The Hiking Adventures of the PNW
“To walk in nature is to witness a thousand miracles” — Mary Davis
The Pacific Northwest is home to a plethora of beautiful hiking spots, places to catch some fresh air, or simply areas to relax and think. I have lived in the PNW my entire life but haven’t been able to visit as many places as I have this summer. Hiking is a passion of mine because it combines working out, enjoying the great outdoors, and my love for photography. For this reason, I made a personal goal of going on 20 hikes before the end of October or “hiking season” as some people coin. Honestly, my happiness and love for my life were sparked by the hiking trips I took this past summer and the memories I made on them :)
In short, this article documents the different hikes one could go on within the PNW, more specifically within Washington State. I hope you all enjoy the descriptions and the images of each hike since they are all pictures I have personally took on my phone during these hikes.
Twin Falls
Twin Falls is a moderately difficult hike measuring about 3.6 miles back and forth. It is located in the North Bend area, within Ollalie State Park which is off of Exit 34. I personally have done this hike 4 times and each time I believe it gets even more beautiful.
Throughout the trail, there are little cut-throughs that you can take to get closer to the water. The first few times I chose not to take the stairs just before the main bridge where the main trail” ends”. Because of this, I missed the view as pictured on the left which is bittersweet since it gives the full view of the falls, though a bit steep.
According to All Trails, this hike is great during March — October. However, parking at this location can be quite hard especially if you come later in the day. Overall, it was given a 4.4-star rating out of 5 which marks it a hike that one should do at least once whether or not they live in the state of Washington or just visiting. The trail is suitable for children and is also pet friendly if they are on a leash :)
Franklin Falls
Franklin falls is becoming a very popular hike among people in Washington, especially this summer due to the COVID Restrictions. This hike is replacing the popularity of Rattlesnake Ledge, as it is currently closed due to high trafficking.
Franklin Falls can be a 2.0-mile hike back and forth if you take Exit 52 and an even shorter hike if the road towards the falls is open and one can park a couple of minutes away from the waterfall itself. I have done both driving up the hike and walking the 2.0 miles and I would say you would miss the fresh air and views if you drove up to it. Though, if you are crunch on time or if one arrives late to the trailhead you would still be able to enjoy the beauty of the falls.
However, if you are somewhat of a hiking junkie like myself, or just simply want to spend more time outdoors you should opt to take Exit 47 along Denny Creek. If you take this route, the hike would be a little more extensive measuring about 6.8 miles back and forth but trust me on this one you will thoroughly enjoy the trip.
I have done this hike a handful of times and the first time being in December where the snow was pretty deep. As difficult as the hike itself was with the freezing weather and lack of vision/ depth of the trail, the falls were pretty amongst the white coveted snow. But make sure to be properly equipped when doing so. This is from experience since the trail right in front of the falls is slippery to begin with or very steep and narrow and is difficult on a sunny day and the snow adds on to the difficulty. For this reason, I actually slipped and slid down to the falls.
Snow Lake (4.6 ratings)
This hike has to be by far my favorite one of the 10 locations I have been to so far within Washington and Oregon. It is located off of Exit 52 in the Snoqualmie Region and it shares the splendor of the Alpine Lakes. Although, this one tested my stamina and my already lack of balance self it was one of the most rewarding and remarkable views I have seen thus far. Currently, my Instagram is full of pics of this location however, it does not do this place justice. I highly recommend this place and will for sure do this hike again in the future.
The hike itself is about 8.2 miles which were one of the longer hikes I have done so far. The terrain might be a little dangerous for some due to the abundance of loose rocks throughout the trail. It is an out and back trail which means you exit the same way you took to get to the lake itself. According to online sources, specifically All Trails it claims it is a moderate hike but for this one, it is up to interpretation. It is a great hike for July through October and if I may add, I did it in July and it was breathtaking since there are still hints of snow here and there. To add, the elevation gain is about 1700 feet making it strenuous especially if you have not hiked for a while or new to the world of hiking, but again this one is a must-do for hikers.
Talapus Lake (4.4 ratings)
This hike was a hidden gem to me since my cousin and I were looking for another hike near the Franklin Falls area and found this one less than 20 minutes away. The hike itself was not too bad with less than a 700 feet elevation gain and was only 3.4 miles both ways. This was one of the easier and calmer hikes to do in comparison to the others I have done. However, it was still beautiful nonetheless and was very maintained.
I liked this hike for the narrow bridge as pictured to the left since I am a sucker for bridges. It makes for a great picture and it marks the “halfway point” to the lake itself. Personally, I have done this hike twice and both times I enjoyed it. It is an easy one to introduce new hikers to as well.
The lake itself is beautiful and it felt calm and relaxing when you hit the end of the trail. The only downside I saw for this hike was how there aren’t many ways to view the lake without cutting through and finding an opening that satisfied your stamina and ability to maneuver around logs and tree stumps. For this reason, I recommend doing this trail when it isn’t crowded so perhaps during the week or earlier in the day rather than weekends or midday. But this is a great place to think or enjoy a snack.
Heather Lake (4.5 ratings)
This hike was a calm and breathtaking hike. Heather lake was not a difficult hike at all, it is deemed moderate by All Trails but personally, it was one of the easier hikes if I remember correctly. It is located within the Granite Falls area or the Mount Pilchuck State Park. This hike if perfect for May through November, for this reason, Heather Lake can be hiked later in the year than the other hikes above.
The trail was shaded under trees for the majority of it. The length of the hike is 5 miles back and forth but there is a trail to walk around the perimeter of the hike which will provide you the steps or the extra mile for those overachievers. The trail was maintained very nicely and the lake itself was such a beautiful sight to see. The lake was so clear when my friends and I went so the pictures show a perfectly clear reflection of the view you see.
The only downside to this hike was the drive to the trailhead. The road to the trailhead is full of large potholes which almost steered me away from using my car to go to this hike (no pun intended). But I am glad I went and hope to go again within the next week or so. Again, this one is an easier hike to do and ends with an amazing view so it is a win-win situation here. Take my word for it :) it will not disappoint.
Lake 22 ( 4.6 ratings)
This hike was beautiful even in rainy weather. I have not done this hike during sunny weather yet but it wasn’t too difficult of a hike considering no one fell or slipped when it was raining. Lake Twenty Two Trail leads to an alpine lake through old-growth forests and ends with the view of the Mount Pilchuck Mountains. This hike is known for their dirt staircases which my friends and I referred to as lunge like exercises. The hike itself was a bit rocky so hiking shoes are recommended for this one as there were creek crossings as well. When my friends were there it wasn’t too crowded since it was raining as mentioned above, however, this one is a popular hike thus it does tend to get crowded so I recommend doing this hike early in the morning or during the weekdays rather than weekends.
There were many bridges on this hike and had a good mixture of walking through the forest and openness. For those overachievers as mentioned previously, there is a nice boardwalk loop for you all to walk around the lake which gives you a good view of the lake from different angles. On one end there are many flowers which bring an added bonus to the aesthetic and beautiful view. In addition, the destination (the lake) also provides a cloudy mountain feel to it when you hike the trail in the rain. I again would love to do this hike on a sunny day and see how it would be but it was fun to do as the first rainy day hike I have ever done.
Little Si (4.4 ratings)
Little Si was one of the more difficult ones I have done so far. For snow lake, the difficulty arose through the length of the trail but for this one, I would say would be the steepness or the elevation. Personally, not the biggest fan of steep hikes because it highlights how unfit or the lack of stamina I have but, long story short the end view was amazing despite the work it took to get there. Little Si is located in North Bend, Washington. It is a 4.5-mile hike and although it says to be only 1500 foot in elevation it felt harder than that.
Little Si is named after the taller mountain respectfully called Mount Si. The trail itself does not ease into the steepness to come as it immediately begins with a steep walk up however, it is a great workout and a way to bring yourself back to shape. Although, I am more of a person to enjoy waterfalls and lake hikes this one had a pretty view from up top might I say. My friends and I did this hike on a very sunny day and with the sunshine it made the top feel even nicer and it felt like an accomplishment as we made it up and back down. I recommend this for people who want more of a challenging hike or something steeper/ more of a workout for the legs. However, I would not take someone here if they have not hiked a day in their lives.
These are only some of the ones you might find within the State of Washington. There are some I did not include within this article or it would become too long of a read. Two of those were Poo Poo Point which is located in the Issaquah area (a great hike as well) where people can also hang glide from and the other was the shortest hike I have ever been on or seen which was the Grove of the Patriarchs. Overall, this summer was the first time I ventured out and hiked at multiple locations and I have to say it has been fun, to say the least. Hiking is a great past time as it allows me to enjoy the outdoors more and the great views I wouldn’t have seen if I worked out indoors (if the gyms were open that is).
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the article and the personal pictures I took. If anyone has suggestions of places to check out I would gladly look into them :)
In the wilderness, my soul strums to the rhythm of pure bliss — Angie Weiland- Crosby
Source
- All Trails App/ AllTrails.com
- Personal Experiences and Images
