Day Hiking Trails: 7 Great Day Hikes in Washington State

Monday, August 14, 2017

7 Great Day Hikes in Washington State

Mount Rainier

Baker Lake Trail
North Cascades National Park
Day hikers can enjoy for themselves one of the most oft photographed mountain-lake scenes via the Baker Lake Trail at North Cascades National Park in Washington state. Hike a segment of the 14-mile long Baker Lake Trail is necessary to see the impressive sights of Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan towering over an alpine lake.

Best trails to see Mount Rainier’s wonders
Among the best ways to see Mount Rainier National Park’s best sights is via a day hike. Just three short trails will allow you to enjoy each of the park’s highlights – glaciers, summer wildflowers, and signs of past volcanic activity.

Best trails for seeing Olympic NP’s wonders
Among the best ways to see Olympic National Park’s best sights is via a day hike. Just three short trails will allow you to enjoy each of the park’s highlights – a temperate rainforest, mountain glaciers, and the Pacific coastline.

Learn more about national park day hiking trails in my Best Sights to See at America’s National Parks series.

Meet the Author

My name is Rob Bignell. I'm a long-time hiker, journalist and editor. My son Kieran and I have been hiking together for the past decade. Before Kieran, I taught middle school students in New Mexico and Wisconsin, served as an infantryman in the Army National Guard, and worked in newspapers. I've won several journalism awards, from editorial writing to sports reporting. In 2001, The Prescott Journal, which I served as managing editor of, was named Wisconsin’s Weekly Newspaper of the Year. Currently I own and operate an online editing business, Inventing Reality Editing Service. After spending several years in Southern California, my son and I now live in Wisconsin on the scenic Red Cedar River.