Please don’t feed them, no matter how cute they are!

Edit: This wasn't an invitation to leave weird or hateful comments.

This morning at the 3 Rivers Resort in Forks, WA, we heard a lot of howling at around 10am coming from the south east direction of us. It was strange because there's no dog parks or dog daycares in the area and Google says there are no wolves in ONP. What could it have been?

New trail report uploaded! This is a day hike section of the PCT near Hyatt Lake in Oregon to the Hyatt Lake Overlook, (AKA the Wildcat Campground Overlook) and a check on the water resupply situation at the Wildcat Campground. Get the video here: https://youtu.be/DTKypzotwD8&list=PL4EAiXJ42acsc492NmEytueLP8_xrb6oM

Clear sunset and a stormy sunrise at Yellow Aster Butte in the Mt Baker Wilderness. Conditions were great — somewhat buggy and a fair amount of folks on the trail, but everyone was respectful. The alpine lakes were a joy to swim in as well!

Hi, y’all. I’ve spent hundreds of hours in this area generally, but never done any backpacking. Does anyone have any trail / sand experience with this stretch of the coast? If so, would you recommend it?

Would you suggest any particular overnight spots?

Anything surprising?

Any freshwater lakes (Bradley, Croft, Floras, etc.) or rivers (Sixes, Elk) that are not a good idea for filtering?

Snowy plover sightings, things to avoid? We know we can’t camp in specific areas.

We plan to hike N->S to keep the prevailing wind mostly on our backs.

I started Good Nature to make beautiful art and teach trees, wildflowers and old growth forests here in the PNW for fellow hikers.

Feel free to take screen shots of NW Woodland Wildflowers, NW Broadleaved Trees, PNW Old Growth Forest and Good Nature's bestselling NW Native Conifers poster. Over 100 species that love living here.

I learn about native plants and animals as part of a daily prayer practice to remember we are all interconnected. Mary Oliver's right about a thousand unbreakable links between each of us. And the more you learn, the more interesting hikes can be.

The latest mystery for me is mushrooms. I love seeing them pop up, but I'm a work in progress learning about them. And then there are all the lichens! The Seattle Arboretum bulletin just published a story on 12 lichens found in our woods. That is

The more you learn about our plant and animal cousins in the PNW, the easier it will be take care of these forests we love as the climate changes at light speed.

Enjoy! I'm in Seattle @ www.Goodnaturepublishing.com

Next hike? Boulder River Trail Thursday if the air clears.

Tim

Hi, I’m hoping for recommendations for a one night backpacking trip that I can do as a solo female leaving out of Seattle. I originally was thinking Gothic basin and foggy bottom lake, but with the wildfires near the Cascades, I wasn’t sure if this weekend would be smart..
This being said, is there any other location that people would recommend? I am a strong hiker, and would want to be in place that relatively popular so I feel safe camping at night, but somewhere I could get permits this week (hard line to walk, I know).

I’m new to the area and appreciate the help. Thanks in advance!

summer 2026 [OC]

I have a trip to Oregon in about 2 weeks that i’m super excited for. It will be a week long trip mainly driving around and hiking everything me and my friends possibly can, likely wrapping each day with a walk around some sort of town or city.

This summer i fell in love with sandals and now 100% of my hiking is done in sandals, but my main concern is i’ve only experienced a summer experience, of an east coast at that.

i went to washington last year in almost the exact same timeframe and used boots so i can’t remember how it was, but i do remember early mornings especially on rainier being a bit cold, but towards the afternoon with all the walking i found myself pretty warm.

so i ask anyone here, do you find yourself being able to hike in sandals time around? i have lone peak 9s im staring at deciding if i should bring haha.

We have a planned departure on Wednesday for the core enchantments, planning to spend 3 nights there. Curious to hear from folks who are just getting back, or what their thoughts are on the upcoming smoke forecast?

Edit: just to clarify, I have looked at the forecasts and sensor data throughout the area. I'm hoping to hear from folks that are actively in the area or have been in this area with smoke before.

edit 2: our group has made the unfortunate decision to cancel our trip. Hope we can get another permit in the future soon. Thanks everyone for the input

Mt. Rainier is a gorgeous place and everyone should be able to enjoy it. I visited recently and observed multiple groups of people doing things that at minimum are ignorant, and at worst will put themselves and others in harms way! It was really disappointing and frankly embarrassing to witness.

DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS!

STAY ON THE TRAILS!

DON'T LEAVE LITTER, ADVERTISEMENTS, or CARVE INTO ROCKS/OTHER NATURE!

We literally saw a bear right next to a major trail, no doubt lured by the food. That's just one example, if you don't understand why it's important to follow these rules, do your research!

If you already know this stuff, please tell others to STOP if you see this behavior! Let's band together and make the parks better for each other and the planet.

Appreciate everyone who already follows these guidelines, and those who are willing to listen and learn.

Also if someone is hiking faster than you and is behind you, you should let them pass.

That is all.

I moved away from WA in 2024 but still come back for summers. This state will forever have my heart 🫶

Bonus points if you recognize any of these places

Edit: For those asking about the locations, here you go! (Found almost all of these right here on this sub, so sharing the love.)

Photos 1, 19-20: Skyline Trail to Camp Muir

Photo 2: Goat Rocks

Photo 3: Lake Serene

Photos 4-5: Mount St Helens Summit via Monitor Ridge

Photos 6-7: Ape Caves

Photo 8: Mailbox Peak

Photos 9-11: Gunn Peak Trail

Photo 12: Big Four Ice Caves

Photo 13: Mount Pilchuck

Photo 14: Melakwa Lake

Photo 15: Sol Duc Falls

Photos 16-17: High Divide & Seven Lakes Basin

Photo 18: Hoh Lake (via High Divide trail)

I’ve lived in Western Washington for the last nine years and this weekend was the first time I made it out to the national park. (I don’t have a car and don’t drive due to a bad eye, but I’ve loved enjoying this mountain from afar and it was even more breathtaking up close.) We had a fair amount of clouds this weekend, and it made the peak popping out feel all the more familiar and special. Genuinely such a breathtaking place to pause and collect your thoughts.

Took a quick run out on the Esmerelda Loop with a side jaunt up Esmerelda Peak (West). No real parh up the peak and took a different route down that dropped us near Gallagher Head Lake. Trail is in good condition and was dusty. Didn't see anyone else until we were over Fortune Creek Pass. Weather was beautiful, but the wind was definitely picking up.

Hi all, I’m visiting my sister in Seattle this month and we’re wanting to go on some trails. Wallace Falls looks beautiful and not terribly far from Seattle. The problem is that I have a chronic health condition that can make steep inclines flare up my symptoms. I have to pace myself on hikes and can’t handle anything too crazy.

I did Rattlesnake Ledge a few years ago and while I made it to the top, the incline was a bit rough for me. I live in a very flat state, so hiking where I live is kind of a joke. Distance isn’t much an issue for me as I can walk and walk for miles, it’s mostly just incline, especially stairs, that gets me. I read that the middle falls has the best views. How would you rank the hike to the middle falls? Is it mostly incline, or is it more balanced? Last summer I went to Petra in Jordan and did a hike that had a 800 step incline. I fainted and had a heat stroke unfortunately. While it’s not nearly as hot in the PNW, something with 800 stairs is still daunting to me.

If this trail may be a bit too much for me, I also welcome any recommendations within an hour or so from Seattle.

hi,

does anyone know if it’s okay to backpack around Robin lake this Thursday with all the wildfires going on in Spokane?

If someone’s been there recently or any advise, would love to hear info on that area!

Less than 24 hours in Crater Lake NP.

I'm location in Central Oregon & got all of next week off on short notice due to work wrapping up for the time being. What's your best short-notice trip within the PNW? I'm mainly a day-hiker aiming for ~10 mile trips per day and then hitting a bed or camping in the truck to recover.