This year I'll be hiking Mt Fuji. So, I've been stepping up my game with PNW hikes that are a…read morelittle more challenging. My Krav Maga friends suggested giving Bandera Mountain a try if I'm looking for a challenge. I liked the elevation change and lengthiness this hike promised. Additionally, it still seemed rather doable for our dogs, which was a huge plus. And how can you beat just 45ish miles from Seattle?! Suggestions: - You'll need a parking pass which you can buy and print online before you go - Check the WA Trails Association page for condition reports prior to going. We read the bugs were TERRIBLE, so we brought bug spray. So glad we did because the bugs were, in fact, very aggressive! - Get there EARLY! We snagged one of the last parking spaces at our 7:30AM arrival time! Arrival: Anticipate driving down a single lane, terrifying and long dirt road to get to parking. It's terrifying because there are numerous blind turns. The dirt is kicked up badly by other cars making general visibility an additional issue. Lastly, there is no barrier on the cliff side of the road. So that's scary. The actual trail is called the Ira Spring Trail. And it leads to/splits off to take you to three different locations: Bandera Mountain, Mason Lake, or Point Defiance. We opted for Bandera Mountain, which was beautiful and challenging. However, after seeing photos of Mason Lake, I'm a little salty we didn't take that route. Next time! Like many others have mentioned, the beginning part of this trail is very chill. The path is wide and has just a slight incline. As you move along the trail, incline gets steeper and steeper. Many areas are sandy and dry, which can be slippery. And as you get closer to the summit, the trail turned to giant rocks you actually climb to get up. Nothing too bad--our dogs both did great with these parts of the trails. You'll eventually get to the part of the Ira Spring Trail where you can either go to Mason Lake, or continue upwards to Bandera Mountain. We chose to continue upwards for a while until we reached what I consider the "false summit". It's right when the climb gets really steep and rocky, and is only about 100 ft in elevation short of the actual summit. At this point we decided to turn around based on two facts: 1) WTA info said the views at the false summit are better than the actual summit. And being only 100ft in elevation difference... meh. 2) Our dogs would not have been safe hiking the remainder of the trail. So we turned around at that point and headed back. However, please note this was the area with the horrid bug situation. I'm talking about in your nose, mouth, ears--bugs all up in your shiz. Lastly, our decent down the trail did NOT take us as long as I'm reading it took other Yelpers. It took us about 45mins to an hour to get back to parking. DOGS: Dogs are allowed on leash. Please leash your dogs. I saw at least three off leash. If you don't care about your dog's safety, that's your problem. But don't put other dogs at risk because you don't care. Also, I have a 25lb terrier (8yrs old) and a 17lb mutt (1 yr) that did really well on this long and strenuous hike! Both dogs made it all the way, except our 17lb baby gave up .5 from the finish and we carried her the rest of the way. Haha. Bring water and poop bags. However, there is no waste receptacles for poops. So you'll have to hike with poop bags up and back down the mountain.

ATTN: I didn't go all the way to Bandera's summit! I only did Mason Lake, which is on Bandera Mt…read more Mason Lake is .4 miles inferior in distance and takes you to an opposite part of the mountain at a junction. I'm reading some reviews here that say Mason Lake is "very popular" but we showed up at almost 10 a.m. and the parking lot wasn't even close to half full! When we came out at the end of our hike, I did notice that it was completely packed. So maybe go in the morning and beat the rush! We hardly encountered anybody on the way up, just the way down. The hike to Mason Lake on the Ira Spring Trail is GORGEOUS. So pretty, especially during fall when all the colors are changing. Even in the thicket of all the trees, you can't help but notice how pretty all the sunshine is beaming in on all the trees. Along the way, you get so many views of surrounding peaks and you even get a good amount of views of Mt. Rainier! The higher you go, the more visible it is (obviously) and pictures don't do it justice. It's amazing in person. The first half of the hike is fairly easy, with a wide trail and not too much incline. You come to a junction about 1.5 miles in, and it's unmarked, but you can tell that you need to go UP. This is where your workout starts. It's a hefty climb to the second junction, which you come to at about 2.9 miles. Here is where you can decide to go right to Bandera Summit, or Mason Lake. We took the path to Mason Lake, and expected it to be pretty close to the junction. Noooope. You scale up some rocks, up some more rocks, and then you're welcomed by the forest again. Here, you go DOWN a trail for about 10 minutes... Don't worry though, it's not too steep of a climb later. The lake itself is very pretty and very clear! There's a lot of places to sit and relax - the ideal spot is on all the lake logs piled up high enough that there are plenty of dry spots, but some girls already had claimed that location. We sat on some flat rocks adjacent to the logs, and got just as great of a view and a perfect resting place for my dog. Overall, I would say the hike on the way to the lake was a lot prettier than the lake itself. The mountain views just blew me away. I would definitely come back and do the hike to Bandera Summit, and I'm sure that'll be in the very near future for me! Note: you do have to have a day pass to hike here, you can get it online at the Washington Trail Association website for $5! And know that it takes about 1.5 hours to get up (with breaks) and about 45 minutes to get down.

Came on a weekday in the summer in 2023, arrived at 9:00 am and the parking lot was about 2/3 full…read more It is a small parking lot, and by the time we left in the afternoon, a few cars were parked along the forest road leading up to the parking lot. The forest road leading up to the trailhead was pretty well maintained -- a few small potholes, but very avoidable. Just drive slowly around the turns, I thought there was decent space for 2 cars to pass slowly as needed. The trail was in perfect condition. We enjoyed that it was a relatively wide path, not TOO many rocks/roots (for our older dog to navigate), was shaded pretty much the whole way, and was not too steep (by WA standards). We only identified 1 spot at each lake with decent day use access to the lake, and these lake access areas were small. We didn't have an issue with that as the trail was not crowded, but I imagine it could be an issue on busy summer weekends.

If you're looking for an easy - moderate hike with beautiful lake views, highly recommend Talapus…read moreand Olallie Lakes! This one had been on my list for a while, so I'm glad I finally got to do it. As some other reviewers have said, be prepared for a crappy road to the trailhead and also a small parking lot. I feel like that's standard for a lot of Washington hikes, though. Come early and you won't have a problem is my motto! This hike is definitely doable for people who are just starting out hiking - I'd even say older kids (like 3/4 and up?) could tackle this one without too much of a problem. And of course, our dogs loved it too. About halfway into the hike you see one of the lakes which is a nice moment for a respite if needed. If not, power on to the next! Up at the top, if you go early, expect to run into some campers... There are signs that clearly say there isn't any day camping, but that's definitely relative and based on perception. There were campers in EVERY spot that had a good view of the lake, making it really hard to find a good spot to catch a full view of the lake. All in all, a good hike that will take up about half your day. We arrived at about 8 am and we were out by 11.

The views on this hike warrant a five star review for sure! Loads of waterfalls, mountains, and of…read morecourse trees and flowers to see on this route up to Rachel Lake. The problem? Not a clear trail at all. My hiking group and I found ourselves asking, "Is this trail?", numerous times on this extremely strenuous seemingly endless uphill trek to the lake. Now, granted, some of our group was in better shape than others and managed the physicality of the trail better than others but still we all agreed it was extremely hard. First you drive up a gravel road approximately 6 miles to get to the parking lot. One bathroom is available there which wasn't too gross. Once you enter the trail it starts heading up. And up and up and up. It is seemingly endless. I believe it about 4 plus miles up. The trail starts out fairly marked and easy to follow. Then it doesn't. Unfortunately I got separated from my group for a good portion of this hike due to my attempt to stay with the "faster" ladies, lol. I just kept going up. Thank goodness a few other people passed me to let me know I was on the right track. No trail at all really for a good portion and I merely followed a dry creek trail. Extremely rocky and loads of bushwhacking. I had to stop every five to ten feet to catch my breath. The steepness reminded me of a hike in Big Sur called Garrapata which after I competed that one I said I would never do again, lol. Now to the good parts of the hike. Gorgeous scenery beyond words! Loads of amazing waterfalls as you are following a creek flowing from a lake high above. The lake was outstandingly beautiful. I took a quick dip in the icy water at the top! Quickly it changed my outlook on the hike and cooled me off. Will I do it again? Maybe, but next time. I will bring more snacks for the hike that give me energy. I will start out slower and take more frequent deliberate breaks. And please please don't forget your mosquito repellent! Also, long pants as a large portion of this hike you go through tall grasses and overgrowth. I consider myself an experienced hiker when I was in CA, but here in WA, I am a beginner for sure. Stay hydrated and go at your own pace. This is worth it at least once. SYOY and No FOMO for me here! Lol.

Lake Rachel is a great hike if you're looking for a beautiful end view and lots of fun sights along…read morethe way. Unfortunately, the trail is not marked well and we went off path and up towards different falls a couple times but going off trail was worth it for the extra couple views we saw! Be prepared to get your feet wet and be careful climbing over the slippery rocks.

Denny Creek Waterslide 4/16…read more Easy hike through the snow along crystal clear waters. So many views to see along the way to the slide. You will want micro spikes but it is doable without. You are unable to park directly at the trailhead so you must walk the access road to the trail head which adds less than a mile extra round trip. 3.09 miles, 577 ft elevation gain, and 1 hr 20 minutes to complete.

We did see some campers but our focus was rock hounding. We drove up this dirt obscure path and…read morethen gradually you will see a lot of cars. Hike uphill and then you still hear 90 freeway noise. Then you reach a flat area and you start climbing up and start digging. We found quartz (a small piece), There were many families here as well as dogs.

Mount Si is an 8 mile hike roundtrip in North Bend about 45 minutes east of Seattle. It is the big…read moresibling to the smaller Little Si trail which is closeby. I missed the entrance the first time I drove by it and turned around to get to the parking lot. I arrived at 7:45am on a Friday morning and there was a good amount of parking available. It's a bigger parking lot than I expected but the potholes in the lot were a pain to drive through. The first part of the hike was mostly incline and I was dripping sweat pretty much right away. It continued like that other than the occasional flat land for like 30 seconds before it was back to incline again. There were more switchbacks near the top and was rocky to get to the very top. It was mostly cloudy on the way up and the tall trees helped shade away some of the sun as it peaked out. At the summit there were beautiful clear views of Mt. Rainier above the clouds which was just amazing to see. The contrast of the clouds and the clear skies above them were breathtaking. I fought the urge to stop and take a break multiple times on the way up and got to the top in just under 2 hours. Going down was hard on the knees with the steep decline and I got down in about 1.5 hours. It was a tough and challenging hike but I'm happy I overcame it. I recommend bringing lots of water because it can be pretty tough with all the incline. Also, there weren't too many bugs at the top but if you're bothered by them I suggest bringing some bug spray.

Wow! Hard to believe it's almost been a year since I moved to the PNW, this was one of my first…read morehikes, and after the craziness of moving, charging jobs, and a few weeks without hiking, this one kicked my ass! What a year of hiking in the Cascades, and a physically and mentally challenging job can help, this time was much more enjoyable, plus knowing the terrain and area helps. It's still a kick ass hike, but much more enjoyable. The views from the peak are amazing!! Even on a cloudy getting ready to rain day, you can see Seattle, on. Clearer days Mt Rainier is viewable. Lots of fun wildlife and plant life still gearing towards fall, seeing a few trees colored up. This is a popular hike, so expect to see people, luckily parking lots is large, although full of potholes. Thank God for a 4 wheel drive, so No worries. This hike, especially as you get towards the peak, has many cross cross or zig zags on the trail, which helps, because it's steep, especially the last half mile. I didn't wear the proper shoes to rock climb, so doing the final ascent to the top of the peak will wait till next time. It still amazes me how green the foliage gets after it starts raining.. like instantly turning a more vibrant green, if that's possible? Plenty of views with out going to the top peak. And as always, since it's all uphill going to the summit, it's all downhill coming down. I would also recommend hiking poles, the help on the steep inclines and were helpful going down as the rain made some of the surfaces slick. Definitely love the sound of the rain in some of the silent moments, which brings me to one of the downsides of hiking near the I-90 corridor, still hear quite a bit of traffic noise even 6 miles away, part of the echo through the pass, but still some quiet moments. This is a challenging and fun hike, enjoy the moments, I've met lots of people who were determined to make it to the top.. and did!! Goals!! Happy hiking! SYOY , God Bless and Cheers!

One of the best hikes. A total of 8 miles. Hiked on the last day of summer last year. Some of the…read moreelevations are steep. I would recommend this for more advanced hikers.

For either day or overnight hiking not much is better than Rampart Ridge in Washington State's…read moreAlpine Lakes Wilderness. Rachel Lake is just out and out sweet (and glacially cold, so I wouldn't recommend swimming). Upper Rampart Ridge doesn't really open up to hikers until late June or July because of all the snow it gets in the winter. I've seen some of the little lakes here still mostly covered with ice in August. The beauty is unparalleled. There are people around, but I wouldn't call it crowded. To get to the trailhead (you do need a USFS parking permit), take the Lake Kachess exit about 10 miles east of Snoqualmie Pass on I-90. The trailhead is about 7-8 miles from I-90 on a paved road that eventually turns to gravel.

A strenuous hike for real! It took us 8.5 hours total…read more(lunch break, lots of small breaks to catch my breath and berry picking breaks) to get to the tower and get back down to the car. We climbed up and down those boulders thinking it was a short cut but I dont think it helped to shorten up anything. We got there at 10:15am and the small parking lot was filled so we drove outside to park along the road. Even though it was not in the parking lot but you still need to pay the $5/car fee to hike that trail. It took us 5.5 hours to get up to the tower which included lunch break and many breaks along the way. Sitting up there to enjoy the view for a while so it most likely took abt 2 hours to get back to the parking lot from the tower without stopping. (We stopped for 20 minutes to pick berries on the way down). Sooooooo much berries. It's an endless field of huckleberries and blueberries. You can pick for days and still no where done. Keep your empy bottle water to contain the berries on your way down. Make sure you have walking sticks/pole(s). It helps tremendously going up or down.

Came here on a Saturday morning around 8:45AM, had about 10 cars in the parking lot, still plenty…read moreof parking, trail map at the beginning of the trail. The trail was uphill for most of it, had switchbacks, probably about half in the shade and half in the sun. The lookout is closed, view was also hazy and smokey today, not great, couldn't see much. View is of I-90 and the mountains around, and walking to another side of the top gave a much better view, which had two lakes and mountains in the distance. Took almost 2.5 hours up, a little more than 2 hours down, didn't see very many people, saw some blueberries!

It was very beautiful however I'm onto you people up there.... There is some weird stuff going on…read moreup towards there. Things that are off about activities people were doing. And a SINGLE footstep larger then a humans step heard outside my tent and a bunch of little things moving outside at night.... I was dying inside as a single mom out there alone! Freakin scary as hell. It's very beautiful there but something also gave me the feeling like someone was watching.

This was our first camping experience!…read more We had heard there were some spots where you could just drive in and see if there was some camping space available, but since this was our first time we didn't really want to risk it and reseved spot 044 online through recreation.gov. When we got there our spot was ready to go! It was a great area right next to the creek so we had some amazing soothing sounds at night, the very clean restrooms were just a 3 minute walk away, and we had some lovely neighbors. One of the main things for us was: we needed working toilets, water, and a dog-friendly space. Salmon la Sac was a great fit in all of these areas. The one thing I'll say is our spot (044) was hit HARD by the sun most of the day, and since we went there in early August it got real hot real fast. The guys who were camping right next to us (I believe they must've been either 042 or 046) had literally the best spot since it still had the creek right in front of them, but they also were in a shaded area, so if you go there, try to get that one!