The 8 Best Snowshoeing Trails You Need To Experience In Washington

During the middle of winter there isn’t a better way to see the frosty scenery outside than by strapping on snowshoes and hitting the trails. Sure it’s approaching 30 degrees, but have you seen the enchanting landscapes this time of year? Washington especially has some dreamy scenery this season, with both mountains and Evergreen forest covered in layers of snow and ice. Of course you can never go wrong with skiing or snowboarding, but try changing things up this season and take one of these premiere snowshoeing trails.

Hurricane Hill

Photo via Flickr/brewbooks

Hurricane Hill offers some legendary views of the Olympic Mountains. The trail remains open to visitors all winter as long as Hurricane Ridge Road is open (which is Friday-Sunday and weather-permitting through the end of March). It’s a relatively easy six-mile trip to the top, leading through alpine meadows and dense forest with over a thousand feet in elevation gain and sweeping vistas of the snowy peaks the whole way up.

Artist Point

Photo via Flickr/jyl4032

Appropriately named, Artist Point is nothing short of a masterpiece. In the winter it’s an easy 4-mile snowshoe RT with about 1000-feet of elevation gain to get larger-than-life views of Mount Shuksan and Mount Baker. You can also see many other Cascade peaks from here and the valley surrounding Baker Lake. Luckily it’s also a very popular route, so you’re pretty much guaranteed to find a visible track to follow.

Kendall Peak Lakes

Photo via Flickr/Jonathan Collman

Kendall Peak Lakes is another of Washington’s most popular destinations for snowshoeing thanks to its gentle grade, matchless views and close proximity to Seattle.  It leads out to three beautiful alpine lakes, surrounded by lush forest and mountain ridges, with breathtaking views along the way as you follow an old forest road. On a clear day you’ll get vistas of Rampart Ridge, Kendall Peak, Granite Mountain, Silver Peak and Mount Rainier in the horizon as you’re making your way down the trail.

Surprise Lake

Photo via Eugene Kogan/Flickr

Cutting through Washington back country, snowshoeing to Surprise Lake spans for a little more than four miles (or 8 round-trip). It doesn’t follow any specific road or trail, rather just winds up the steep Skykomish River Valley.  You’ll get pretty views along the way but some of the best photo ops can be found once you make it up to the lake.

Mazama Ridge

Photo via hikingqueen/Flickr

A route that’s not too long or too short, Mazama Ridge offers wide open views near Mount Rainier’s Paradise Area. In the winter it spans for a decent six miles through beautiful alpine meadows blanketed in snow with an amazing perspective of Rainier and the Tatoosh Range.

Gold Creek

Photo via Dan Nevill/Flickr

Gold Creek is a mostly flat trek, which may not seem appealing to experienced snowshoers, but it’s perfect if you’re bringing kids or beginners. Set in a valley east of Snoqualmie Pass, the four-mile trail is like walking through a winter wonderland with views of Kendall Peak and Mardee Lake. Cross-country skiing is popular around here too, as well as viewing winter wildlife.

Snow Lake

Photo via We Found Adventure

With a name like Snow Lake you can probably already tell this alpine beauty offers a world-class destination for snowshoeing. It’s set within the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest near Snoqualmie Pass and can be reached by about a 10-mile out-and-back trip.

June Lake

Photo via FatGirlDoesTheWorld.com

June Lake lies near the base of Mount St. Helens, within Marble Mountain Sno-Park. The path to the lake is easy and gentle, following a creek for less than 5 miles RT with very minimal elevation gain.