, I promise. After walking alongside a slender “knife’s ridge” to attain the putrid of the summit block, you’ll proceed up a fun, now not-as-grand-as-it-appears to be to be like Class 3 trail, sooner than reaching the final path to the summit. This hike is a beefy day, but is additionally a beefy reward. It’s rate every step.
3. Glacier Basin, Mount Rainier National Park
Trailhead: White River Campground
Mileage: 6.5 (spherical-shuffle)
Pressure from Seattle: 1.5 hours
As soon as the snow melts in slack July or early August, this spectacular hike takes you to a basin upright below the Inter Glacier. From there, trail up “yellow hill,” the originate up of the ice climbing route that finally outcomes in the Emmons Glacier. Glimpse if you happen to can space the climbers, esteem minute dots, in the gap on their ascent or descent of the height. This path isn’t nearly as crowded as trails on the south side of the mountain, and the views are arguably extra fair. The Emmons Glacier is the ideal glacier in the Lower 48, and this hike will place you front and center with its overwhelming presence.
four. Cascade Travel, North Cascades National Park
Trailhead: Cascade Travel
Mileage: 7 (spherical-shuffle)
Pressure from Seattle: 2.5 hours
Cascade Travel is, pretty simply, a PNW fundamental. Revel in the 30-plus soft switchbacks that lead to this fair vista: Proceed to your left to trail to the dreamy locale of the Sahale Arm, head down the valley for a backpacking shuffle to the distant metropolis of Stehekin, or challenge correct from the pass to embark on an epic, off-path mountain ice climbing fundamental, “The Ptarmigan Traverse.” Even when you happen to upright trail to the pass, you won’t be upset. Don’t neglect to discontinuance at 5B’s Bakery in Concrete, or Cascadian Farm in Rockport for ice cream to your manner residence!
5. Hidden Lake Height, North Cascades
Trailhead: Hidden Lake Lookout
Mileage: eight (spherical-shuffle)
Pressure from Seattle: 2 hours
This practical path rapidly climbs out of the wooded space and into expansive meadows. Within the kill, after hiking by a dream-world of sloping granite, you’ll plot at a itsy-bitsy notch overlooking Hidden Lake. Inch up the closing a lot of hundred feet to trail to the Hidden Lake Height fireplace lookout (first-plot, first-encourage for backpacking!) and soak up the sweeping views of Eldorado and Forbidden Peaks and the leisure of the North Cascades.
JASON BICKFORD’S TOP 5
1. Mailbox Height, Snoqualmie design
Trailhead(s): Mailbox Height (normal and recent path exercise the same lot)
Mileage: 9.four (spherical-shuffle)
Pressure from metropolis: forty five minutes
The correct exercise practising path for expansive climbs or backpacking trips. With two route alternate choices and four,000 feet of invent in 2.7 miles on the shorter (and naturally, mighty steeper) normal path, it’s miles the suitable peak. The trailhead has two parking tons and tons of overflow, which is vast on busy summer season weekends. On the winter route, with adequate snow, there are great spots to be taught newbie ice axe and crampon expertise. If I’m fast on time and desire an enormous leg exercise I will make a choice the normal path up and path speed the recent longer route down.
2. Mt. Si, Snoqualmie design
Trailhead: Mt Si
Mileage: eight (spherical-shuffle)
Pressure from metropolis: Forty min
Mt Si is one of my all-time accepted, trail-to day hikes. Mount Si is where I fell in esteem with hiking, especially in the Cascades, because it affords an inexpensive initiating issue with magnificent scenery alongside the path and an very great wanting watch at the cease of the Snoqualmie Valley, Mt Rainier, the Cascades, Olympics, Bellevue, and a itsy-bitsy bit of Seattle. I will hike Mt Si twelve months-spherical and time and as soon as more establish now not much less than twice every season all twelve months prolonged. The smartly-maintained path is mostly by dense wooded space with some vast rock breaks and trail near the cease. Si is eight miles spherical-shuffle with a invent of three,a hundred and fifty feet. I occupy carried out the hike extra than 25 times and with tons of my traffic and household.
3. Mt. Teneriffe, Snoqualmie design
Trailhead: Mt. Teneriffe
Mileage: thirteen.eight (spherical-shuffle)
Pressure from metropolis: Forty min
That is more than possible the most hikes where you employ your fingers, elbows, and trekking poles a ton on to climb up by some steep switchbacks. There is a prolonged flat first intro to the mountain after which it gets steep and rugged. The total invent on Teneriffe is 3,800 feet. You hike alongside a terribly chilly ridge with vast views and a steep fall-off on one side and thick wooded space on the different. There is a groovy rock nest about two thirds of the trend up which will more than possible be an amazing discontinuance for a snack sooner than initiating the ridge. Will occupy to you receive to the height, potentialities are you’ll well well maybe also very smartly be on the cease of a single spherical mountain, with steep fall-offs surrounding it. This one, extra than any other shut to the metropolis, makes me in actuality feel esteem I’ve conquered a mountain and am a beast!
four. Granite Mountain, Snoqualmie design
Trailhead: Granite Mountain
Mileage: eight.6 (spherical-shuffle)
Pressure from metropolis: 50 min
Granite Mountain affords so mighty beauty, especially in the spring, summer season, and fall: fair, shiny inexperienced alpine meadows; magnificent white rock contrasting the black inexperienced plant existence; alpine lakes; wildflowers; and vast views of the Cascades, Mount Rainier, Kaleetan Height, and Crystal Lake. The ranger space at the cease is time and as soon as more initiating to the overall public and it’s miles so mighty fun to appear at out and snap some photos of and from. The elevation at the height is 5,629 feet, so in the winter this path can occupy some serious snow and avalanche possibility (rate it on a stable day).
5. Lake Serene and Bridal Veil Falls, Central Cascades
Trailhead: Lake Serene and Bridal Veil Falls
Mileage: eight.2 (spherical-shuffle)
Pressure from metropolis: 1 hour quarter-hour
Lake Serene and Bridal Veil Falls Trailhead is much less than a 1/2 mile off of Motorway 2 in Index, WA, and the automotive automotive automotive car automobile parking space is candy and big for busy summer season weekends. There are a variety of waterfalls to gain and big log bridge crossings over streams (and what appears to be to be like esteem a river when the snow is melting) on the trend up. The final shuffle space of the path is Lake Serene itself and a vast mountain wall at the support of it with avalanches taking place in the guts of mighty of the winter – I in fact esteem hearing and watching them over a cup of cowboy coffee!
Originally posted 2018-02-26 22:46:27.
