5 Best Hikes Near Seattle

Seattle offers a lot for many people and all activity levels. It is surrounded by fantastic views and unique places to visit.

There are so many hikes in the vicinity of the city; they are all quite accessible and the furthest an hour or two away by road.

From short hikes near me that encompass the Discovery Park Loop. You get great views of Mount Rainier and across the river towards the Olympic Mountains National Park. if you want to head further afield, you have

Mount Pilchuck with the ideally placed fire lookout in the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest. Lake 22 is a serene and peaceful alpine lake, walk the extra mile around the alpine lakes, and you can easily spot the snowcapped mountains.

You can even find trails not there all year. The parking lot of the Alpental Ski Area doubles up as the trailhead of Snow lake. It is moderate in difficulty, and you can find the trailhead by Snoqualmie Pass. (Find the Best Backpacks for Hiking)

By the end of this guide, you’ll find so much on offer from Seattle Hiking it’s nearly impossible to touch all of it. Hiking near Seattle is unlike many other parts of the country.

Best Seattle Hikes

Twin Falls - Children & Beginners

1. Twin Falls – Children & Beginners

Location: Fork of the Snoqualmie near North Bend, Washington

Difficulty: Easy

Travel distance: 31 miles

Mile Loop Length: 2.5 miles loop round trip

Elevation: 500 ft

Twin Falls is one of the best relatively short hiking trails close to Seattle if you have children or want to ease yourself into hiking near Seattle. The 2.6 miles loop offers inclined and flat sections and is comfortable.

There are incredible views along the trail, and you can spend some time on the observation platform overlooking the 135-foot creek falls. To park, you’ll need a Discover Pass which is $30 per year.

Poo Poo Point on Tiger Mountain

2. Poo Poo Point on Tiger Mountain

Location: Trailhead in Issaquah – Tiger Mountain, Washington

Difficulty: Moderate to Easy

Travel distance: 17 miles from Seattle passed Cougar Mountain

Length: 7.2 miles round trip

Elevation: 1,858 ft

When doing any Seattle hikes, one not to be missed is Poo Poo Point. It is named after the sound of old logging trains. Besides this, you have spectaculars views of Mt Rainier and Lake Sammamish.

Also, you can see the many paragliders taking off. Parking is free after a 30-minute drive, and it is accessible by bus. However, it can be hard to get a space to park.

You will pass the carving of a winged lion, and climb some 1,500 feet of elevation gain on Tiger Mountain along the Chirico Trail (named after Marc Chirico, owner of Seattle Paragliding) pass the launch ramps cut in the side of the mountain.

Rattlesnake Ledge

3. Rattlesnake Ledge

Location: North Bend, Washington

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

Travel distance: 34 miles

Length: 4 miles round trip

Elevation: around 1,200 feet

If you head this way, you’ll find one of the more popular hiking trails there is during summer and weekends warm days. You have an elevation of around 1,000 ft, and it spreads out across a 1.5-mile segment, so it is accessible to new hikers.

The upper Rattlesnake ledge section is less crowded, yet delivers a panoramic view of the Central Cascades mountain range and Mount Index.

Rattlesnake Lake, located at the bottom of the trail, is a great place to relax and wind down after the hike.

Mount Si – Eight Mile Mountain Loop Highway Test

4. Mount Si – Eight Mile Mountain Loop Highway Test

Location: North Bend, Washington

Difficulty: Moderate to Hard

Travel distance: 34.6 miles

Length: 8 miles round trip

Elevation: 3,150 ft

Mount Si may not be too far from the city, yet you could be in another world. So far, it is the most challenging with the length 8-mile round trip covering the entirety from start to finish.

Most of the trail is shaded by trees, so it is a great option year-round. You get one of the best mountain views in the Puget Sound region.

You do need to make sure to take care after heavy rainfalls as it can become very slippery. Once you reach the summit, you’ll overlook surrounding mountains, the Snoqualmie Valley and the Snoqualmie River in the bottom.

Visit in the fall or early winter to miss all the crowds. Like first on the list, you’ll need a Discover Pass to park.

Ebey’s Landing State Park

5. Ebey’s Landing State Park

Location: Whidbey Island, Washington

Difficulty: Moderate to Easy

Travel distance: 57 miles

Length: 5.6 miles loop trail

Elevation: 260 feet

You head off over the golden bluffs towering above the surf of the Puget Sound. As you wander, you can see in the distance across the beach the views of snow-capped Olympic Mountains. (Find the Best Compass for Hiking)

You can access the Bluff Trail two ways. One from the Prairie Overlook trailhead, or two from the seaside parking lot toward the end of Ebey’s Landing Road.

It is home to 1850’s homes, lots of birdlife and maritime beauty. Like others, you need a Discover Pass and not a Northwest Forest Pass.

You can find many more trails around the city. There are lots with views of Mt Rainier; one’s available year-round with old-growth forest or more challenging hikes such as Lake Serene. There are many day hikes averaging around a length of 5.4 miles and over many skill levels or ages.

You can make a day of it, tackle one of the shorter hikes around Seattle for half-day and then spend more time traveling around the area. (Find the Best Hiking Pants)

You get a broad range of scenery and landscape that covers all seasons and varies around the year.

5 Best Hikes Near Seattle

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