5 Breathtaking Hikes from 5 National Parks in the PNW
I don’t know if anything tops the hiking in the Pacific Northwest. In my humble opinion, it’s got everything you need. From canyons to mountains, from most popular trails to off the beaten path, from all types of length and difficulty to incredible viewpoints – everyone should go to the PNW and explore the national parks.
As always, LEAVE NO TRACE! Respect the parks and respect the land. It’s so important to be able to maintain these areas and make sure everyone gets a chance to experience their beauty.
If you are looking for more information about destinations all around the US or more national park information, click here: Domestic Destinations.
1. Glacier National Park – Highline Trail
Glacier National Park is *maybe* my favorite park. It’s incredibly beautiful, easy to get around, and has everything you need. There are so many hikes at Glacier, and it is so easy to find beautiful viewpoints or amazing hikes.
The Highline Trail is definitely a well-known hike at Glacier National Park. It is long, and in the right times, it is a thru-hike. For us, the buses weren’t operational (during 2020), but it was still so fun. You start this hike at Logan Pass. This will be your best bet. Park at Logan Hike, and it will end at ”The Loop”. There are many different opinions on now long this trail is, but I will say it is about 12 miles. While it isn’t the shortest or easiest hike, it is definitely the most iconic and beautiful.
There are some highlights on this trail: Haystack Butte and Grinnell Glacier Overlook to name a couple. It breaks up the hike to have these points to look forward to. This hike is definitely not easy, but I guess I will say it’s worth it.
The Highline Trail is overall incredible. The views are unmatched, and the quiet after getting away from the road truly takes you away from the world. Make sure you carry bear spray!! We encountered a large black bear near Grinnell Glacier Overlook, and so you should make sure you know what to do if you encounter the same. Click here for more information about hiking at Glacier National Park: Glacier National Park Hiking.
2. Yellowstone National Park – Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone Trails
Now, I am not the biggest fan of Yellowstone NP, but I can definitely appreciate what it has to offer and why it is visited by so many people. My favorite thing about Yellowstone is that it is extremely accessible for anyone. In my opinion, this is what makes it so popular among older people. Everything is well-paved and the boardwalk-like paths are flat and well-maintained.
Hiking is definitely not the main attraction at Yellowstone, but the hikes at Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone will probably be your best bet. There are a couple of shorter trails you can hike at, including Point Sublime to Artist Point. This trail is about 2.7 miles. You can also do the Clear Lake to Ribbon Lake trail which is about 4.0 miles. Both of these trails are on the southern rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
Parking can fill up, so go at a good time, or just don’t try to get a parking spot right at the front of the parking lot. We went to the northern side to go to Lookout Point. We just kept driving past where everyone was stopping at a popular viewpoint, and we easily found a parking spot that was near where the trail to Lookout Point was. This was a shorter hike as well, but it was very beautiful and not full of people. We were pretty much by ourselves.
Overall, you can hike either the north or south sides of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and you will have better views and not be in a huge crowd! Yellowstone is pretty much full of viewpoints, so when you can get a chance to get off the beaten path, you should take it. Click here for more information: Yellowstone National Park Trail Info.
3. Grand Teton National Park – Cascade Canyon Trail
I love Grand Teton National Park. I only got 1 day there, but it is one of my favorite parks I’ve been to. Unfortunately, yes, the hype is worth it – especially if you like hiking or mountain towns. Jackson Hole is popular for a reason. Anyway, the Cascade Canyon Trail is probably the most popular hiking trail at Grand Teton, and it is 13.3 miles.
The Cascade Canyon Trail can be as short or as long as you make it. It is an out-and-back hike, but it also leads to a ton of other hiking trails. During certain months, you can take the ferry across the famous Jenny Lake to get you to the trailhead. But, you can also start at the Jenny Lake Trailhead and walk the loop around the lake either way. When you look at this canyon from across the lake, you can’t even tell what the views will look like, but it’s so stunning and surreal.
Inspiration Point and Hidden Falls are located towards the front of the canyon near Jenny Lake, and these are more popular for tourists since the trails aren’t as long. But, just keep going, and you’ll be taken into the middle of the canyon that opens up into a wide canyon with a stream down the middle and mountains towering over you on both sides.
Way back into the canyon, the trail finally splits. This will take you to the backcountry and more strenuous hikes, but until then, the trail is pretty easy-moderate (once you get past Inspiration Point, lol). Click here for more information: Cascade Canyon Trail.
4. Olympic National Park – Mount Storm King Trail
Olympic National Park is huge, and because of that, there are so many hikes I could choose from. We did a few hikes while we were there, but I think Mount Storm King takes the cake easily. This trail is definitely more strenuous because it is straight up once you get to the start. It is only about a 2-mile or less trail, but it really can be a workout. Just make sure you are prepared!
The trail starts at Lake Crescent, sort of. A lot of people will say to park at the Ranger Station, but I say park at the ”moments in time” area. Way more spaces available and it is the same distance to the trailhead. You will follow the Marymere Falls trail until you reach the start of the Mount Storm King trail.
Now, as you near the end, that’s where it gets tricky. This part of the trail isn’t technically part of the trail, but it is where you get the acclaimed view of the bluest water of Lake Crescent. I’ll be honest – I didn’t even finish the hike. BUT, my friend did. And I watched from the rocks as everyone climbed the ropes up the rest of the mountain and to the top. It was both scary and comical.
People cannot come down and go up at the same time, so there can be some waiting. The ropes are also not maintained by the park, so you need to make sure that you want to take that risk before trying to keep going. It is definitely a fun trail and it’s a good one to do at Olympic National Park. Click here for more information: Mount Storm King Trail.
5. North Cascades National Park – Blue Lake Trail OR Cascade Pass to Sahale Trail
Look, we went to North Cascades in late May/early June. Because of this, most of the good trails were absolutely covered in snow. I’m from Tennessee, so it was definitely more snow than I have ever seen. So, we worked with what we could. Our original intention was to do the iconic Cascade Pass to Sahale Trail. If you get to go, you should definitely do this one. As long as you are either prepared for snowy conditions or if you go in the summer months, you will be fine!
But, because of the snow, we actually attempted our second choice, the Blue Lake Trail. Well, it also didn’t go as planned. It was quite the adventure. This trail was also completely covered in snow. We probably made it about halfway up the mountain before having to turn back. It also looked like other people attempted, but we lost the footprints after making it to a large clearing. Definitely look up pictures of these trails in good conditions!
We fell through ice and snow, got cuts and bruises, wore shorts because the weather was great despite all the snow, and we had the time of our lives doing it. However, PLEASE NOTE: take all proper precautions when hiking through the snow!! It is not easy and it can be super dangerous without the proper supplies/gear. Thankfully, we had traction cleats that we attached to our hiking boots which definitely helped.
Overall, North Cascades is extremely beautiful, and it is also an easy national park to travel to. It is mainly one road, and the snow-capped mountains are just gorgeous. Click here for more information: North Cascade Hiking.
More Resources:
For more information about a Montana and Wyoming road trip, click here: Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton 5-Day Road Trip.
For tips on hiking the Highline Trail in Glacier National Park, click here: Things to Know Before Hiking the Highline Trail.
To learn more about planning an amazing Pacific Northwest road trip itinerary, full of national parks, click here: Washington, Oregon, and Idaho Road Trip.
