Winter weather makes it impossible to navigate many of the trails in Washington’s National Parks. Snow and ice can make roads impassable, especially in the mountains. With such variance in conditions throughout the cold months, it’s tough to find reliable advice on which trails are likely to be open and which you cannot even get close to in the winter. In planning a trip, that makes it tough to figure out which hikes to attempt and which to save for spring. Below, I compiled a list of 5 hikes that are accessible in the winter and are absolutely stunning.
Marymere Falls
Description: Marymere Falls is a beautiful trail that will take you along Lake Crescent, through a tunnel under 101 and up a short way into the mountains.
Location: The trailhead parking is north in Olympic National Park along 101 near Lake Crescent.
Distance: 1.5 miles out and back
Difficulty: Easy-moderate. This hike is a totally doable family hike! There is a short section that is steep-ish, but there are steps and switch-backs built in. It was snowy and icy when we went, which could make it a bit more precarious if you don’t have boots with good grip.
Gear: Micro spikes are a great idea for this hike. We wore micro spikes to help us get up the icy stairs with ease. I’d highly recommend bringing spikes as a precaution if you do any winter hiking in Washington. In order to get to the tail, you’ll want to have a 4×4 vehicle that can handle icy roads.
Ranger Falls and Green Lake
Description: We went right after a major storm that downed trees on the lower path. It looked like many of the trees were cleared by the time we arrived, but it was still a bit of a jungle gym for the first couple miles.
Location: The trail starts at Carbon River Road in Mount Rainier National Park. The access road is washed out, so you just drive up to the barrier and park on the side of the road.
Distance: This hike is 9.6 miles out and back to Green Lake. The stretch along the road starting from the barrier where the road washed out is 3 miles. Then you turn right at the trail marker and hike 1 mile up to Ranger Falls. Green Lake is another .8 miles beyond Ranger Falls.
Difficulty: This hike is challenging in the winter. It’s a steep hike that requires trudging through two or more feet of snow. The last stretch from Ranger Falls to Green Lake felt especially difficult because we were the first to blaze the trail since it had last snowed.
Gear: Waterproof boots, gaiters, micro spikes, lots of layers. This hike winds through narrow rocky trails, so while there was a solid two feet of snow towards the top, this isn’t a great trail for snow shoes. Layers are essential: on cold and damp hikes like this you want to avoid sweating as much as possible on the way up by shedding layers, or you’ll find yourself cold and miserable on the way back down. You will need a 4×4 vehicle to get to this trail.
Mima Falls
Description: The waterfall was surprisingly impressive. It was bigger than we were expecting. There are picnic benches right next to the waterfall, making it a nice place to stop and hang out for a bit (it it’s not raining). The day we went, we were the only ones in the trailhead parking lot and we didn’t pass anyone else along the trail.
Location: This hike is in Capitol State Forest. It’s $11.50 for a Discover day pass to the park and you can get the pass online. It’s good for all Washington state parks and forests.
Distance: 4 miles out and back. There’s a longer loop, but we were getting rained on so we just walked back the way we came after reaching the falls.
Difficulty: Easy. The trail can get muddy after rain, or snow melt. This hike is not particularly steep and it’s clearly marked.
Gear: Waterproof boots are a good idea because this trail can be very muddy. It’s not particularly steep so no need for micro spikes. We were also happy we had gaiters/snow pants because there were two places we had to stray from the trail to get around downed trees.
Hoh Rainforest Loops
Description: I was struck by how many different shades of green there are, from deep green to a bright moss that almost looks reflective. After driving through snowy forest, the colors in the rainforest pop. The road into the park is lined with mossy trees – it’s an experience in and of itself. Don’t just breeze through it. Take your time. Go the speed limit. Enjoy the ride.
Location: Hoh Rainforest Visitor Center has plenty of parking, is located off Highway 101. The drive from the highway in to the park entrance, and then to the visitor center feels a little bit like driving through an enchanted forest.
Distance: We completed the two loops below, but the main trail extends 18.5 miles one-way, winding through the heart of the rainforest.
- Hall of Mosses Trail – .8 miles loop through a section of the forest with towering trees and beautiful maples.
- Spruce Nature Trail – 1.2 miles loop through what used to be a river bed, but is now luscious rainforest
Difficulty: Easy. The Hall of Mosses Trail has very little elevation change and clearly marked pathways. The Spruce Nature Trail starts out with a short, uphill climb. Once you reach the top of that short hill, the trail levels off and is a pleasant walk.
Gear: Layers are always great to have when hiking, and I found that the temperature changed just enough as we walked this trail that I was very happy to have an extra sweater on hand. Check road conditions ahead of time, as you may need a 4×4 vehicle if there has been recent heavy snowfall.
Twin Falls
Description: There are three great viewpoints that are perfect for a break and a photo op along this trail. The first is when you come up the trail opposite the waterfall and catch the first glimpse of it from a distance. The second is from the bridge over the waterfall. This view is stunning because you’re over top the falls and can really see it up close. The third viewpoint for Franklin Falls is my favorite. There are stairs down to an overlook for the bottom section of the falls. It feels like a little private deck over the lower falls.
Location: The parking lot for this trail is accessible at exit 34 off I-90 W. I was able to find it easily on Google Maps by searching “Twin Falls Trailhead”.
Distance: 2.5 miles out to Franklin Falls and back. The trail extends beyond that point, but it looked like it just continues toward the highway so we opted to turn around.
Difficulty: The hike isn’t challenging, but in the winter it gets snowy and icy enough that certain points can be very slippery.
Gear: Micro spikes were really handy to have for some of the steeper points and for the steps along the trail.
