January 24, 2024

Stunning Winter Hikes in Washington | All Dog-Friendly Hikes

Winter hiking can be a bit more prep work beforehand, however, it can still be just as fun! Utilizing the Washington Trails Association (“WTA”) and AllTrails are two great ways to check what the trail statuses are for each hike. A pro tip for AllTrails: Download the map while you still have service/wifi before stepping off. This way if you don’t carry a hard copy of a map, you have a downloaded one on your phone. Keep scrolling for some beautiful hikes!

Stunning Winter Hikes in Washington

1. Gold Creek Pond
– Distance: 1.2 miles
– Difficulty: Easy (recommend microspikes or snowshoes)
– Dog-friendly: Yes
– Pass Required: No

2. Mt. Si
– Distance: 7.9 miles
– Difficulty: Moderate (recommend microspikes)
– Dog-friendly: Yes
– Pass Required: Discover Pass

3. Rattlesnake Ledge
– Distance: 5.3 miles
– Difficulty: Moderate (recommend microspikes later in the season)
– Dog-friendly: Yes
– Pass Required: No

4. Oyster Dome
– Distance: 4.7 miles
– Difficulty: Moderate/Hard (microspikes recommended later in the season)
– Dog-friendly: Yes
– Pass Required: No

5. Artist Point
– Distance: 3.9 miles
– Difficulty: Moderate (snowshoes recommended)
– Dog-friendly: Yes
– Pass Required: No

6. Heybrook Lookout
– Distance: 1.9 miles
– Difficulty: Easy
– Dog-friendly: Yes
– Pass Required: No

7. Snow Lake
– Distance: 6.7 miles
– Difficulty: Hard (microspikes or snowshoes recommended)
– Dog-friendly: Yes
– Pass Required: No

8. Lake 22
– Distance: 5.9 miles
– Difficulty: Moderate
– Dog-friendly: Yes
– Pass Required: No

9. Wallace Falls
– Distance: 4.9 miles
– Difficulty: Easy
– Dog-friendly: Yes
– Pass Required: Discover Pass

10. Poo Poo Point
– Distance: 6.6 miles
– Difficulty: Moderate (microspikes recommended late in the season)
– Dog-friendly: Yes
– Pass Required: No

11. Little Si
– Distance: 3.6 miles
– Difficulty: Moderate (recommend microspikes late in the season)
– Dog-friendly: Yes
– Pass Required: Discover Pass

12. Lime Kiln Point State Park
– Distance: 4.7 miles
– Difficulty: Easy
– Dog-friendly: Yes
– Pass Required: Discover Pass

13. Washington Park Loop
– Distance: 2.3 miles
– Difficulty: Easy
– Dog-friendly: Yes
– Pass Required: No

14. Boulder River
– Distance: 8.1 miles
– Difficulty: Easy
– Dog-friendly: Yes
– Pass Required: No

15. Winchester Mountain Trail
– Distance: 3.5 miles
– Difficulty: Hard
– Dog-friendly: Yes
– Pass Required: No

16. Anette Lake Trail
– Distance: 7.0 miles
– Difficulty: Moderate (microspikes recommended)
– Dog-friendly: Yes
– Pass Required: No

17. Heather Lake Trail
– Distance: 5.4 miles
– Difficulty: Moderate (recommend microspikes)
– Dog-friendly: Yes
– Pass Required: Northwest Forest Pass

18. Three Summits Loop
– Distance: 8.6 miles
– Difficulty: Hard (recommend microspikes)
– Dog-friendly: Yes
– Pass Required: No

19. High Hut Snowshoe Trail
– Distance: 7.9 miles
– Difficulty: Moderate (recommend microspikes or snowshoes)
– Dog-friendly: Yes – NOT allowed in buildings though
– Pass Required: No

20. Sugarloaf Mountain
– Distance: 4.7 miles
– Difficulty: Easy
– Dog-friendly: Yes
– Pass Required: No

I Chose my Hike…Now What?

Once you have decided where to hike in the winter in Washington. The next steps will be prepping what to wear, what to pack, and if you’re bringing a pup…making sure that they are set too!

What to Wear:

Layering will be your best friend while exploring Washington in the winter. It can get a bit wet, so I always recommend having layers that are waterproof, warm, and easy to take off or add.

Some of my personal favorites are:
❄️ Rain Jacket: Coalatree Barrage Rain Jacket
Why I love it: More affordable, fun colors, breathable, lightweight

❄️ Pants: Trailhead Pants – Coalatree
Why I love it: Wind, water, and snow resistant. I wore these pants for 10 days in Iceland and they were perfect. (Finding pants that fit larger legs and a smaller waist has always been a hardship for me, these pants are rad and have the perfect fit!)

How to Stay Safe

Winter hiking in Washington is beautiful and an overall amazing time. BUT – it does require a bit more research than other times of the year. It is critical to understand the weather, snow conditions, roads, and trails prior to stepping off.

The Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC) will list mountain forecasts, avalanches, and other observations. Not only can you check the weather on this site, but there are also resources for learning virtually and in person how to navigate avalanches.

Vehicle Type to Access Trailhead

For the majority of trailheads in the winter, I would recommend an AWD or 4WD vehicle. If you need to drive over one of the passes in Washington, you will need chains as well depending on the vehicle. I wouldn’t recommend testing the limits of your vehicle on some of these trails, and many do not have service.

Happy Trails,
Mindful PNW Travels