There is no doubt about it; Washington is a beautiful state. There is so much to be explored and appreciated. Hiking is just one way you can experience the get outdoors. Plus, getting outside is good for your mental health. However, it can be daunting if you’ve never been on a hike or if it has been a few years.

I’m here to help! I pulled together a list of seven hikes I take with my friends and family looking to experience nature. Most of these trails are free. However, some of these trails need passes. For the ones that need passes, there are still options to visit for free. There are several free days for Washington State Parks. Libraries will sometimes lend out passes as well so check with your local branch.

All of these are lowland hikes, so they should be mostly snow free unless there is widespread snowfall everywhere.

How to read Elevation gain:
Elevation gain is the total number of uphill you climb for an entire hike. Another way of looking at it is how many flights of stairs you will hike up. Roughly 1 flight of stairs is 10 feet in elevation gain. Most of the trails I recommend do not have stairs, so it won’t feel like climbing them. However, you will be going up an incline.

1. Gold Creek Park

1.25 miles, round trip
263ft elevation gain
~26 minutes from Seattle

This is a good starting place if you just want something short in the forest with a small elevation.

Want to go wine tasting after? Then this is the hike for you! It is 5 minutes away from Woodinville wine country. There are two nice picnic tables but no facilities.

I would take the first left and then the left again to give you a more gradual ascent. At the next fork, you’ll take another left, and then at the T intersection, take a right and stay on the main trail. At the next fork, take the sharp left and find a steeper descent before hiking back up again. You’ll then come out into a residential area but take the trail to your right back into the woods. When you start to descend, continue straight to reach the parking area. Learn more, see map and get directions.

Extend your hike: follow 152^nd Ave NE to the Tolt Pipeline. If you really want to work up a sweat, you can visit training hill by hanging a right when you get to the pipeline. This training hike is one of my favorite training hills. It is unofficially called Heart Attack Hill by the locals.

2. Paradise Valley Conservation Area

Multiple loop options from 2 miles to 5 miles
~ 28 minutes from Seattle

This one is known to mountain bikers but I usually see only a few people on the trails. Many of the trails are triple use to horses, bikes, and hikers. As a guideline, hikers yield to horses, and mountain bikers yield to both hikers and equestrians. Some trails, like the Forest Ridge trail, are only open to hikers. You can go the short Lloyd-Forest Ridge loop or the longer Wetland Plateau –Red Alder loop. There isn’t much elevation gain in these hikes so they are good for neophytes who just want to get out into nature. Learn more about the hike & directions, and the map.

3. Coal creek

5 miles, round trip
500ft elevation gain
~18 minutes from Seattle

4. Cedar Butte

3.5 miles, round trip
900 ft elevation gain
~38 minutes from Seattle.

Just a stone’s throw away from the busy Rattlesnake Ledge trail, this hike is substantially less busy. The trail starts flat so you can warm up your legs and then veers off to the right and into a lush forest. The elevation doesn’t let up until you get to the top. On the top, you will get a little bit of a view and might even have the whole place to yourself. Learn more and get the map and directions.

*Discover pass needed – you can get it as a day pass or an annual pass. Or you can visit during one of the Washington State Park’s free days*

5. Rattlesnake Ledge

4.75 mile. 1,200 feet elevation gain
~38 minutes from Seattle

Rattlesnake ledge is the hike I recommend to my out-of-town friends and family. This hike is one of the busiest hikes in Washington State, so plan on getting there early (before 8 AM) on the weekends to grab a parking spot. I often recommend that out-of-town friends and family hike it during the week, but that isn’t possible for most of us. I typically only hike this during the “off-season” from October to March because I like my trails less crowded. Learn more, see the map, and get directions.   

6. Little Si

4.5 miles, 1,200 ft elevation gain
~33 min from Seattle

Little Si is one of my favorite trails. I hike it at least once and year and sometimes multiple times a year. It is pretty, close, and accessible. The only thing that stops me from hiking the Little Si is snow which makes it hard to get to the trailhead. This hike starts trekking uphill at the start, so it gets your heart rate going before mostly leveling off. The last mile or so is another climb to the top. Once at the top, you might be greeted with a view of Mt. Si and the valley below. Be warned that this is a popular hike and to get there early. Learn more, see map and and get directions.

Extend your tip: try the Boulder Garden Trail on the way back.

*Discover pass needed – you can get it as a day pass or an annual pass. Or you can visit during one of the Washington State Park’s free days*

7. Wilderness Peak Loop

4.62 miles, 1,200 feet elevation gain
~23 minutes from Seattle

Extend your trip: you can continue on to Shy Bear for a longer trip or come back down the other trail.  

If you want to go farther out…

Did I miss a hike? Let us know you recommendations in the comments below!