Hello again everyone!

I have been meaning to get this post out to you guys for awhile now and I’m excited to share my adventures these last few months! I had intended to post this before we took off for Greece last month but as always other more daunting tasks got in the way unfortunately. We are now back from Greece and it was such an amazing time. I cannot wait to share all of the content with my readers from this incredible trip. Milos, Crete, and Athens were all fantastic and unique in their own way and I definitely hope to return soon to continue exploring more of Greece!

But back to the point of this particular post, there’s nothing quite like home, and for me one of the many perks of Washington is the abundance of beautiful hiking trails nearby. In the winter/early spring time it can be hard to find trails with little to no snow so I have noticed that many people wait until summer to start hiking again, and I was also one of those people! Although I love the PNW, I hate the cold and I hate the rain. I’m guilty of not getting outside as much during the winter months because I like to avoid snow and the wet dreary weather (cold muddy grounds are no fun!). However, I made a promise to myself that this time I would try my best to get out there as much as I possibly could! I’m not an avid advanced hiker but consider myself fairly in shape from my gym routine and staying active so I kept this in mind while choosing hikes. I also don’t have the gear for snow and didn’t feel like investing in any at this particular time (maybe next season!) and my goal was to avoid snow, or at least a lot of it, so I started my hikes at the end of February and I’m excited to share some great gems that I highly recommend if you are trying to get some fresh air and enjoy nature without worrying about being knee deep (or more!) in snow.

I’ve compiled a list of some of the awesome late winter and spring hikes I’ve been on from February to mid-June and I am hoping they will help you out in getting some adventure time in for the next winter and spring season! I have found that it’s also helped me train up and get in even better shape for the epic higher elevation and generally longer mileage trails this summer so that’s also a plus when it comes to hiking in the “off” season! For this list I tried to add a diverse range to suit anyone’s tastes and also I love a good variety when it comes to exploring. I also tried to stray away from more popular ones such as Rattlesnake Ridge but I will make a quick mention at the end of the list of some other hikes that I didn’t get to or specifically avoided due to crowds, but would be great for this time of year! I hope you enjoy this list and let me know in the comments if you have been on any of these hikes or plan to!

(*Disclaimer: I want my opinions and photos to inspire you but please still do thorough research on your own before heading out to the trails. Most of my fellow Washingtonians know this website but for anyone who doesn’t and those who are not from Washington and are visiting the area, I highly encourage you to look up all of these hikes on the Washington Trails Association website and always try to read several of the most recent trip reports you can find to get a feel of the most current conditions! Also remember to practice Leave No Trace principles!*)

1.) Ancient Lakes

I’m starting this list off with something different than what you would expect when you think of Washington or the Pacific Northwest. I really wanted a change of scenery from the endless snow capped mountains and evergreen trees. Not that I don’t love them it’s just the traveler in me, I love diversity, so I set off towards the Central/Eastern Washington area to get a different perspective and man did this hike deliver! I was transported to a desert-like wasteland atmosphere with the most stunning colors and so much to see and explore. It really gave me some heavy nostalgia for the south (I used to live in Texas). If you’re looking for a hike that’s pretty doable for all skill levels including bringing children along then this hike is for you! On the WTA site it states that its 12 miles roundtrip but this hike is great in that you can make it as long as you want (like the full 12 miles) or as short of a loop as you want as well. There really isn’t an “endpoint” destination like when you climb a mountain or are reaching a specific glacier lake. At the very least you’ll want to see at least one lake and one waterfall. The hike is chockful of things to see from the very beginning. The epic rock croppings and cliffs, the ancient and dusty lakes, the many desert-like waterfalls, and so much more were such a treat to the eyes. There is a part on the hike where you scramble down a very rocky and dusty hillside to one of the waterfalls and lake and this could be a little dangerous for children. I busted my butt a couple times but it’s manageable. We made our loop an approximately 6-mile one and it was such a perfect day for it weather wise. I would highly recommend this hike for the spring time as I’m sure it gets a bit too hot in the summer with how exposed it is and also Eastern Washington weather. Bring plenty of water! On the WTA website the directions are accurate when you pull them up on their mapping. We went past the first lot and parked at the second one where WTA leads you to but there are a few different parking lots you can start at. I liked where we started as it really was the best way to do the whole loop and to make sure you see everything. If you can, make sure you make your way up to the little summit above the lake and then either climb back down and go back the way you came or you can do what we did which was to continue climbing which eventually spit us out to the entrance near another parking lot. From there we walked along the road back to ours which didn’t take long. You can also camp here as well and there were a few campers while we were there but not many. I hear that it can get quite packed in the summer with campers though, yet another reason to come in the early spring. Be sure to put this hike on your list because it’s definitely a winner!

2.) Dirty Harry’s Balcony

This is a great little 5-6 mile hike offering a decent leg burner workout and unique views of the I-90 corridor combined with the beauty of the mountains and tons of lush green trees! According to the WTA website, the trail is generally snow-free all year or at least easily passible. Just to be safe I would recommend mid-March to April start for this hike. Also, if you are trying to go to Dirty Harry’s Peak there will more than likely be snow until closer to summer. As of writing this, the trailhead is a little hard to find if not for the WTA reports giving clear directions on where it is located. Always read the reports for any hike guys. They definitely help! The old trail is basically inaccessible now and the new trail that they’ve been working on (Birdhouse Trail) is where you want to go. When you get to the parking lot you can either walk through the woods near the bulletin board and it will spit you back out onto the road right near where the actual trailhead is or you can walk along the road to get to the actual trailhead as well. You will cross a paved bridge over a creek and when you get to the end of the bridge you climb over the railing and you will see a little opening into the forest. This is where the trail begins! The trail steadily inclines and there are a lot of rock stairs so be aware of this if your knees/legs don’t do well on harder surfaces. You essentially keep left the whole time when you see splits in the trail except for the last split to the right to reach the balcony. Make sure to take the winters block trail and not easy street when you get to one of the main splits. Now, they have been doing a lot of work to this trail so this could all change by the time you read my post. Always check the WTA site and I’ll try to update this post as often as I can as well. Anyways, I would definitely add this to your winter/spring hiking list. I mean the pictures speak for themselves! Try to get there as early as you can because the rock cropping of the balcony isn’t very huge for bigger crowds but luckily this doesn’t seem to be a highly trafficked hike!

3. Gold Mountain/Green Mountain

This hike is a great one for late winter and spring. If you want no snow I would suggest a March start time which is when we went and there was no snow at all. I have seen trip reports in December-February though with no snow or a light dusting. I love this hike because it’s so easily accessible from the Tacoma area and there are a lot of pathways to explore. We took the Gold Mountain route instead of Green Mountain and really enjoyed it. The first bit is through the forest and a little bit of a leg burner but once you finish that little bit it levels off and is pretty easy all the way through. Fun walking down the logging roads. Beautiful views of a lake and tons of trees once you get out of the forested area. This is one that would be doable with the family as well. It would be helpful to take a picture of the map on the bulletin board since there are a few different ways you can go.

4.) Snoquera Falls

This hike surprised me and was probably one of my favorites this winter/spring season. It is an excellent little hike with a stunning pay-off! I highly recommend this trail for anyone trying to stretch their legs a bit and get some exercise while also getting to enjoy an amazing unique waterfall at the end. This is the perfect hike for this list because the best time of year to see this waterfall is early to late spring when the snow and ice is melting off and the falls are at full force. From the trip reports I have seen the falls almost look completely dried out during the summer months. I picked this one as a fallback hike and I was pleasantly surprised at just how cool this waterfall is in person. To me it’s one of those it looks better, bigger, and more awesome in real life kind of places. Just take my word for it and add it to your list next April! Also be warned if you’re trying to completely avoid snow then definitely go in April. February/early March there may still be snow on the trail.

5.) Mount Storm King/Marymere Falls

Mount Storm King is a pretty popular one in the summer for its gorgeous views of Lake Crescent (which kind of reminds me of a fjord) and if you’re looking for less crowds then this would be a great hike to do in the late winter/early spring. The trail does get snow but starting late March it is pretty doable and you’ll most likely only get a light dusting and a little ice on the trail. This one is definitely a leg burner! A lot of steep incline in such a short amount of mileage but the beautiful views along the way make it easier. The maintained trail eventually ends near the top and it’ll turn into a climbers trail with a series of ropes. We decided not to climb them this time around because when we went there was still snow and ice on the ground and I didn’t feel equipped shoe wise to climb it (I was in running shoes, ha!!). I know we could’ve done it easily otherwise. We weren’t the only ones who turned around either, so don’t feel discouraged next year if you go and there is snow and ice and you don’t feel comfortable climbing. The view is still great at the end of the maintained trail! I hear the summit isn’t very spacious so try to get there as early as possible so you’re not packed in like sardines up there with others! This is another reason why I think this is a great late winter/early spring hike as I hear the crowds are insane in the summer! Another great thing about this trail is that you can combine it with the beautiful Marymere Falls, a nice short loop where you can really enjoy the lush green scenery of the Olympic National Forest. Those mossy gigantic green trees are pretty incredible and make for awesome photos!

6.) Murhut Falls

Honestly I would combine this with another hike as it’s almost more of a nice stroll through the woods and if you live in Tacoma like me than the almost 3 hour drive is a bit of an overkill for a small waterfall and 1.60 mile walk but it is quite lovely and it was the perfect little stroll to start my hiking season off and get me in the adventurous spirit to want to continue seeking out more! The waterfall is definitely beautiful and photography worthy! Great stroll for families as well.

7.) Oyster Dome

Great hike with an awesome view if you’re near the Bellingham area. We went early in the morning for this one as I hear it’s a popular one and can get pretty busy. Kind of like the “Rattlesnake Ridge” of this area (which funny enough I haven’t done Rattlesnake yet because I specifically keep avoiding it due to crowds but I hear it is another good lowland hike). I knew I had to check this hike out as the view looked stunning, the 5 miles seemed like a good workout, and I had been wanting to check out the Bellingham area. First of all it’s a little more than 5 miles depending on what routes you take. The trail itself is well maintained and really pretty. I’m sure in the peak of summer as it gets more popular the trail will unfortunately take a beating but when we went it was nice. The elevation is mostly halfway through and it tricks you because everything is going so well and then all of a sudden it appears. Definitely not the hardest I have done but if you’re fairly new to hiking it could be quite tiring for you. The worst of it is near the end but again nothing terrible! When we arrived to the top the expansive view of the sound and the miles of green trees were just stunning. It was very quiet and peaceful. There were 4 other people there and I think they arrived hours before us and had set up a hammock and were just hanging out up there but compared to the crowds that come later on in the day I’m definitely not complaining! It’s not a very spacious area so I would come early to beat the heat and the crowds. The compromise of coming early to avoid the crowds is the summit is shadowed so it is hard to get a good picture but it’s not about the pictures so just soak in that precious peaceful moment of just how amazing mother nature truly is! On that note though I do hear this is a great sunset hike and a lot of photographers taking some epic sunset pics here, but the flipside is you have to hike back down in the dark.

8.) Franklin Ghost Town

Not my most favorite “hike” if you can really call it that, more of a stroll like Murhut Falls, but I thought I’d include it for the history and also because it’s a good one for families! It’s not necessarily what you would envision when you hear the term “ghost town”. There is really just a couple old foundations, small cemetery, and a coal mining cart that was donated. It is a nice stroll in nature though and interesting to read up on the history of this abandoned town and the mining workers that unfortunately passed. You can also take a trail at the parking lot to the Green River and a small waterfall. It’s amazing just how vividly green and clean looking the river is in this area. With my current job I’ve been to many homes and industrial areas abutting the river in the city and it definitely does not look this emerald green and beautiful in those areas. If you do go on this trail be sure to bring $5 to put in the box to pay for parking. I’m guessing it’s the honor system but just bring the $5 because I had no idea and luckily for once had cash on me!

9.) Diablo Lake area

We didn’t do the hike here but I thought I should add this beautiful place in. Also, I hear that the view is the best from the overlook anyways! We went here for engagement photos at the very end of April and it was dead in the area! The road closes just a little further up after this overlook for the winter but the overlook was open in April and the roads were clear of snow. Perfect time of year to experience this beautiful place because it felt like a ghost town with how empty the roads and campgrounds were. The view was absolutely stunning and the color of the lake was incredible. It was even better exploring the sandy lakefront and soaking in the view in complete solitude. This is a long drive from Tacoma, about 3.5 hours so it’s almost hard to justify coming up here unless it’s on the way to something and you happen to be in the area or combine it with a hike nearby but you should definitely add it to your list of must see’s in Washington if you have the time. Also, I may be biased but it’s the perfect place for engagement photos! 😉 And with a session that lasts about 2 hours it’s well worth the drive and you get to appreciate the area even moreso! I would post some of the engagement photos but I’m not sure how I would narrow it down yet because I love them all so much!! I’m also unsure if I’m allowed to on an actual website like this? I do share them on Instagram and tag the photographer so if you’d like to see some of the engagement photos check out my IG feed!

10.) Sauer’s Mountain

Sauer’s Mountain in Peshastin near Leavenworth is a perfect hike in April and May because the trail is booming with beautiful wildflowers! There is a plethora of balsamroot, lupine, mariposa lily, bluebells, and more. This trail is also very exposed and this area in Washington gets very hot in the summer time so early to late spring is the best time of year to do this hike. I had planned to do this hike before we left to Greece but didn’t make it out here in time. So instead we went in June for the views and to feel out the trail for my readers. We missed most of the wildflowers unfortunately but I’ll definitely be back next year! Stunning views all the way up and at the peak of the Leavenworth area. I love the mountains, trees, and vineyards views on this side of Washington.  The hike wasn’t long, just 6 miles round trip but it was the heat that got to me, it was so hot and as I mentioned before the trail is pretty exposed most of the way through. It was a steady steep climb all the way up and there wasn’t much grip to get on the ground, at least when we went. The dirt was very dry and fine and the trail is a bit narrow so you could lose your footing if you’re going very fast and slip, especially when descending (which I did see someone do).  Parking and access to the trail is on Mr. Sauer’s private property. A donation box for parking is there and he also is usually at the entrance selling his family’s wine for $20. We picked some up and it was delicious! Be respectful of his land please and always keep your dogs on a leash. WTA didn’t have mapping coordinates for this trail but if you just Google search “Sauers Mountain Trail” it will pop up on the GPS and lead you straight to the parking area.

11.) Second Beach/La Push Beach (Any of the Coastal Beaches really)

The Pacific coast beaches in the La Push area are great for both spring and summer, but spring time is nice because it won’t be as crowded as in the summer. Fans of Twilight will also get a kick out of the area as Forks is nearby. We went to Second Beach which is actually pretty close to Third Beach and First Beach as well so you could hike down to either one. The Second Beach trail is short and pretty easy. The only part that may be difficult for some is the large piles of driftwood at the end of the trail which you have to navigate over to get to the shores of the beach. For us it wasn’t hard at all but I can see it being difficult for children, older folks with difficulty climbing, and people with heavy backpacks on or carrying a lot of equipment for camping. The beach is sandy and very long so it is easy to find a little privacy to lay out and enjoy the sunshine and salty air. The seastacks with trees on top are the first thing you’ll see when you lay eyes upon the beach and they truly are a magnificent and unique sight. I could have stayed there all day with Joe and we really regretted not bringing down a blanket and some food and drinks while we relaxed. We definitely want to come back to camp with some friends here. The sunset photos look amazing and we would love to witness that in real life! There is plenty of parking and overflow parking and port-a-potties at the trailhead. No pass needed.

12.) Cape Flattery

I have been wanting to check out Cape Flattery for awhile and finally made the trip out there. It’s quite a long drive from where I live and such a short trail and quick stop destination so it’s been hard for me to justify making the trip out there. We decided to add the extra hour drive in when we went to Second Beach and I’m happy to finally have this Washington icon checked off my list! Cape Flattery is the northwestern-most point of the contiguous United States. While we were here we got a notification from our cellphone provider who thought we were in Canada, ha! But anyways, this is a great place to visit year-round with a boardwalk running through most of the trail to keep your feet dry and is an easy stroll. The forested area is beautiful, especially when we went during golden hour which made for some pretty amazing shots. You will need a Makah Reservation Pass for this trail which are only $10 and good from the time you bought it until the end of the year. You can use it for several locations and trails in the Neah Bay area including Shi Shi Beach. You can purchase them at several locations which you can find listed here on this website with hours as well. http://makah.com/activities/  Most people purchase theirs at the Washburn’s General Store but they close at 7 P.M. If you are going there for sunset or golden hour you can go to the Makah Mini Mart which closes at 10 P.M. This is where we purchased ours.

Here are a few other places I have heard are great for the winter/spring season: Lena Lake, Rattlesnake Ridge (I’ve been avoiding due to popularity/crowds but may have to do it soon), Little Si, Little Mashell Falls, Franklin Falls (I’ve done this in the winter now and highly recommend for winter!), Hoh Rainforest, Tenerife Falls, Mima Falls, multiple ghost towns, Spruce Railroad trail, Dog Mountain (need a permit now), Harry’s Ridge (have done this hike now and will add it to the list soon),  Annette Lake (best in very late May/early to mid June for avoiding snow. Also have done this hike now and will add it to the list soon!), Barclay Lake (have done this now and great for fall/winter!), Little Si (have done this now and recommend), Talapus and Olallie Lakes (late May/June to avoid snow but great in the middle of winter if you are looking for snow/frozen lake, also hear it’s a wonderful fall time hike), Pine and Cedar Lakes, Mount Walker, Ranger Hole, and pretty much any Eastern/Central Washington and Columbia Gorge area hikes.

(Update March 5, 2019: Some of the hikes mentioned above I have been on now during this current winter 2018-2019 season as well as fall and will be making a recap post you can check out soon for some more winter hiking inspiration!)

Well that sums up my list for now! Do you have any great suggestions in Washington for these particular seasons? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time,

Kelsie