Shady Hikes for Hot Summer Days
Nothing beats a shady trail meandering alongside a babbling brook, splashing stream or rushing river — especially in the heat of a Pacific Northwest summer afternoon. This summer, take to the trees to enjoy some respite from the sun, and while away the hours basking in the simple sounds and delights that can only be found outside. Here are 16 shade-loving hikes to try across the state.
TIPS FOR HIKING IN SUMMER HEAT
- Check the weather.
- Brush up on basics. Be prepared and carry the Ten Essentials with you on every hike. Remember to carry extra water during the hot summer months!
- Pack it in, pack it out. On every hike, practice Leave No Trace ethics.
- Stay cool, stay hydrated. Learn some valuable tips and tricks to stay cool on trail during a hot day.
Mount Rainier Area
Stevens Canyon Waterfalls
Location: Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
Length: 8.0 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 1,675 feet
One of four waterfalls viewable along the Stevens Canyon Waterfalls trail. Photo by BPW.
Many Rainier visitors tend to flock to either Paradise or Sunrise for in-your-face views of the mountain, but this relatively quiet hike in the southeast corner of the park offers a very different perspective on the geology and flora of the area. Instead of mountain peaks, you’ll find old-growth forest and cascading waterfalls — no fewer than four!
> Plan your visit to Stevens Canyon using WTA's Hiking Guide
Paul Peak
Location: Carbon River/Mowich
Length: 6.2 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 900 feet
A glimpse of Mount Rainier is just one of the rewards along the Paul Peak trail. Photo by tookthescenicroute.
Offering a unique view of the northwest flanks of Rainier, the Paul Peak trail also begins in an unexpected way — downhill. Of course, this means an uphill return, but as you’ll be traveling on a gentle grade in shady old-growth forest after having rested alongside the Mowich River on a soft, sandy bank (perfect for napping), there’s little chance you’ll mind.
> Plan your hike at Paul Peak using WTA's Hiking Guide
Twin Firs Loop
Location: Longmire/Paradise
Length: 0.5 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 50 feet
Dappled sunshine along the Twin Firs Loop. Photo by trip reporter Karen.
This short, family-friendly trail is a great spot for viewing impressive old growth and finding a reprieve from the strong summer sunshine.
> Plan your hike on the Twin Falls Loop using WTA's Hiking Guide
Southwest Washington
Gillette Lake and Greenleaf Overlook
Location: Columbia River Gorge
Length: 8.6 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 650 feet
A perfect place to rest and lunch in the shade. Photo by Anna Roth.
Travel along the “Green Tunnel” — an iconic portion of the Pacific Crest Trail comprised of dense tree canopies and foliage arching overhead. This is a working forest with an active logging road, and while signs of civilization (in the form of power lines) persist here, so too do the impressive natural landscapes.
> Plan your hike to Gillette Lake and beyond using WTA's Hiking Guide
Cedar Flats River Trail
Location: Lewis River Region
Length: 1.1 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 67 feet
A shaded bridge along the trail. Photo by trip reporter thatchio.
Located in a 112-acre old-growth forest, this short, peaceful stroll through a deep, quiet forest is perfect for children and grown-ups alike. The old growth grove begins immediately upon entering the forest from the road with a tall canopy and fern-dominated understory.
> Plan your walk along the Cedar River Trail using WTA's Hiking Guide
PAnther Creek Experimental Forest
Location: Columbia River Gorge - WA
Length: 7.2 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 1,200 feet
Peek-a-boo view of Mount Hood from the trail. Photo by trip reporter VeganHiker.
Hike a short section of the Pacific Crest Trail through an experimental forest up to a high point at Big Huckleberry Mountain (though the views aren't much from the top, you'll enjoy some peek-a-boos from the forest on the way up).
> Plan your visit to Panther Creek Experimental Forest using WTA's Hiking Guide
South Cascades
Dry Creek
Location: Mount Adams Area
Length: 8.4 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 350 feet
A soothing stretch of green along the Dry Creek trail. Photo by justpeachy.
With only 350 feet of total elevation gain, this trail is hikeable by almost all. It also hosts an impressive old-growth forest, complete with Douglas firs, bigleaf maples and hemlocks. At about 4 miles in, you’ll get a chance to cool your feet in Bourbon Creek.
> Plan your trip to Dry Creek using WTA's Hiking Guide
BLUFF LAKE
Location: Goat Rocks Wilderness
Length: 3 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 1,000 feet
Inviting Bluff Lake. Photo by SlowBoarder.
This lesser-known trail takes you through the dense, beautiful Goat Rocks Wilderness Area, providing ample amount of shade to escape the summer heat. In the summer months be on the lookout for red huckleberry bushes that line the first half mile of the trail. A perfect hike for those interested in escaping the heat and summer crowds.
> Plan your visit to Bluff Lake using WTA's Hiking Guide
Central Cascades
Kelley Creek via Martin Creek Trailhead
Location: Stevens Pass
Length: 5.8 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 1,100 feet
Creeks, waterfalls, new trail connections and shady canopies galore on the Kelley Creek trail. Photo by Norm
Traverse underneath old bridges and the concrete remains of trestle supports. Be sure to take time to pause and read the interpretive signs sprinkled along the beginning portions of this shade-filled hike to learn a little of the history of this area. Bonus: WTA worked here to connect the old Kelley Creek trail, allowing greater accessibility to the Iron Goat trail.
> Plan your hike on the Kelly Creek trail using WTA's Hiking Guide
Quartz Creek
Location: Stevens Pass - West
Length: 8.4 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 1,500 feet
The thick overstory along Quartz Creek is perfect for shielding hikers from the hot sun or the classic PNW drizzle. Photo by trip reports Bob and Barb.
Hike through shady forest, accompanied by the sound of Quartz Creek, little waterfalls, wildflowers and interesting things to see on this trail. Go for as little or as long as you like — there are plenty of options to lengthen your hike, and you can take a side trip to Curry Cap or Bald Eagle Mountain.
> Plan your visit to Quartz Creek using WTA's Hiking Guide
Swauk Forest Discovery Trail
Location: Blewett Pass
Length: 2.45 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 660 feet
Early fall colors popping out along the trail. Photo by trip reporter rupas.
This tree-lined trail is a wonderful place to learn about woodland ecosystems with 25 different interpretive stops and five log benches throughout that provide fascinating views. It also gives insight into an area recovering after a burn towards the end of the trail.
> Plan your visit to the Swauk Forest Discovery Trail using WTA's Hiking Guide
Snoqualmie Region
CCC ROAD: UPPER TRAILHEAD
Location: North Bend Area
Length: 6.8 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 400 feet
A quiet trail through the trees in the busy Snoqualmie area? Absolutely. Photo by austineats.
Looking for a shady, less-traveled hike along the I-90 corridor this summer? Try hiking the CCC Road: Upper Trailhead. Enjoy small stream crossings, peek-a-boo views and verdant forest as you meander along this 1930s-era Civilian Conservation Corps-built road.
> Plan your hike on the CCC Road using WTA's Hiking Guide
Preston-Snoqualmie Trail
Location: North Bend Area
Length: 6.5 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 500 feet
Although well-shaded in the summer, this trail also provides some lovely valley views in the winter months. Photo by trip reporter Ups and Downs.
Open to hikers, bikers and equestrians, this trail meanders through a densely wooded path, and intermittently offers unique perspectives of the Snoqualmie River Valley. Ultimately, it leads to a quiet, zoomed-out viewpoint of Snoqualmie Falls against the backdrop of Mount Si.
> Plan your outing on the Preston-Snoqualmie Trail using WTA's Hiking Guide
Asahel Curtis Nature trail
Location: North Bend Area
Length: 0.5 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 180 feet
The Asahel Curtis Nature Trail, named after a prominent Seattle photographer, is a super short loop just off of Interstate 90. With plenty to keep little ones occupied, and just enough length to give your legs a little workout, this is a delightful detour for anyone venturing west or east over Snoqualmie Pass.
2022 Note: This trail shares a parking lot with Annette Lake, which is closed this summer for construction.
> Plan your visit to Asahel Curtis Nature Trail using WTA's Hiking Guide
North Cascades
Peek-a-Boo Lake
Location: North Cascades/Mountain Loop Highway
Length: 5 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 1,500 feet
Cast away your cares and cool off with a dip in lovely little Peek-A-Boo Lake. Photo by alesha13.
Start in second-growth forest that quickly gives way to old-growth. Lovely Peek-a-Boo lake gets little traffic and even less in the way of regular trail maintenance, but what you’ll find here instead is solitude and a great place for a summer swim.
> Plan your hike to Peek-a-Boo Lake using WTA's Hiking Guide
Swift Creek
Location: North Cascades/Mount Baker Area
Length: 16 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 1,400 feet
Lots of shade and streams, but little traffic on the Swift Creek Trail. Photo by rolando.
There are no bridges built to ford either Swift Creek or Rainbow Creek, so late summer is a perfect time to hike this relatively seldom-visited portion of the Pacific Northwest Trail, as water levels tend to be lower. Route-finding may be necessary on this shade-and-stream-filled hike.
> Plan your visit to Swift Creek using WTA's Hiking Guide
STETATTLE CREEK
Location: North Cascades
Length: 6 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 1,100 feet
Stetattle creek winds through mossy rocks. Photo by thowe.
This trail leads hikers deep into the heart of the North Cascades. Walk along the narrow, mossy trail that eventually levels out and traverses the slope of Sourdough Mountain in the dry forest. Keep an eye out for the glimpses of huge snowy peaks looming above.
>Plan your hike on Stetattle Creek using WTA's Hiking Guide
Eastern & Central Washington
Tucannon River Canyon
Location: Eastern Washington/Palouse and Blue Mountains
Length: 8 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 500 feet
Even in the heat of summer, cool shade can be found along the Tucannon River Canyon trail. Photo by thetravelingschoonies.
When the temperature spikes on the east side of the Cascades, head to this cool and shady trail offering lush forest, an easy grade and inviting campsites. You’ll pass briefly through the Wehaha-Tucannon Wilderness, which was created in 1978 to offer protection to one of the largest herds of Rocky Mountain elk.
> Plan your hike on the Tucannon River Trail using WTA's Hiking Guide
Umtanum Creek falls
Location: Central Washington/Yakima
Length: 3.0 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 700 feet
Find shade and relative solitude at Umtanum Creek Falls. Photo by Teriyaki.Handsome.
An easy ramble underneath Douglas fir and Ponderosa pines, culminating at a sweet, 40-foot waterfall that sometimes cascades and sometimes trickles into the clearly defined bowl beneath. Enjoy the views from the top, or scramble below to feel the cooling mists.
> Plan your visit to Umtanum Creek Falls using WTA's Hiking Guide
Olympic Peninsula
Duckabush River
Location: Olympic Peninsula/Hood Canal
Length: 10.6 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 2,300 feet
A perfect place to cool off in the heat of a summer afternoon. Photo by ThePachynerd.
A delight for those who love wandering in the woods, Duckabush offers moss, ferns, old-growth tree canopies and a gorgeous blue-green river rushing nearby. This is an old burn area, and WTA volunteers and staff are often on trail to clear fallen trees and make repairs.
> Plan your hike on the Duckabush River using WTA's Hiking Guide
TUNNEL CREEK
Location: Olympic Peninsula/Hood Canal
Length: 9.4 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 2,450 feet
Harrison Lake along the Tunnel Creek trail. Photo by Muledeer.
Although no actual tunnel exists on the Tunnel Creek trail, you will find two charming lakes, stands of old-growth Douglas fir and hemlocks and shade aplenty.
> Plan your visit to Tunnel Creek using WTA's Hiking Guide
Puget Sound and Islands
Stimpson Nature Preserve
Location: Bellingham area
Length: 4.9 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 300 feet
Get away from it all without leaving the city. Photo by twokidsbadknees.
This 350-acre preserve of undisturbed old-growth forest is accessible by public transportation — a bus stop is located directly across from the parking lot — making this urban retreat even easier to enjoy on a hot summer day.
> Plan your visit to Stimpson Nature Preserve using WTA's Hiking Guide
black diamond open space
Location: Seattle-Tacoma area
Length:17.0 miles of trails
Elevation Gain: 700 feet
Explore 17 miles of non-motorized trails at Black Diamond Open Space. Photo by Bob Zimmerman.
Two miles north of Black Diamond (and less than an hour from Seattle) lies this 1,240-acre swath of forest, wetlands, peat bogs and streams. Bonus for birders: The area is one portion of the Wildlife Habitat Network, offering a protected migratory corridor for wildlife. Double bonus: Public transportation options exist for trailhead access.
> Plan your visit to the Black Diamond Open Space using WTA's Hiking Guide
Washington Park
Location: Anacortes Area
Length: 2.2 miles of trails
Elevation Gain: 280 feet
The contrast of colors at Washington Park makes for spectacular scenery. Photo by Mike.
Washington Park offers a multitude of trails that go between shady forest and the sunny bluffs overlooking the water. Do the loop to take in all the scenery, then end at the beach and boat dock for a swim.
> Plan your visit to Washington Park using WTA's Hiking Guide