3 Day Hikes by Seattle to Try
There are so many amazing hikes near the city that you could try a different trail everyday, and not run out of new hikes for awhile. While you do need a car to get to these trails, most of these only take around an hour or less to get to, and the views are well worth the physical exertion needed to get to the summit or the end.
The name of this trail is a bit confusing. While it’s called the Ira Spring Trail, it leads to Mason Lake and Bandera Mountain (you have the option to do either or both). Semantics aside, it is a gorgeous 6.5 mile roundtrip hike about an hour drive from Seattle.
The elevation gain of 2,420 feet is quite steep, and will definitely be felt in your legs. Like every hike in Seattle, the entire first leg of the trail is an uphill battle. At the 2.9 mile mark, the trail forks (go right for Bandera Mountain and left for the lake). Both paths were very snowy toward the end, even in mid-May on a 75 degree day, so come prepared with appropriate hiking gear (boots, poles, and ice cleats - although I had none of these items and survived. Couldn’t make it up to the top of Bandera Mountain though as a result).
This is one of the most breathtaking hikes I’ve ever done. True to its name, Lake Serene is a calm oasis. Make sure to keep going a bit further once you reach the lake to get a panoramic view of this glacial lake nestled in the mountains. The surface of the lake is so still that its reflection looks like glass. Bundle up if you go anytime that’s not during the summer as the chill from the nearby snowcapped mountains creates a bit of an arctic chill.
One of the most popular hiking spots in the Seattle area, Mount Si is only around a 40 minute drive from Seattle, but a world away. 4 miles takes you up 3,100 feet up to a mountain peak with breathtaking views of Mount Rainier on one side, and the Snoqualmie Valley on the other side. While this is a very strenuous hike, the breathtaking view at the top is well worth the effort.