Best Spring Hikes
Rooster Rock State Park- Hike above the Columbia River Buffs!
Quick Facts: Location: Columbia River Gorge, Oregon Land Agency: Oregon State Parks Roundtrip: 3.3 miles Elevation Gain: 300 feet Contact: Oregon State Parks Notes: $5.00 day use fee or $30 annual pass; dogs must be leashed Green Trails Maps: Columbia River Gorge West No. 428S Access: From Portland follow I-84 east to Exit 25. At .5…
Read MoreFortson Ponds –An old mill site on an emerging long distance trail
Quick Facts: Location: Darrington Land Agency: Snohomish County Parks Roundtrip: 2.0 miles Elevation gain: none Difficulty: Easy Contact: Snohomish County Parks Green Trails Map: Mountain Loop Highway 111SX Notes: Dogs allowed on leash Access: From Exit 208 on I-5 (Arlington) travel east on SR 530 for 25.2 miles turning left onto Fortson Mill Road (near…
Read MoreMeadowdale Beach—Reach the Beach through an Emerald Gulch
Quick Facts: Location: Lynnwood Land Agency: Snohomish County Parks Roundtrip: 2.5 miles Elevation Gain: 425 feet Contact: Snohomish County Parks Special Notes: Dogs must be leashed; park open 7 am to dusk: do not park on road Access: From Everett, head 10 miles south on I-5 to exit 183. Follow 164th Street SW west for…
Read MoreRiver Meadows Park─Wander along the Stillaguamish River
Quick Facts: Location: South Fork Stillaguamish River, near Arlington Land Agency: Snohomish County Parks Roundtrip: 2.5 miles Elevation Gain: 150 feet Contact: Snohomish County Parks Notes: Dogs must be leashed. Access: From Exit 208 on I-5 head east on SR 530 to Arlington. One mile beyond junction with SR 9 (just after crossing the South…
Read MoreTurtlehead — It’s one shell of a view from this Turtleback Mountain summit
Quick Facts: Location: Orcas Island, San Juan Islands Land Agency: San Juan County Land Bank Roundtrip: 5.6 miles Elevation Gain: 1295 feet Contact: San Juan County Land Bank Notes: Dogs permitted on leash; trail (partial) open to bikes (even days) and horses (odd days) Access: Take Washington State Ferry from Anacortes to Orcas Island. Then head…
Read MoreLittle Cranberry Lake — A perfect complement hike to your Thanksgiving Day celebration
Quick Facts: Location: Anacortes-Fidalgo Island Land Agency: Anacortes Community Forest Lands Roundtrip: 1.9 miles Elevation Gain: 100 feet Access: From Exit 230 on I-5 in Burlington, head west on SR 20 to junction with SR 20-Spur. Continue right on SR 20-Spur to Anacortes. At traffic light near old town, continue left on 12th Street (still SR 20-Spur and12th Street…
Read MoreDiscovery Trail – Follow Lieutenant Clark along the Long Beach Peninsula
Quick Facts: Location: Long Beach Peninsula Land Agency: Washington State Parks and others Roundtrip: 8.2 miles on way Elevation Gain: 200 feet Contact: Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau Access: For the southern trailhead, follow US 101 to Ilwaco. Turn left onto Elizabeth Ave and after two blocks turn right onto Howerton Ave. Park on Howerton Ave. Trail begins…
Read MoreMount Wells– Victoria area summit gushes with flowers and views
Quick Facts: Location: Victoria—Langford, BC Land Agency: Capital Regional District Parks Roundtrip: 2.0 miles/ 3.2 km Elevation gain: 865 feet/ 264 m Maps: CRDP site Contact: Capital Regional District Parks Notes: dogs permitted on leash; please stay on trail to protect rare plants Access: From Victoria, follow Trans-Canada Highway 10.5 for miles (17 km) exiting…
Read MoreJuniper Dunes Wilderness –A wilderness “sans” trails
Quick Facts Location: Franklin County, Eastern Washington Land Agency: Bureau of Land Management Roundtrip: 2.0 miles Elevation gain: 200 feet Difficulty: Moderate Contact: Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Spokane Office Notes: All approaches to this wilderness area are currently via private roads and land. The southern approach cannot be recommended due to poor roads and changing…
Read MorePalouse Falls–showy cataract of Eastern Washington’s coulee country
Quick Facts: Location: Channeled Scablands Eastern Washington Land Agency: Washington State Parks Roundtrip: 1.3 miles Elevation Gain: 150 feet Contact: Washington State Parks Guidebook: Day Hiking Eastern Washington (Mountaineers Books) Notes: Discover Pass required. Dogs permitted on leash. Watch for rattlesnakes Access: From Pasco, take US 395 north to Connell. Then follow SR 260 east for 25 miles…
Read More