If you follow my clinical work, you know I talk a lot about cortisol rhythms, nervous system regulation, and metabolic resilience. What I don’t talk about enough is where I personally go to reset all of the above: the trails of Washington State.
These are my saved hikes. The ones I keep coming back to. Don’t let the difficulty levels deter you, and remember it’s ok not to finish an hike, it’ll be memorable and beautiful regardless.
Easy / Moderate — When You Need Beauty Without the Suffering
Spirit Falls - Gorge (0.6 mi, 380 ft gain) on the Little White Salmon River near Cook is less a hike and more a steep scramble to one of the most dramatic waterfalls in the Gorge. Short, rugged, and refreshing at the end.
Artist Ridge – Huntoon Point (1.2 mi, 200 ft gain) is the one I recommend when someone says they want to get outside but isn’t sure where to start. Mount Baker Area, absurdly scenic, minimal effort. Go July through September before the road closes or in the wonder for an ultimate snowshoe/backcountry wonderland. Bonus, dog friendly!
Fremont Lookout (5.6 mi, 1,200 ft gain) at Mount Rainier is a steady, rewarding climb to a fire lookout with one of the best views of the mountain. Mid-July to October is your window.
Skyline Trail Loop (5.5 mi, 1,450 ft gain) at Paradise is wildflower season at its finest — late July and August are peak bloom.
Blue Lake (4.4 mi, 1,050 ft gain) in the North Cascades is a perfect half-day. Brilliant turquoise water, golden larches in late September. One of those hikes that makes you feel like you stumbled into a painting.
Summit Lake near Carbon River (6.1 mi, 1,300 ft gain) is a quieter gem with mountain views and far fewer crowds than the more popular Rainier corridors. August through September the trail is covered with wild blueberries and huckleberries.
Moderate/Hard — The Ones That Earn It
Snow Lake in Snoqualmie Pass (7.2 mi, 1,800 ft gain) is probably the most accessible hard-ish hike on this list. Busy for good reason. August is ideal for wild blueberry picking
Lake Valhalla (7.0 mi, 1,500 ft gain) near Stevens Pass is stunning in early fall — fewer people, cooler temperatures, the kind of quiet that genuinely resets your nervous system.
Dog Mountain (5.9 mi, 2,800 ft gain) in the Columbia River Gorge is a different kind of hard — relentlessly steep from the start, with almost no flat sections. The payoff is summit meadows covered in balsamroot in spring and wide views of the Gorge and Mount Hood. Peak bloom runs mid-April through mid-June; a permit is required during that window. One of the best wildflower hikes in the Pacific Northwest.
Kendall Katwalk (12 mi, 2,600 ft gain) deserves its reputation. The narrow ridge section is one of the most dramatic trail features in the state. Late July through September.
Ingalls Pass and Lake Ingalls (9.0 mi, 2,600 ft gain) in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness is one of the better hikes in the Teanaway and shares a trailhead corridor with Esmeralda. The pass gives you a wide open view of the Stuart Range before you drop into the lake basin. That lake — turquoise, set hard against the rock — is the payoff. No dogs past the Esmeralda junction, but lot’s of mountain goats!
Lake Ann at Mount Baker (8.2 mi, 2,150 ft gain) is one I keep returning to. The glacier views are extraordinary and the trail is manageable for most fit hikers.
Cutthroat Pass (10.0 mi, 2,000 ft gain) via the PCT from Rainy Pass on Hwy 20 is one of the better larch hikes in the state and significantly less crowded than the obvious alternatives. Late September is the window. The elevation and open ridgeline deliver views that are hard to argue with.
Hard — The Full Commitment
Mount Ellinor (6.2 mi, 3,344 ft gain) on the eastern Olympic Peninsula is steep, relentless, and worth every foot. From the lower trailhead you earn the full experience — Hood Canal, Lake Cushman, and the jagged Olympic peaks laid out below you at the summit. Upper trailhead shortens it to 3.3 miles if your knees have opinions. One of the best summit hikes on the Peninsula.
Yellow Aster Butte (7.5 mi, 2,550 ft gain) in the Mount Baker Area hits different in late September when the heather turns crimson. One of the best fall hikes in the state.
Blanca Lake (8.0 mi, 3,400 ft gain) is tough on the way up and completely worth it. That emerald glacial lake doesn’t look real.
Hidden Lake Lookout (8.0 mi, 3,300 ft gain) along Hwy 20 is one I recommend to anyone who asks for a single “best hike” in the North Cascades. Mid-July through September, check road conditions first.
Big Heart Lake (13.9 mi, 4,137 ft gain) via West Fork Foss Lakes Trail near Skykomish is one of the better hard-day or overnight options in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. The trail passes through Trout and Copper Lakes on the way up before the final push to Big Heart. Bring a permit; Alpine Lakes Wilderness self-issue required.
Sourdough Mountain (10.4 mi, 4,870 ft gain) is genuinely hard and genuinely one of the most rewarding days I can imagine spending outside. This one asks something of you.
Jade Lake and Pea Soup Lake (20+ mi, 4,000+ ft gain) in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness deserve their own category. The trail to Marmot Lake is maintained; past that you're navigating unmaintained path, scree fields, and snow that lingers well into summer. Jade Lake is breathtaking. And, yes, the water really is that color.
Pea Soup Lake — accessed through Dip Top Gap — extends the route to roughly 22.7 miles and 5,590 feet total gain. Best treated as a two-to-three day backpacking trip, with Jade Lake as base camp the first night. My cat might have been the first cat to reach Pea Soup, who is to say!
These are the places I go when I need to remember why I do this work. Not to optimize anything. Just to be somewhere that asks nothing of me except to pay attention.
If you’ve done any of these, I’d love to hear which ones. Drop a comment : ) I’m always looking for friends on the trails and hidden gems.
Oooh been wanting to hike in the north Cascades! Thank you for these pro tips and the invitation to just be present.