Hello, friends, Kristin here with "Be My Travel Muse" and today we're talking about the very
best hikes or at least six of the very best hikes in Washington State.
There is a lot of variance in terms of difficulty, how long and steep the hikes are, so stick around
for the whole video because you might find a hike in here that you can totally do, or
maybe a big challenge that you want to take on. So without further ado, let's jump in.
Actually, before we do, this is Wanderbabe Clothing, this is my ethical clothing line
so just a really quick little pitch I wanted to put in there shamelessly, and now let's
get to Washington's best hikes.
Number one is the Skyline Trail in Mount Rainier National Park. This is one of the most popular
trails in Mount Rainier National Park. However, it is popular for a reason. You get amazing
views of all of these mountains, truly a 360-degree view as you're hiking. You also get to see
little marmots and billy goats. But for me, the crown jewel was really seeing
the sunset up there as the sunset behind Mount Rainier and I could see Mount Baker and Adams
in the distance and just the way that the light beams went through the mountains, it
was truly a magical hike and one that I highly recommend you check out if you are in Mount
Rainier National Park.
Now, if you're looking for something in the park that is a little less crowded, a little
shorter, but gives you amazing views, I cannot recommend the Pinnacle Peak hike enough. It's
only 1.3 miles until you get to the saddle and you also have amazing views of all of
the mountains there as well. I went for the sunset and it was one of the most spectacular
of my life. The amazing thing about this hike is there was hardly anyone else there. The
hike in was really beautiful, through a forest, and it was just blanketed with all of these
wildflowers which were just so beautiful and impressive, and I just can't recommend going
up there enough for sunset. We got particularly lucky with some gorgeous colors and I just
could not have asked for a better way to close my time at Mount Rainier National Park.
Going from Mount Rainier to Olympic National Park, this hike is a little bit different.
This is actually a beach hike and for the most part, normally, it would just be a walk
on the sand, but it changes. Everything changes if the tide happens to be in, then it turns
into a hike where you are climbing and jungle gyming all over these fallen trees that are
on the beach and I for one loved it. Think it's like an adult jungle gym. Depending on
the tides, you might actually be able to walk between the rocks and walk through the hole
in the wall for sunset. That wasn't in the cards for us because it happened to be high
tide, but it was still an absolutely gorgeous sunset and I would highly recommend going
out there. You see wildlife, you see seals, you see birds and of course, a potential for
an amazing sunset on this west-facing beach in Washington.
The number four hike on my top six hikes in Washington is to Sunrise Ridge in Olympic
National Park. You take Hurricane Drive all the way up to the top parking lot and then
it's really only a 20 maximum minute hike up to the sunrise viewpoint. And on a clear
day, you can see all the way to the bay and the islands and the mountains in between and
it is truly a spectacular spot to watch the sunrise over the mountains and the bay. Be
careful as you're driving because there are plenty of deer on the road, but those can
be really fun to see as well.
The number five most amazing hike in Washington is the Maple Pass in North Cascades National
Park. This particular hike is about eight miles long and it gives you incredible views
of the mountains and Lake Anne. My personal favorite spot was at the actual Maple Pass
because the views were just incredible. I was there for the sunset, again, and also
for the sunrise. And just seeing the way that the light lit up the lake and all of the mountains
and the valley was just a really magical moment so I cannot recommend this hike enough. This
one is also quite popular. So I do recommend getting there either very early or later on
in the day is usually my favorite to catch those beautiful sunset colors.
Then my final number six best hike in Washington State is Lake Ingalls. This one is almost
a 3000 foot gain over the course of 4 miles in and then 4 miles back out. But don't worry
because it actually does feel pretty gradual overall, especially if you've done all the
previous hikes on this list, you will be plenty conditioned for this particular hike. It gives
you absolutely beautiful views as you hike up and the crown jewel is, of course, the
Lake Ingalls. You can bring a tent up there and you can camp not on the lake, but just
the area right before. And my personal favorite part of that was the most esteemed breakfast
guests that we had in the morning there when the billy goats came to say hi.
Goodbye, Washington. This is the end of the trip. Let me know what your favorite was in
the comments. I hope you liked this video. Give it a thumbs up if you made it to the
end and let me know also in the comments what you want to see next. See you next week, bye.