Seattle is an incredible city. As far as we’re concerned, it’s the best place on the planet. With that said, Seattle is still a city. That means it’s nice to escape every once in a while. For us, there’s no better escape than a hike. If you’re like us and you’re always looking for a good trail, here’s our list of the best hikes near Seattle.
NOTE: We should probably call this list the best hikes near Seattle that we’ve done. There are many popular hikes in the area we just haven’t gotten to yet. Mailbox Peak, Mount Si, and several others are on our to-do list.
We’ve listed the best hikes near Seattle according to their distance from the city — shortest to farthest. There are no hikes on the list farther than 60 miles, so all can easily be done as part of a day trip or even half-day trip. For most of the following hikes, you can click on the name for more information.
BEST HIKES NEAR SEATTLE
Cougar Mountain | Anti-Aircraft Peak
Round trip: 6.0 miles
Elevation gain: 625 feet
Highest elevation: 1,525 feet
Distance from Seattle: 17 miles
Map
Tiger Mountain | West Tiger #3
Round trip: 5.0 miles
Elevation gain: 2,100 feet
Highest elevation: 2,525 feet
*Discover Pass required
Distance from Seattle: 18 miles
Map
Rattlesnake Ledge
Round trip: 4.0 miles
Elevation gain: 1,160 feet
Highest elevation: 2,078 feet
Distance from Seattle: 27 miles
Map
Little Si
Round trip: 4.7 miles
Elevation gain: 1,300 feet
Highest elevation: 1,550 feet
*Discover Pass required
Distance from Seattle: 33 miles
Map
Twin Falls
Round trip: 3.5 miles
Elevation gain: 500 feet
Highest elevation: 1,000 feet
*Discover Pass required
Distance from Seattle: 35 miles
Map
Cedar Butte
Round trip: 3.5 miles
Elevation gain: 900 feet
Highest elevation: 1,880 feet
*Discover Pass required
Distance from Seattle: 35 miles
Map
Teneriffe Falls
Round trip: 6.0 miles
Elevation gain: 1,420 feet
Highest elevation: 2,370 feet
*Discover Pass required
Distance from Seattle: 36 miles
Map
Talapus Lake & Olallie Lake
Round trip: 6.2 miles
Elevation gain: 1,220 feet
Highest elevation: 3,780 feet
*Northwest Forest Pass required
Distance from Seattle: 49 miles
Map
Franklin Falls
Round trip: 2.0 miles
Elevation gain: 400 feet
Highest elevation: 2,600 feet
*Northwest Forest Pass required
Distance from Seattle: 50 miles
Map
Keekwulee Falls
Round trip: 3.4 miles
Elevation gain: 1,300 feet
Highest Elevation: 3,500 feet
*Northwest Forest Pass required
Distance from Seattle: 50 miles
Map
Melakwa Lake
Round trip: 8.5 miles
Elevation gain: 2,500 feet
Highest Elevation: 4,600 feet
*Northwest Forest Pass required
Distance from Seattle: 50 miles
Map
Lodge Lake
Round trip: 3.0 miles
Elevation gain: 500 feet
Highest elevation: 3,500 feet
*Northwest Forest Pass required
Distance from Seattle: 51.5 miles
Map
Kendall Katwalk
Round trip: 11.0 miles
Elevation gain: 2,600 feet
Highest elevation: 5,400 feet
*Northwest Forest Pass required
Distance from Seattle: 51.5 miles
Map
Snow Lake
Round trip: 7.2 miles
Elevation gain: 1,800 feet
Highest elevation: 4,400 feet
*Northwest Forest Pass required
Distance from Seattle: 53 miles
Map
Gem Lake
Round trip: 10.0 miles
Elevation gain: 1,800 feet
Highest elevation: 4,857 feet
*Northwest Forest Pass required
Distance from Seattle: 53 miles
Map
Bridal Veil Falls
Round trip: 4.0 miles
Elevation gain: 1,000 feet
Highest elevation: 1,600 feet
*Northwest Forest Pass required
Distance from Seattle: 54 miles
Map
Heather Lake
Round trip: 4.6 miles
Elevation gain: 1,034 feet
Highest Elevation: 2,430 feet
*Northwest Forest Pass required
Distance from Seattle: 56 miles
Map
Lake Twenty Two
Round trip: 5.4 miles
Elevation gain: 1,350 feet
Highest Elevation: 2,400 feet
*Northwest Forest Pass required
Distance from Seattle: 56 miles
Map
What are your favorite hikes near Seattle? We’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment below or connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Don’t forget to also check out Seattle Bloggers for more great adventures around the Emerald City!
