This is the lowest and most remote volcano in Washington. I've been up this mountain three times…read moreand love it so I'm reviewing, even though the last time up was 2020. This hike is beautiful, and I suggest taking your time, and staying two nights on the way in, and one night on the way out simply to enjoy the surroundings. Plus, it's nearly a 33 mile round trip. Take the North Fork Sauk Trail to the PCT. First 5 miles are nice and easy, then a couple of miles of seemingly endless switch backs. A short bit on the PCT and a nice camping spot to the right. Second Day is a very nice hike into the mountain and to the high camp. Third morning is the summit approach. The trail is obvious. Depending on the time of the year, you may need to rope up as it can be quite crevassed in the later summer. Definitely recommend ice axe and crampons. We walked out and peered into some deep wide crevasses, anchoring our selves with rope. This is one of my favorite climbs because it's really not hard, just long on the way in. Very beautiful but weather can change very fast and on one summit it turned to a thunder storm. Still, if you like to hike and climb, this one is a must. Bear canisters recommended, though I've never seen a bear here. No permit required, just Northwest Forest Pass for parking. Go do it!

Glacier Peak is notorious mainly for how remote it is. Many people in Seattle have probably seen…read moreit on a clear day, and either not known it's name or mislabeled it something else. It has one of the longest approaches of any major peak in the NW (along with Mt Olympus). But, man, it's a gorgeous hike in! Terrain is continually changing. In the forest, in alpine meadows, over rock, on glaciers, at the summit! Lots of gorgeous places to put a tent on the way in, I'd be worth going to even if you're not going to summit.

BOULDER RIVER TRAIL (#734) LOCATION: North Cascades Mountain…read moreLoop Highway DAY HIKE: 8.6 miles (roundtrip) ELEVATION GAIN: 700 feet HIGHEST POINT: 1,550 feet A little effort to locate is an understatement but once you arrive it is breathtaking. I enjoyed the well maintained trail and the tiny sightings of wild life (bird, squirrels, chipmunks and rabbits lots of little rabbits) a peaceful adventure. This is a great trail alone or with a partner but definitely a trail that should be on your bucket list.

Hiked this trail 7-26-2014 with a group of friends. We started out at 9:00am and came across very…read morefew people on our way up. On our way down we encountered families with small children and their dogs and a couple elderly groups. Love that. Data per our Fit Bit: 9+ miles, 23K+ steps and 2400+ calories burned. Every terrain was encountered on this hike: dry wide/narrow paths, mud, river rock, and bridges. Giant moss-covered trees make great shade from the sun or rains. Twin waterfalls near the beginning of the hike will impress you. The gurgling river sounds will keep you company while pressing on. Trailhead: From I-5take exit 208/Silvana/Arlington and drive east on Hwy 530 for about 19.5 miles. Turn right on French Creek Road (FS 2010) ***gravel road that can easily be missed*** Drive 3.8 miles to the end of the road and the trailhead parking lot. Lot is small and was packed when we were leaving. No passes were required at this time but be sure to do your due diligence and check before hiking to avoid any tickets.

Very clean and nice campground. They have bathrooms with showers. Volunteer hosts. Covered area…read morewith picnic tables and a fireplace. They also have stalls for horses. I recommend and will be back.

We recently had a 1-night stay at this newly-reopened campground and we'll definitely be back in…read morethe future to stay longer! First, the setting is gorgeous. Basically the campground sits in the shadows of Darrington's famed Whitehorse Mountain, and is surrounded by other noteworthy North Cascades peaks. And the fact this place has FULL RV HOOKUPS (!) was a nice surprise, as this is extremely rare with any public campground. We especially enjoyed this because we were there on a hot day, and were able to run the a/c in our travel trailer. Since we were there on a Sunday night, the campground was very quiet. There wasn't a single tent in the tent loop, or in the horse camp loop, and only a few RVs scattered around the RV loop. I imagine it would get busier on weekends, but there's a camp host nearby to help keep things calm just in case. Speaking of camp hosts, the hosts here were some of the friendliest I've met! They run this campground and the one at nearby Squire Creek Park, so they're very busy, but helpful and keep a smile on their face. We even got a handwritten note welcoming us to the park! The on-site restrooms were brand new, clean, and with coded doors so they felt safe. Each restroom had its own, free shower too. Definite bonus! My only (minor) beef with this place is that the whole campground is created from rocky, deep gravel, with the exception of the tent pads which are softer/finer gravel. Still, this is NOT a place where kids could really ride bikes (or, if they did, I'd imagine a lot of skinned up knees). It also seems like the rough surface would be tough on dogs' feet too. Still, this was not a deal breaker, especially in the RV area where you aren't necessarily "living" outside like you would with a tent. Something to keep in mind, though, especially if you have littles or pets. By the way, this is less than a mile from Darrington - so shopping is close by, as is the River Time Brewery which was so good we went there twice!

The road up to the trail is in much better shape than I was expecting and when I arrived at 8:30 am…read moreon a sunny Friday, there were plenty of parking spaces left. The trail is very well signaled and maintained. Absolutely GORGEOUS views, challenging enough but not one of those hikes you never want to do again. And the payoff is worth it 100 times.

This hike is not for the faint of heart. I almost turned back 3 times and the first was just…read moredriving up there! This hike however will reward you with beautiful views and a workout and if you make it to the top you will feel beyond proud of yourself. A quick climb up the ladder to the fire lookout will take you back into history with old letters and photos of what this land once was! It was too hot to read through everything when I came up so I will have to make more trips. The road going up is filled with holes, large holes that your whole car will dip into. I took it slow at first until another car passed me and I found the right technique for my subi. Yea a subi can definitely make the trek but just be gentle on your cars and enjoy the journey! The hike up is all stairclimbers. It's definitely not a walking trail for a casual stroll; it's strenuous but very fun. I felt I was in great cardio shape while hiking but my hips and knees definitely made it harder. Stairs made of stones, stairs made of wood, and the last bit leading to the lookout is all hopping over rocks and even pulling yourself up. Bring your hiking poles and it'll definitely help! $5 for parking without a Discovery pass.

Completed this hike on a sunny Saturday in June. Arrived at the trailhead at 8:30am and the tiny…read morelot was already full but there was still plenty of parking on the street. I took the lower Elliot loop to the Lake and the upper loop back to the parking lot. Definitely recommend doing it this way because the lower loop has a steady incline and many viewpoints & streams on the way up. The upper loop had more forest & foliage.

Came here on a Sunday morning, arriving to the parking lot around 8:30AM, parking lot was pretty…read morefull but there was plenty of parking space on the road. There's a bathroom at the trailhead. We took upper and came back down on lower, and the trail wasn't too steep either way. The path is pretty much fully under the shade from trees, and there are some views of the mountains here and there. The lake is beautiful with lots of spots to sit, and there were a lot of people camping there. Passed a lot of backpackers with big packs on the way up, saw some hikers as well. Stayed at the lake for a bit of time, and weather was beautiful. Not many bugs around which was good, water wasn't too cold either. Highly recommend, this is one of my favorite lakes in WA so far!

It was a quiet and gorgeous campground, we only stayed one night but wish we had more nights! The…read moreriver is beautiful, we recommend the sites next to it!

You will need mettle if you pedal to Bedal for the road is not gentle…read more No, wait. It is pronounced buh-DAHL - as in the nepal baseball cabal has gone awol for eightball y'all! This is a pretty remote car camping or RVing spot where I took my dog and two kids for a soggy Memorial Day trip in 2016. There are a few vault toilets and each site has a picnic table, tent base, and a firepit. There is no potable water. Our site #10 was okay - better than the ones between us and the highway but worse than the riverside ones. I'd say the best were 15, 16, 8, or 9 but I could be wrong. The river is pretty and my kids had fun tossing rocks and I let them roam unsupervised the whole time we were there. There are trails and sights such as waterfalls nearby. There is a boat launch in the campground and a neighbor camper told me you can find gold flecks if you bring a pan. The ranger guy comes twice per day and sells bundles of firewood for $6 each, cash only. We reserved our spot for $14/nt on recreation.gov but you can also go the first come first served route if you are a gambler. As compared with other campsites with dozens or hundreds of sites, we preferred the relative peace of Bedal.

What a fun, easy little loop trail on the Sauk River! We were looking for a quick little excuse to…read moreget outdoors for a bit, but didn't want anything too strenuous (or too difficult to get to) so this little spot was perfect. Located right off the Mountain Loop Highway, there's a good sized parking lot, pit toilets, and even a (slightly overgrown) picnic area. We set out on the loop and soon found ourselves deep in the luscious forest full of beautiful trees, plants, logs, ferns, and all the amazing foliage that comes with a PNW summer. The trail was well-marked, as it does branch off into longer hikes in a couple of spots, but we were always able to easily stay on the loop. At one point, we followed a spur down to a viewpoint that overlooked the river - it was a small detour and definitely worth checking out. The hike itself took about 45 minutes at our slow-paced speed. It was the perfect little outing before we hit up the local brewery for some lunch! This trail is dog-friendly, too, and felt very safe. I did notice this trail is listed as "accessible" - I would caution against trying to use it in a standard wheelchair, though, as it was overgrown and bumpy in spots.

I have driven past Traveler's Park in Sultan a number of times on my way east to Gold Bar and…read moreCashmere from the Seattle area. During the COVID-19 pandemic my go-to option for using the restroom by stopping to get a coffee or something to eat and using a restroom ended up not being an option regularly available, so I started eyeing this park as I drove past and finally decided to stop both ways, going east and west, across the Cascade Mountains in mid to late August 2021. The main sign is clearly visible from US-2 and even lighted, which makes it easy to spot on a cloudy or wildfire-smoky day. There is a large pull-off area next to two port-a-pottis and a garbage can. Picnic tables are spread out in the park. Grassy areas to leave one's vehicle and stretch one's legs were on multiple sides of the pull-off. Trees line part of the park's perimeter. The port-a-pottis are located about 10 feet from the railroad tracks. On my first visit, a train barreled past as I was using the outhouse... First time I have used an outhouse that was being actively rattled by a train not ten feet away. An experience to remember. The outhouses were well maintained, as was the rest of the park. All around a nice place to stop and rest especially during COVID-19 times.