Snow Shoe Trails in Western Washington

With its diversity of geography and ecosystems, Washington State has much to offer the outdoor enthusiast in wintertime -- from downhill skiing, cross country skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, skating, sledding and snowshoeing. So strap on your snowshoes and hit the trail.

  1. Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

    • Located east of Seattle on the western side of the Cascade Range between Mt. Ranier National Park and the Canadian border, the Forest Service provides guided snowshoe walks in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

      At Snoqualmie Pass, visitors can choose from beginner-, intermediate- and advanced-level tours; in 2011, these tours are scheduled through the end of March. The beginner programs focus on introducing children to winter exploration; the intermediate is a 90-minute, moderately paced interpretive walk and the advanced is a half-day outing.

      At Stevens Pass, the Forest Service provides a two-hour introductory snowshoe program that includes a brief slide show of the area's history and an easy one-mile route for ages 6 and above. Visitors must make reservations at both areas; suggested donations offset program costs.

    Olympic National Park: Hurricane Ridge

    • Less than a two-hour drive west of Seattle and located in the northern half of Olympic National Park, Hurricane Ridge offers many wintertime activities, including snowshoeing.

      Fridays through Sundays (through March 2011), rangers lead short --- less than a mile --- 90-minute snowshoe walks from the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center. Since space is limited, visitors need to register for the walks at the Visitor Center within 30 minutes of the walk; the park also asks for a donation. For those with more snowshoe experience, there are intermediate and advanced trails near the Visitor Center, such as the Waterhole-Obstruction and the Hurricane Hill trails.

    Lake Wenatchee State Park: Sno-Park

    • The non-motorized Sno-Park of Lake Wenatchee State Park --- located a little over two hours east of Seattle in the Leavenworth/Chelan area of the central Cascades --- offers 5 miles of trekking on two relatively easy snowshoe trails, with occasional steep sections. Visitors must purchase a one-day or seasonal permit to park in a non-motorized sno-park.

    Mount Tahoma Trails Association: Mount Rainier

    • Approximately two hours south and east of Seattle, the Mount Tahoma Trails Association in Ashford maintains 50 miles of trails, three huts and a yurt with views of Mount Rainier. In the north district of the area, visitors can snowshoe through the many beginner and expert ridges above the Copper Creek hut. The Overlook trail starts at the upper SnoPark and is groomed for a mile; at the half mile point, trekkers can turn onto a 2- to 3-mile ungroomed trail. Cal's Trail is a 1.4 mile ungroomed loop that goes mostly north from the Copper Creek hut to the Rainier Vista Trail. There is no access fee to use any of the trails, but the Association encourages membership to help defray costs.