The map was a little confusing at first. We did the hiking trails and we're surprised how the paths…read moreare mainly kept up. We loved going out the falls. We didn't see the upper falls but the middle and the bottom. Was a little ways to figure how to get inside the waterfall but was awesome when we made it over :) but there was alot of trash at the bottom that needs to be cleaned like beer bottles.

Really solid place to hike. Very clear trails with varying difficulty. We chose to go to the falls…read more The maps and markers were very clear which was great. The walk to the falls had good elevation and an amazing view.

This place is breathtakingly beautiful. Great for kids, dogs, groups, and even if you want to…read morewander off by yourself, it would be great! There's a lake, bridge with a shallow river running under. There are a few paved trails to run on, and also unpaved trails that go into the trees more. If you have allergies like me, take Claritin or Zyrtec before you leave your house.... Then you should be good to go! There is a nice kids playground with slides and swings and a few jungle gym type obstacles. It's also surrounded by a decent amount of grass so it's also a great place to play fetch with your pets and watch the kiddos at the same time. I also noticed an area with tables/benches that were covered and BBQ grills. So I guess you could have a birthday party or group gathering here. If you have kids and want to go on the unpaved trails... I recommend bug repellent and bringing wipes, assortment of bandaids, bactine, neosporin, hand sanitizer and a small hand towel! I didn't notice any bathrooms, so keep that in mind if you're bringing kids. And also I only saw 1 trash can in the area I explored. So if you have a pet, bring extra bags to hold animal droppings until you can find a trash can! HIGHLY RECOMMEND CHECKING THIS PLACE OUT!

A forest within a park tucked away behind a recreation center? That's cool. We entered the forest…read morethrough a wrought iron gate and just followed the nature trail. This beauty is 70 acres and full of lush green trees . Easy trail with no incline. This secluded area made me feel like I was miles and miles away from the city. Very quiet. It was a nice change of scenery for someone like me that lives in humid Orlando, Florida.

I'm on a mission to stay active during this pregnancy, and have been hiking every Saturday morning…read morefor the last month or so. Last Saturday we went to Little Mashel Falls, and it's the first "new" hike I've done in a while (one that I haven't done before). The information on AllTrails & WTA is kind of confusing and daunting to follow regarding parking, so let me make it easy for you - PARK AT THE BUD BLANCHER TRAIL. It directly takes you to the falls trailhead, you don't have to be out of the lot by 2:30 (it's open til dusk) and it's right off a main road so you're very close to civilization and not in the middle of a forest or random highway. You can easily GPS Bud Blancher Trail by name and have no issues. There is a portable bathroom at the trailhead that is clean & maintained regularly, so if you really need to go, it's not the worst. This trail is fairly easy. There were a few times that my heart got pumping, but overall it was a great morning workout. I didn't hike to the Upper Falls as I've heard the views weren't that great. I did the Middle & Lower falls. The lower falls is a steep descent and coming up is probably the most incline you'll deal with the entire hike. Middle Falls is very easy to get to but be VERY careful on all the big rocks as they are very slippery. We had someone in our group fall (they're okay) and I slipped a few times myself. That being said, it's gorgeous and you can go underneath/behind the falls for a deafening experience if you so desire! Highly recommend this trail. Dog-friendly, kid-friendly (I'd say 6 and up), and great for beginners.

We really enjoyed exploring Middle Mashell Falls. We learned a lot by reading previous posts…read more Nicely maintained. Pet friendly. Next time we will pack a picnic & stay longer!! There is a bit of an incline before you get to the falls. Signage is very small & easy to miss on your first visit. We parked at Bud Blancher Trailhead

Sequalitchew Creek is a pet friendly and an ideal easy stroll for families. It is a total of 3…read moremiles round trip. Half a mile of it is paved and the remaining mile is rock path. Decline going there and incline on the reverse. You'll see beautiful views of the puget sound at the end. Most of the trail is surrounded by trees. If you decide to go there to watch the sunset, you'll have to use your cell phone flashlight. There is no lighting on the path. Respect the aina (land, earth, environment) and take your trash back with you since there are no trash cans.

Beautiful hiking trail that is only 3 miles in total - out and back with great views of the Puget…read moreSound. Plenty of free parking available and restrooms on site. I would recommend if you are looking for an easy hike. My kids and I enjoyed this trail a lot plus it wasn't crowded at all on a weekday!

Easy loop hike. A little bit of up then down then up kinda stuff. Its beautiful nature but really…read morenot much real view until the waterfall. Compared to skyline loop it isn't much. But its easy and quick.

Good hike through the woods. This provides "forest bathing" and good falls. Many huckleberry bushes…read morebut not too many fruit. Reverse hike! Uphill when you are hot and tired ...

The Historical McMillan Bridge was built in 1934 and was the only one in the world that was built…read moreout of concrete. The bridge still stands strong and intact. Amazing! This trail is near my home. It's a great trail for walking or biking. You can walk down to the river. This trail goes all the way down to Enumclaw or Buckley. Lots of beautiful scenery, flowers in bloom and majestic views of Mt Rainier. I have yet to do the full trail. I will as soon as I get my Ebike LOL! I often walk this trail to walk Havanna my grandfur baby. It's always enjoyable.

Continuing to really enjoy the Foothills Trail! On the last outing Steve and I (as well as a…read morefriend) went from the McMillin Trailhead to the East Puyallup Trailhead which was about 4 miles one way. To avoid a very long walk we parked one car at the East Puyallup Trailhead and began our walk in by parking with our other car at the McMillan Trailhead. The walk was very enjoyable and the summer day we chose couldn't have been perfect with warm but mild temperatures. More forested scenery to enjoy as you walk between these two trailheads as opposed to going the opposite way to Orting. I am eager to tackle more chunks of this trail but have held off due to other summer time activities and we also learned that parts of the trail would be closed for maintenance for a part of the summer due to needed improvements so we are holding off to continue more pieces of the trail until Autumn where we hope these closures have expired and the maintenance is finished.

The coal creek nature area is like a secret forest. Hidden in between Coal Creek Parkway and…read moredifferent neighborhoods bordering Bellevue and Newcastle. The waterfall here is dependent on the weather. Tucked into a small creek/canyon area. The trail is beautiful and loads of ferns everywhere. The green state really shines down in this area too. Of course in the summer it becomes a bit browner. Springtime and the blackberry bushes line certain parts of the trails. Trail access varies depending on where you go. Various signage gives you a history of the area. So lucky to have access to this lovely trail. Get out there and enjoy life. SYOY!

It was a beautiful day for a hike and we decided to check out Coal Creek Falls Trail…read more It was so peaceful and very pretty. Just what we both needed after a hectic work week. What was really interesting to us, was a long the trail there were signs giving the coal mining history along the trail. There are multiple trails to explore and I look forward to coming back another time to explore some of the other trails. They also have horse trails, which is pretty cool. I just need to find a horse and learn how to ride one.

A MUST when visiting Mt. Rainier / Crystal Mountain resort - it was the perfect way to admire what…read morethe wifey had just accomplished, running down the gigantic mountain, the ride up is about 10 - 15mins, all worth it!!! breath taking views of Mt. Rainier, do dress accordingly, it was pretty windy and about 10 degrees colder up on the mountain. there is a restaurant/restrooms observation chairs and a beer garden at the top! but the view!!! stunning, the greens/whites/ snow peak colors with the sky blue in the background. as usual parking could be hit or miss, they do have several parking lots but the closest one to the gandola ( the paved one ) is on the smaller side, they have other lots designated by letters ( which also unpaved ) Info on Gondola here: https://www.crystalmountainresort.com/things-to-do/activities/mt-rainier-gondola

Came for the day while friends skied. Beautiful, sunny and gorgeous! Snow already melting - this…read moreis the last day of the season. Gondola tickets $54 each and you get 2 round trips.

The Glacier Basin Trail is utterly magical in every sense of the word. I must have taken hundreds…read moreof pictures and several videos while hiking this trail. This hike has everything that your little heart could ever desire! A forest full of giant trees. Vibrantly green shrubs. Waterfalls at practically each turn. Majestic views of not only the snow covered mountains, but the gorgeous aqua hues of the White River down below. The rushing river running parallel. Rampant wildlife. Colorful wildflowers. Inclines and elevation galore. I mean, shall I go on?! Just stunning. Glacier Basin is located near the White River entrance of Mount Rainier National Park. The trail begins just behind the White River Campgrounds. It's starts off mildly inclining through a lush forest, but the incline picks up speed and continues to incline until you reach the camp. It's about roughly 9 miles and 2,000 feet of elevation in total if you add in the the detour to the Emmons Lorraine Trail. Do it! It will add another 1.5/2miles to the hike, BUT... this is where you'll find that incredible view of the Inter Fork White River. It's funny that it's called the "white river" because it's stunningly aqua from the top of Emmons Lorraine. The Emmons Lorraine trail is a turn off that's about a mile into the Glacier Basin Trail and includes a river crossing and a steep incline up a narrow hill. It looks a bit intimidating, but it's really not. Just sit on your bum for the really gnarly parts coming down (at least that's what I did). Continuing on the Glacier Basin Trail, it's basically a straight shot up the hill for another 3 miles until you reach the top. There are a few spots with some switchbacks, but it's mostly a ridge-like trail. AllTrails has rated this hike as moderate, but it's definitely on the harder side of moderate if not difficult. What makes this hike so enjoyable though is the fact that there's so much scenery. Every time I took a break, I was either greeted by a beautiful mini waterfall or vibrant wildflowers. The views are very motivating and it keeps you going. Once you reach Glacier Basin Camp, you'll be met with the most stunning views of snow covered Mount Rainier and the rushing waters of the White River right next to it. This hike took me about 5 hours in total to complete (including breaks, lunch, and detours). It's definitely a day hike, so bring enough food and water to keep yourself nourished. Also, make sure you have some really comfortable hiking shoes/boots and hiking poles for the way down if you have bad knees. Coming down can be just as tough as hiking up because of the steepish downhill for 3 miles straight. This one is definitely going in the books as one of my favorite National Park hikes and my favorite Washington state hike thus far. If you're looking for a challenge and a great way to see the beauty of Mount Rainier National Park, Glacier Basin Trail is a great option.

As a Seattle native, I can say that this is my favorite hike I've ever been on. The hike has a fork…read moreabout a mile in. If you fork left, there is a relatively short (~30 min) but steep trail that leads to the glacier basin. The water is a bright teal with mountains in the background, one of the best views I've ever seen. My friends and I went swimming in the basin, which was very cold but also very fun. If you stay on the main trail, it is an additional 6 miles that is moderate-difficult and took about 3 hours to get up. At the top, there is a really pretty meadow and campground. You will need a Mt. Ranier National Park pass ($50 annual or $30/week) to enter. I went on a weekday in the morning and had no trouble finding parking. The main trail was quite empty, but the left fork had a couple other groups. However, we more or less had the place to ourselves. Overall, 10/10 would reccomend!

Its's not worth the effort *for a day trip*... cant speak for camping. Coming from Tacoma for a 2…read morehr drive with 45 minutes of it being an insanely precarious road and then a 5 mile "hike" which is a walk on a dirt road, not to mention the lottery system and the instructions on how to even visit... I was expecting A LOT more! The pools were small! Thankfully one group was leaving as we arrived so there was only 3 other people hanging out with us. Otherwise, it would have been SO cramped! My husband couldn't even stretch out and hes 6 foot. If you've never experienced nature/spa or are not from WA then I guess you might enjoy this, but I wouldn't do it again. Pros: caretakers are super nice, seems like guests are all going to be friendly and respectful, area is VERY well kept and clean, pools are cool despite being small, temps are great, "hike" is boring but easy! Cons: way too much boring effort to get here (especially for a day trip), pools are very small, last part of road to get to the parking lot is VERY rugged... you NEED a high clearance vehicle and someone who can navigate huge potholes/trees/ debris, etc. "Hike" is boring but easy!

We heard about this natural hotsprings in its super remote location in North Bend and just had to…read moretry it! It is a preserved miner's hotsprings that is on private land and is completely run by volunteers with the exception of a few individuals who are paid to make reservations and live on the grounds year-round. It is not easy to get reservations here especially with the pandemic. Once they were able to open this summer they started returning calls and we were lucky enough to be able to reserve the hotsprings for a small group of less than 5 people on a Monday. The fee was reasonable at 20 per person and they included detailed directions and instructions on getting to and using this facility. The drive in is no joke, seriously. We live in North Bend and are familiar with that area as we hike many of the trails over there frequently but we did not plan enough time for the 5 mile non paved road. Even thought it's only 5 miles it is VERY rough with lots and lots of potholes and difficult washed out patches that our Xterra made it up but might be difficult for other cars. Once we made it to the Dingford trailhead parking lot we left our car and started the 5 mile hike to the hotsprings. It's a really beautiful walk without much elevation gain through the forest and along the river but it is very rocky so your feet and toes will definitely get a beating. We kept up a good pace with around a 15 min/mile walk so we made it there in about 1.5 hours. We rang the bell and were greeted by the host who was very informative and pleasant. We signed our release forms and headed up to the springs for a beautiful and relaxing 4 hour time slot of enjoying the 3 different (but small) pools and the picnic table for lunch. It is also right at the top of a waterfall so you can sit out and enjoy the view and relax when you get tired of soaking. There is a cave where the hot water emerges that used to be open but is currently closed due to COVID concerns. The pool this hot water spills into is the hottest and really can only hold 2 people and then this pool spills into a larger one where 4 of us sat comfortably. There is also a cold one with river water which made for a great plunge. We really enjoyed our stay and had a great lunch at the picnic tables (no garbage sites so plan to pack in and pack out everything you bring). They also had non flushing porta potties you can use with one at the top by the hotsprings and a couple others at the bottom by the campground which is currently closed due to the pandemic. The campground is usually open year-round though and we are really looking forward to coming up during the fall or spring sometime. The five mile return hike is definitely tough especially with your feet being soft from soaking. I recommend you bring an extra pair of socks and maybe even consider sitting out for the last half hour or so and let your feet dry out before the return hike..my tootsies were pretty blistery when we returned!