Hikes Within 30 Minutes of Seattle
You don't have to scale Mount Si to get your hiking fix. Seattle has some wild refuges right in the city and plenty of nearby trails that can be hiked all year round. Waterfalls, views, old-growth forests thick with ferns — they're all right here.
Try one of our suggestions below or share your local favorite in a trip report.
Is it really a 30-minute drive? Your starting point and traffic may make these 5 minutes or 40 minutes away. And if you're taking a bus, it may take quite a bit longer to reach the trailhead. (Be sure to double check routes and schedules.)
DISCOVERY PARK LOOP TRAIL
Location: Seattle -- Magnolia Neighborhood
Mileage: 2.8 miles, round trip
Elevation Gain: 140 feet
Public Transportation: Yes
Photo by ZiaT.
The Discovery Park Loop Trail offers an enjoyable outing without having to leave the Seattle city limits. While the park contains a trail network of over 11 miles, the 2.8 mile loop hike is a great way to take in a wide range of diverse scenery in a relatively short distance. Roughly following the perimeter of the park, the loop winds through second-growth forest groves, open meadows and sandy bluffs overlooking the Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains. From toddlers to trail runners, this urban hike has something for everyone.
> Plan your trip to Discovery Park using WTA's Hiking Guide
Cedar River Trail
Location: Renton
Mileage: 17.4 miles, one-way
Elevation Gain: 820 feet
Public Transportation: Yes
Bridge over the Cedar River. Photo by Wafflesnfalafel.
You can stroll, hike or run for miles on this tree-lined, bus-accessible trail, which has multiple access points from Lake Washington to Maple Valley. This former railroad is great for a family outing, a long hike to catch up with your best buddies or for a long after-work run to burn off the stress of the week.
> Plan your trip to the Cedar River Trail using WTA's Hiking Guide
Evans Creek Preserve
Location: Sammamish
Mileage: 4.2 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 325 feet
Public Transportation: Not easily
Photo by kokay.
The Evans Creek Preserve is an 179-acre old farmstead off the Redmond-Fall City Road with about two miles of trails creating several loops. These volunteer-built trails run through and skirt a variety of habitats, including wetlands, meadow and forest. The trail is perfect for families or for folks out walking their dogs (on a leash). In the morning, birdwatchers will find plenty of activity and can observe from four viewing platforms. The wetlands flow through the center of the preserve and necessitated fourteen short bridges and one impressive, long boardwalk -- handcrafted by WTA volunteers.
> Plan your trip to Evans Creek Preserve using WTA's Hiking Guide
Soaring Eagle Regional Park
Location: Samammish
Mileage: 12.0 miles of trails
Elevation Gain: varies
Public Transportation: Not easily
Photo by mOuNtAiNeEr51.
With a system of 12 miles of trails running through 600 acres of forest and wetland in this park, every kind of trail user, from families out for a stroll to trail runners in training can create their own perfect loop.
Not sure where to start? The backbone of the trail system is the wide, flat Pipeline Trail. Start there, and head off the beaten track when you feel like exploring. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife, as this park plays host to deer, 40 species of birds and even the occasional black bear.
> Plan your trip to Soaring Eagle Regional Park using WTA's Hiking Guide
Wildside Trail - De Leo Wall
Location: Issaquah Alps -- Cougar Mountain
Mileage: 4.2 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 489 feet
Public Transportation: Yes, with an extra mile road walk
Photo by Daywithdre.
Discover your wild side. History, waterfalls, views of Mount Rainier and many add-on trail options in the extensive trail system on Cougar Mountain make this area a nice new option for your hiking regular list. When it's snowing in the high country, this low elevation hike delivers a fine fern-filled retreat. If wildflowers are your thing, this trail provides a great place to start watching for trillium in early spring.
> Plan your trip to the Wildside Trail using WTA's Hiking Guide
Poo Poo Point
Location: Issaquah Alps -- Tiger Mountain
Mileage: 7.2 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 1748 feet
Public Transportation: Yes, with an extra mile road walk.
Photo by Hikeswith3.
A local favorite, Poo Poo Point on Tiger Mountain offers up stunning views of the area, including Lake Sammamish and Mount Rainier. At 7.4 miles, the climb up to this vista is plenty long enough to give your legs a workout. Return again and again through the seasons to watch the foliage change, to catch paragliders in action or the western sun sinking over the water.
> Plan your trip to Poo Poo Point using WTA's Hiking Guide
Camp Long
Location: Seattle -- West Seattle Neighborhood
Mileage: 1.6 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 240 feet
Public Transportation: Yes
Photo by ejain.
Camp Long is a hidden gem, a 68-acre enclave on the crest of West Seattle featuring old growth forest, wildlife, a variety of hiking trails, ropes courses and even camping. Stroll under a canopy of alder, birch, maple, Douglas fir, sitka spruce, and cedar. Several trails crisscross this forest, including the Animal Tracks Nature Trail (0.34 miles), the Ridge Trail (0.11 miles), the Middle Loop Trail (0.45 miles), and the Lower Loop Trail (0.53 miles).
> Plan your trip to Camp Long using WTA's Hiking Guide
Saint Edward State Park
Location: Between Kirkland and Kenmore
Mileage: 3.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 400 feet
Public Transportation: Yes
Photo by trip reporter NREPP.
Saint Edward State Park is a 316-acre park with 3,000 feet of freshwater shoreline on Lake Washington. Once a Catholic seminary, the park's rich history reflects in its grounds and architecture. Explore the north trail, search for fall and winter fungus or play along the undeveloped lakeshore, habitat to a wide variety of birds and sea life, as well as plenty of native flora. Discover Pass required.
> Plan your trip to Saint Edward State Park using WTA's Hiking Guide