When hikers ask which trails in Washington are worth a full day — or several — the conversation always circles back to the same handful of routes. Below we've ranked the ten longest hiking trails in Washington by total mapped distance, drawing from the 23,332 trails OutsideAtlas currently tracks in the state. Each entry includes the distance, what makes the route distinctive, and an honest note on who should actually attempt it.
Washington compresses Olympic rainforest, Cascade volcanoes (Rainier, Baker, Glacier Peak, Adams, St. Helens), the high desert east of the divide, and an island-strewn coast into one state. The PCT-Washington, the Pacific Northwest Trail, and the Wonderland Trail combine for several hundred miles of premier long-distance mileage. Mid-July through September for high Cascades; year-round in the Olympics (with weather caveats); high desert spring and fall.
Our rankings here are data-driven — pulled from the 23,332 mapped entries OutsideAtlas tracks in Washington — but the data has limits worth being honest about. OpenStreetMap distance tags are crowd-sourced and inconsistent. A route may appear longer or shorter than the official measurement, especially when long-distance trails (like state and national scenic trails) are tagged in segments rather than as a single relation.
The Ranking
Ranked from #1 to #5. Click through any entry for the full trail page — map, elevation profile, weather forecast, and direct OpenStreetMap source link.
#1. Pacific Northwest Trail
At 1.20 mi, Pacific Northwest Trail tops the list — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 1.20 mi on a forgiving grade. Local trail-association reports tend to agree this is one of the better-maintained options in the area, which matters more on a hike of this length than on a quick walk. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Pacific Northwest Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#2. Two Lakes Trail
At 0.30 mi, Two Lakes Trail lands at #2 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 0.30 mi on a forgiving grade. The route is well documented in OpenStreetMap, which is what put it on our radar — community-mapped routes tend to be the ones that get hiked enough to stay open. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Two Lakes Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#3. Portage Route Trail
At 0.10 mi, Portage Route Trail lands at #3 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 0.10 mi on a forgiving grade. It earns its ranking on the data, but trail conditions can change quickly after storms or fire seasons, so verify before you commit a full day. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Portage Route Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#4. The Great North Cascades Traverse
At 0.10 mi, The Great North Cascades Traverse lands at #4 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 0.10 mi on a forgiving grade. Compared to similar trails in Washington, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the The Great North Cascades Traverse trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#5. Trans-Canada Trail - Cowichan Valley Trail
At 0.10 mi, Trans-Canada Trail - Cowichan Valley Trail lands at #5 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 0.10 mi on a forgiving grade. What makes this one earn its spot on the list is the combination of mapped detail and the kind of through-and-through experience that justifies a longer drive. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Trans-Canada Trail - Cowichan Valley Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.Planning your Washington trip
A few pieces of context are worth keeping in mind specifically for Washington. Mid-July through September for high Cascades; year-round in the Olympics (with weather caveats); high desert spring and fall. Hypothermia and rapidly changing weather on Cascade summits, river crossings on Wonderland and PCT, and wildfire smoke in late summer.
Always cross-reference the official land-manager page before driving out — closures, fire restrictions, and seasonal road access can change quickly. Our trail pages link directly back to the OpenStreetMap source so you can see the tags we're working from.
If you're new to hiking generally, our beginner's guide covers footwear, layering, and the day-pack basics. For safety planning on bigger objectives, the ten essentials guide is worth twenty minutes of reading.
More Washington hiking guides
If you found this useful, the rest of our Washington coverage continues below.
- Steepest trails in Washington — Hikes with the most elevation gain in the state.
- Best beginner hikes in Washington — Easy, well-marked trails for first-time hikers.
- Most challenging hikes in Washington — Expert-rated routes for experienced hikers only.
- Best national parks in Washington — Federal parks and recreation areas ranked.
- Best waterfall hikes in Washington — Trails leading to named falls, ranked by accessibility.
- Best dog-friendly hikes in Washington — Where leashed dogs are explicitly welcome.
- Best family hikes in Washington — Short, easy trails sized for kids and grandparents.
Rankings like this are starting points, not verdicts. Trail conditions change, new routes get tagged, and what was the toughest trail in Washington last year might not be next year. We refresh these articles when the underlying data shifts meaningfully.
Got a correction, a route we missed, or a question? Drop us a note via the contact page. We read every email and we'd rather hear it from you than miss it.
