16 Hikes For Close-to-Town Vistas
Hiking is often associated with vistas of distant mountain ranges or river valleys in natural settings, but getting a bird's-eye view of your town or city can be just as interesting. You don't have to hike your nearest rugged peak to enjoy nature and the beautiful landscapes that trails allow us to explore. Many local parks offer impressive vistas to enjoy while letting you stay close to home. These are great trails for when you're short on time or don't want to travel far to enjoy an incredible view.
The following hikes sit high above cityscapes and allow visitors to take in their town in a new way. And when the 4th of July comes around, these places also make great spots to view a municipal fireworks show. Remember, we're suggesting these locations for views of fireworks shows, not as somewhere to set fireworks off. Fireworks are illegal on public land because they pose a real threat of starting wildfires, and they disturb wildlife.
Finally, many city parks close after dusk, and some locations are longer hikes, so be sure to plan for getting back to your car before the park closes.
Find even more hikes with our Urban Cure series of hikes 30 minutes from Washington's biggest cities.
Central Washington
Badger Mountain - Sagebrush Trail
Location: Tri-Cities
Length: 1.8 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 500 feet
Badger Trail along dry grassy hills with a view to a distant town in the valley. Photo by Luffles.
The Badger Mountain – Sagebrush Trail offers expansive views of the Tri-Cities and the area around it. You can visit at any hour, and see the city change throughout the day, with the streetlights punctuating the darkness at night.
> Plan your trip to Badger Mountain - Sagebrush Trail using WTA's Hiking Guide
Candy Point Trail
Location: Grand Coulee
Length: 1.5 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 700 feet
View of Grand Coulee Dam from the Candy Point Trail. Photo by trip reporter Geoff Winslow.
This hike leads not to a view of a town, but rather an engineering marvel. The Candy Point Trail is short and steep, wasting no time getting to a high viewpoint that overlooks the dam and small town that spreads out from its base. This trail gives a unique perspective on this monolith, and it's not a bad place to watch the annual fireworks show at the dam.
> Plan your trip to Candy Point Trail using WTA's Hiking Guide
Olympic Peninsula
Squaxin Park
Location: Olympia
Length: 5 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 150 feet
View of the Puget Sounds through a patch of madronas. Photo by trip reporters Bob and Barb.
This park sits on the shores of Puget Sound, just north of downtown Olympia. Trails lead through the forested sections of the park and end at the beach where you can enjoy views of downtown Olympia as well as the Olympic Mountains.
> Plan your trip to Squaxin Park using WTA's Hiking Guide
Fort Worden State Park - Point Wilson
Location: Hood Canal
Length: 2.5 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: minimal
The historic lighthouse and surrounding buildings at Point Wilson. Photo by trip reporter.
The views from Point Wilson at Fort Worden State Park are spectacular. Mount Baker, Vancouver and the San Juan Islands, as well as the Cascades can be spotted from the sandy beaches of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Check out the campsites if you want to stay the night.
> Plan your trip to Fort Worden State Park - Point Wilson using WTA's Hiking Guide
OLYMPIC DISCOVERY TRAIL
Location: Northern Coast
Length: 126.6 miles (complete mileage; though there are multiple access points and options)
Elevation Gain: minimal
A stretch of the Olympic Discovery Trail runs right along the water. Photo by trip reporter SeaAnita.
The Olympic Discovery Trail spans much of the northern Peninsula, so there is access all along Highway 101. But one good spot to see the town of Port Angeles is from Angeles Harbor, which has interpretive signs and is wheelchair accessible. Enjoy some natural beauty further out on the trail and then return to this more urban setting.
> Plan your trip to Olympic Discovery Trail using WTA's Hiking Guide
Puget Sound and Islands
Magnuson Park
Location: Seattle-Tacoma Area
Length: 3 miles of trails
Elevation Gain: minimal
Fall colors at Magnuson Park. Photo by jeo2hiker.
See part of a wetland reconstruction project from the trails at Magnuson Park. This popular park also includes an art installation made of old submarine fins and a Sound Garden that uses the wind and twelve steel towers to create different sounds. As it gets dark, settle in by the water to see the lights of Kirkland shimmer over Lake Washington.
> Plan your trip to Magnuson Park using WTA's Hiking Guide
Mill Town Trail
Location: Seattle-Tacoma Area
Length: 6.8 miles, one-way
Elevation Gain: 85 feet
Take the Mill Town Trail for an urban adventure before the fireworks show. Photo by trip reporter musthikemusteat.
Starting at Port Everett, this urban loop will lead you along the water, through city streets and around the historically significant Mill Town, for which the trail is named. Stop by one of the two viewing areas of Port Gardner Bay for the best scenery.
> Plan your trip to Mill Town Trail using WTA's Hiking Guide
SOUTH BAY TRAIL
Location: Bellingham Area
Length: 4.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 20 feet
Pier stretching into Bellingham Bay at sunset along the South Bay Trail. Photo by brittanywanderlust.
Take a walk along the shore of Bellingham Bay on the South Bay Trail. This gentle trail, built up over the abandoned Bellingham & Skagit Interurban Railway grade offers broad views of the water and islands.
> Plan your trip to South Bay Trail using WTA's Hiking Guide
Semiahmoo Spit
Location: Bellingham Area
Length: 1.6 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: minimal
Take a walk on the Semiahmoo Spit trail then find a spot on the beach to watch the fireworks over the Semiahmoo Bay. Photo by trip reporter raring2hike.
The short and sweet Semiahmoo Spit trail is a delight for animal lovers. See shorebirds and marine life as you walk along the harbor and beach. Though Semiahmoo Park and its amenities close at sundown, the beach stays open after dark.
> Plan your trip to Semiahmoo Spit using WTA's Hiking Guide
Chybinski Loop
Location: Issaquah Alps — Cougar/Squak
Length: 7.7 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 2100 feet
A hike on the Chybinski Loop is not complete without a trip to Debbie's View. Photo by Bob Zimmerman.
Even though this loop hike is close to the metropolitan core of Seattle and Bellevue, you can get some big miles here. Explore this trail network on the Cougar/Squak corridor and enjoy lush ravines and forested mountaintops. Be sure to take the side trip to Debbie's View to enjoy a refurbished trail courtesy of WTA volunteers.
> Plan your trip to Chybinski Loop using WTA's Hiking Guide
Eastern Washington
Dishman Hills Conservation Area - Glenrose
Location: Spokane Area/Coeur d'Alene
Length: 5.48 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 1,575 feet
Take in the Spokane fireworks from above at the Dishman Hills Conservation Area – Glenrose. Photo by TrailKat.
Get a dose of nature without wandering too far from the city at the Dishman Hills Conservation Area – Glenrose. The trail leads you to grand views over the city. As it gets dark, watch the glimmering city lights while surrounded by natural splendor.
> Plan your trip to Dishman Hills using WTA's Hiking Guide
Antoine Peak Conservation Area
Location: Spokane Area/Coeur d'Alene
Length: 9.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 732 feet
The Antoine Peak Conservation Area will give you glowing views of the city lights in the Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake as well as sparks of colorful fireworks from afar. Photo by Daniel Y.
Look for wildlife and lingering spring wildflowers as you make your way to the top of Antoine Peak. From the summit, you can see the city lights and surrounding mountains.
> Plan your trip to Antoine Peak Conservation Area using WTA's Hiking Guide
Central Cascades
Lake Chelan State Park - Little Bear Trail
Location: Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan
Length: 2.3 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 250 feet
Views across Lake Chelan from the Little Bear Trail. Photo by trip reporter wagnerdusty76.
Read interpretive signs and breathe in the scent of ponderosa pines on the Little Bear Trail at Lake Chelan State Park. From the trail get expansive views of the lake and the town that populates its distant shore. Lake Chelan State Park has over 100 campsites if you would like to stay even longer.
> Plan your trip to Lake Chelan - Little Bear Trail using WTA's Hiking Guide
Icicle Ridge Lookout
Location: Leavenworth Area
Length: 11.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 4,700 feet
Views of Leavenworth in the valley from the climb to Icicle Ridge. Photo by trip reporter Taisa.
Summer is a great time to hike up to the Icicle Ridge Lookout. See sweeping views of Leavenworth and the mountains behind. Keep a lookout for any lingering spring wildflowers as well.
> Plan your trip to Icicle Ridge Lookout using WTA's Hiking Guide
South Cascades
Kelly Butte
Location: Mount Rainier Area — Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
Length: 3.4 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 1,100 feet
Kelly Butte offers breathtaking views of both the fireworks and the surrounding natural area. Photo by zms7..
Those who take the steep climb up to Kelly Butte are rewarded with magnificent views of the surrounding mountains, forests and even Mount Rainier on a clear day. The lookout is used as a fire lookout, so please be respectful of staff staying there.
> Plan your trip to Kelly Butte using WTA's Hiking Guide
Silver Star Mountain
Location: Lewis River Region
Length: 4.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 1,000 feet
A view of distant peaks at dusk from Silver Star Mountain. Photo by Solohiker35.
This mountain is one of the best viewpoints in southwest Washington and the views start right off the bat. It is a challenging route, including the drive to the trailhead on a very rough road, but you'll get a great workout and enjoy the vistas even more because of it.
> Plan your trip to Silver Star Mountain using WTA's Hiking Guide