High Rock is a 5,685' prominent peak located on Sawtooth Ridge which provides beautiful, unobstructed, 360 degree views as far as the eye can see. Located on the rock is an old fire lookout, one of only three remaining in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, which was built in 1929. The north face of the rock has a 600' sheer drop, without any protection from falling. Explore this area, but do so carefully.
Read MoreNative Americans fished and hunted for centuries in the Cama Beach area before logging took over in the mid-1800s. After that, cottages and fishing resorts were built and Muriel and Lee Risk operated one such resort between 1934 and 1989. Around 1990 Washington State Parks began to acquire land through family donations and purchased other parts of it. Today the park offers visitors a restful and relaxing getaway. It also includes learning the history and culture of native people from the area. There's a Center for Wooden Boats where you may learn about boat building. The park includes numerous cabins for overnight stays along the waterfront with a park store nearby that offers groceries, snacks, supplies, and much more.
Read MoreThe third-highest peak in Capitol State Forest is known as Rock Candy Mountain. One could easily assume that the mountain is very rocky from the name, but that was not the case for most of our hike. Hiking to the 2,356' summit had us stepping over streams, wandering under a thick forest, and crossing a few logging roads. The views on a clear day are spectacular and allowed us to see as far away as Mt. Saint Helens.
Read MoreThis past week we headed north again. We've seen many people share photos of Deception Pass and we also noticed the signs for it on the drive to Oyster Dome from the previous week. We decided it was time to check it out. We wanted to stay the night but we felt that it was still a bit cold for a tent so we started looking for cabins. The only available cabin at Deception Pass State Park was out on Ben Ure Island and required a kayak or canoe to reach it, which we don't have. So we looked around nearby and found one available at Bay View State Park.
Read MoreOverlooking the San Juan Islands, with views all the way to the Olympics, Oyster Dome provides an opportunity for some gorgeous scenery. The location is in the second-growth Blanchard Forest, on Chuckanut Mountain. This area was extensively logged in the mid-1800s until the land was deeded to the state in 1925. Today, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources provides diverse recreation opportunities here and in the surrounding areas.
Read MoreCreated by the Missoula Floods during the last Ice Age some 15,000 and 13,000 years ago, this area is a geologists best friend. Ridges, plateaus, rivers, lakes, coulees, and caves are some of the sites to be seen and explored here. 5,000 years ago Native Americans used this area to collect plants, fish, and hunt. The caves were used as a temporary shelter by them. Today it’s used for explorers and hikers like us.
Read MoreStanding in front of its bigger brother, Mt. Si, Little Si is aptly named. Don’t let that fool you for it being an easy hike. Reaching the summit is going to take some work as it’s a 1,300 foot gain in elevation.
Upon reaching the summit the views are pretty good looking out towards the town of North Bend and the Issaquah Alps off in the distance. The views behind you, of big brother Mt. Si, are excellent.
Read MoreAs you park at Rattlesnake Lake you immediately notice mountains to the south, east and northwest of you. You’re tucked into a nice little area right here with beauty surrounding you in all directions — mountains, forest, a lake. Rattlesnake Mountain is located to the northwest, across from the lake. The mountain has a prominence of 2,520 feet. Rattlesnake Ledge, your hike for the day, is somewhere around half that.
Read MoreIt's not always necessary to travel long distances in order to get away from the big city and into the wilderness. Located in the Issaquah Alps, Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park is a great example of this. Less than a 1/2 hour drive from Seattle you’re able to find yourself in a 3,100 acre forest that provides a recreation area consisting of 50+ trails, multiple creeks and waterfalls, a decent elevation gain, city views, and peacefulness.
Read MoreThis weekend we headed to Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest to visit Franklin Falls. Located along I-90, just before the slopes of Snoqualmie Pass, it’s about an hour’s drive from Seattle. This is one of the most visited waterfalls in the state. It’s easy to understand why once you see it.
Read MoreOn the western edge of the Central Cascade mountain range is Heybrook Lookout Trail #1070. It traverses through a second-growth forest that leads to a seven flight observation deck overlooking many nearby peaks, a close town, and more. The 900-foot elevation gain, just over a mile in length, had us catching our breath more than a few times on the way up. The views from the top on a sunny and clear day made the hike well worth it.
Read MoreWe arrived at the campground around 12:15. The day was rain-free with peek-a-boo sunshine. The temperature was mid 40’s and little to no breeze. We started up Mima Falls Trail East.
Read MoreThis past week has been pretty cold here in the Pacific Northwest. With the temperatures in the 40s most of the days, and at times below freezing, we weren’t much motivated to get any real hiking done. Well, that, and it’s also been rainy. Instead, what we did manage to do was go out and explore two nearby state parks that we’ve had on our list for some time now.
Read MoreThe Mud Mountain Dam was completed in 1948 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. At the time, it was the highest rock and earth-filled dam in the world. It’s used for flood control in the lower White and Puyallup River valleys.
Read MoreAs we started our 3 hour drive towards the state’s most south western point, where the Columbia River opens to the Pacific Ocean, we were getting hammered by the rain. The closer we got, the harder it came down. We planned on setting up our tent and camping for one night. Thank goodness we opted for only the one night instead of two like we originally planned. We still knew this single, wet, windy, and stormy night would be pretty uncomfortable.
Read MoreIt was 9:31 A.M. when we parked, according to the Jeep it was 37 degrees out, and there was a drizzle of rain. The forecast called for heavier showers around 2–3 P.M., so we hoped to be back before then. A quick potty break, then off we went. We reached the lake at 12:40 P.M., it was now around 32 degrees with snow just above the lake. Our time here would be brief.
Read MoreTolmie Peak Trail is an easy-to-moderate hike starting from Mowich Lake and ending at the Tolmie Peak Lookout tower. The round trip distance is about 6.5 miles and it took us approximately 1.5 hours to reach the top and about an hour to get back. We went in late June and the weather was in the low 70s, dry, and cloudy. The parking lot was full and a long portion of parking on the road was also full. We came across 15–20 other hikers along the route and at the peak there were about 10 other hikers.
Read MoreThe 848-foot monolith, Beacon Rock, is located along the north side of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area in Washington’s Beacon Rock State Park. Discovered by the Lewis and Clark Expedition on October 31, 1805, and sold for $1 a little over a century later, this rock was almost destroyed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers with plans to use its material for the jetty at the mouth of the Columbia River.
Lucky for all of us, it still stands today.
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