The Washington State Hiking Podcast

Best snow free hikes for Winter 2025-2026

• Jennie Thwing Flaming and Craig Romano • Episode 94

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 Welcome to the Washington State Hiking Podcast. I'm your host, Jennie Thwing Flaming, 

and I'm your co-host Craig Romano.

Craig and I are happy to have you here. We provide practical and timely seasonal hiking advice for hikers, trail runners, and potential hikers and trail runners of all skill and ability levels that is helpful, accurate, fun, and inclusive.
 

Hi everyone. Jennie here. Happy Holidays. Here we are in late December, and today I am tasked with talking about winter hikes, and we've talked about winter hikes in the past. So welcome to the 2025 edition of the Washington State Hiking Podcast's, winter Hiking Ideas. Okay, so as we're diving in here, I just wanna acknowledge that, uh, the last whew, couple weeks, we have had some pretty wild weather, some really epic flooding, and a lot of our state, especially King County, Pierce County, Snohomish County, um, Skagit County, and.

Shalan and Yakima County have really had some pretty intense flooding and a lot of people have really been impacted. So if that's you, um, I just wanna tell you, we're thinking of you. Um, Craig actually lives in Mount Vernon, and while he's doing fine, um, there is really high water, you know, very close to him.

And, um, so yes, we are, we are thinking of you if you're out there trying to recover from this or trying to figure out how to go outside. Um, so hopefully. We are gonna get into some colder weather with less flooding that's supposed to be happening around now. So we'll see what the rest of this winter brings us.

Um, but regardless, we're gonna get into winter hiking today. So winter officially starts this weekend. Um, you're almost to the shortest day of the year. This is the stormiest part of the year in Washington State. So you're already well on your way to getting through winter if it's tough for you. So, um, let's talk about getting outside in winter.

So these recent storms are a really good reminder. This is something Craig and I have talked about many times about how important it is to check weather forecasts. Um, the DOT app or their website. For road closures and Washington Trails Association trip reports, especially for things like downed trees, trails, or roads that are blocked.

And if you encounter something like that, please make sure to leave a trip report. That's really important to help other hikers. Coming behind, you know, if they're gonna need to make another plan. So winter, probably the most important thing about winter is this is the most important time to pay attention to those things, even though both Craig and I would tell you that you always should.

That's extra important during the winter. Okay, I am not going to focus on snow during this episode. I am gonna do, uh, an episode in early January that is gonna be about snow hikes and snowshoeing. That is not Craig's favorite. I love snow. He does not. So I will share that with you. Um, probably the second episode in January.

So for today, we're gonna focus on winter hiking that in Washington state that is snow free or usually snow free. Of course, if we have a big snow storm in the low lands, um, then you know, we can have. A snow anywhere and in eastern Washington, um, especially like the Tri-Cities area, Walla Walla, Spokane, Moses Lake, places that are further away from the mountains, it can be quite cold there.

But there isn't always snow. It's very dry and windy. So that is another place where you're really gonna have to be extra careful about checking the conditions because you could encounter a sunny day with no snow, or you could encounter an icy trail. So just keep that in mind, especially for Eastern Washington.

For Western Washington, where it's often snow free. You know, if there is a big snow storm. Obviously pay attention to that. So for today, I'm gonna focus on hikes that are. Generally snow free in Washington State. Um, I do want to just mention that those places I said in Eastern Washington can be really awesome for winter hiking, like especially the Tri-Cities, but it's just very variable.

And in the spring we're gonna have some really awesome content about Eastern Washington hiking. So for right now, I just want to tell you that. Can be amazing. It might not be amazing. Um, so you can refer back to other podcast episodes where we've talked about those trails. I'm gonna mostly focus on lowland Western Washington hikes for this episode.

Okay. So what are some of the, the best hikes for winter in Western Washington Lowlands. Without snow. So in general, a theme, and we've talked about this a couple other times recently, like when I did my episode about holiday hikes. But rivers and waterfalls and islands make awesome and beaches make really awesome winter hikes now.

There are other hikes, you know, kind of in the foothills with some significant elevation gain, like for example, Mount Ps or Poo poo point that, uh. Often are snow free, not always. So even though they have climbing, they may be snow free at the time I'm recording this, um, which is mid-December. Poo point is closed because of flooding, but I'm sure that will not last.

I'll be surprised if that lasts very long. Um, so those hikes can be awesome in winter. Oyster Dome near Bellingham can be a great one. It doesn't, it has about a thousand feet of elevation gain, but it starts not that high to begin with. So it's usually snow free. That can be a really good big view hike with some climbing.

But in general, those ones away from snow, they are harder to find, um, during the winter. Um, the beaches of Olympic National Park can be really good options in the winter. The hoe rainforest or the alt rainforest are both excellent places to go for a hike, um, in the winter Dungeness spit on the northern part of the Olympic Peninsula.

If you've never been there, that is a wonderful, wonderful hike. Um, love it year round. Craig has talked about in the past in our episode about wildlife refuges. He talked about several places in southwest Washington and on the Long Beach Peninsula, um, that have wonderful trails that are great year round.

Uh, also the Billy Frank Jr. National Wildlife Refuge that's near Olympia is another really good one. Um, it is completely flat and has this beautiful boardwalk. It can get a little slippery when it's wet, but that is a wonderful winter hike. Also, um, the island. So recently we've done several episodes about hiking the islands.

So if you've been listening to us recently, you will have already heard those. Um, last week we talked about hikes on vash on the island. In November, we talked about hikes on Bainbridge Island. And, uh, we also have an episode in the past for Whidby Island. That was in February. So these are all excellent winter hikes.

You can, you can go back to those episodes for more specifics, but, um, in particular on Whidby, uh, I really love EBS Landing for a first day hike. That's kind of a tradition for me. So for January 1st, um. That's a really good one. If it's not, if it's not icy and not too wet. Goose Rock in Deception Pass is a really good one that's technically on Whidby Island, but most people would get there probably by driving through Mount Vernon.

Also waterfalls are really spectacular here in winter and river hikes. Now, of course, during times like the one we're in right now where there's a lot of flooding, I wouldn't necessarily recommend this, but um. As the water starts to recede in general, because our winters are so wet in western Washington, um, and even eastern Washington waterfalls, um, are definitely like police falls, for example.

They have more water in the winter also, um, even though it's still dry over there. There's more water for sure. Um, and also Spokane Falls is like super pretty in the winter. Uh, yeah. So sticking with our lowland west theme, uh, one place that kind of combines islands of waterfalls is on Orcas Island in Moran State Park.

There is a trail that has several waterfalls along it, and there. Mostly or completely dry during the summer, but it's a really cool place to go in the winter and see those waterfalls. So that's a really good one. Um, Wallace Falls State Park. You can go there without the crowds during the winter. Um, again, you've gotta check and make sure.

Last winter there was a ton of storm damage in Wallace Falls State Park, but they got it open in a few months, which was really amazing for how damaged it was. So, um, that's a good winter hike. Twin falls near North Bend, excellent winter hike. It's not too long, so it's good for short days. Um, twin Falls.

Is just about three miles round trip to go to the waterfall and back. So that is really nice. It has a few hundred feet of elevation gain, so there is some climbing, but um, it is not extremely steep, um, or extremely long. So that's makes for a great winter one as well. I also. Really love little beshe falls in eatonville.

It is, uh, a trail that you can go, I mean, you can go up to like five miles ran trip, but you can also, there are three different waterfalls, so you can kind of make your own adventure with how far you wanna go. If you do the five mile out and back, that has about 500 feet of elevation gain. So again, not a ton of climbing for those wet, darker days, which.

I like, I hate a lot of climbing in a rain jacket. It's so ugh. Clammy and yuck. Anyway, so that is a wonderful hike. Uh, with waterfalls. Franklin Falls at Sno. Call me pass. Man, that one is tough 'cause it is a cool hike. I really love to go to it in the winter when it's frozen, but that makes it a really challenging adventure because it is so icy on the way there when it's frozen.

You have to be really careful about that. Um, there's also an avalanche shoot right next to it, so that one doesn't exactly meet my definition of snow free, except right at this moment. I'm sure it's snow free. Uh, so that one is tricky. I feel like we should do a whole episode about that hike in particular and all the various challenges related to it, but it is really pretty and can be very dramatic, especially, um, if it's icy.

So. One other thing I wanted to mention before wrapping up, I think those hit some of my highlight favorite winter hikes. Uh, the only other thing I would mention is if you haven't picked up any of Craig's Urban hike books, those are awesome trails for winter 'cause they don't involve driving a long way.

Most of them are snow free most of the time. He also has a great guidebook about Eastern Washington. Like I said. Whether or not hiking is really good in eastern Washington kind of depends on your tolerance for snow and how snowy it is. And that varies a lot. Um, but those are some great resources for even more ideas.

I'm also going to put in the show notes, um, links to my winter hikes, um, article, a link to my winter hikes article on my website, um, which is one that is one of the more popular. Articles on my website. So I will share that with all of you. And I also wanna remind you that I have this weekly email list.

It's different, um, than what Craig and I talk about in the podcast. And it's $5 a month. It's called Beyond Seattle. I'll put the link to it in the show notes if you want even more specific ideas every week for like what the conditions are right now. Um, you would probably really. Dig that, especially over the winter.

So I will make sure that is down there. It's always down there, but I just wanted to make sure you know that. Okay. Last thing before we wrap up this episode in winter, there is some additional gear that can be helpful. I know this is something Craig and I talked about last winter, and if you avoid hiking where it's snowy or icy.

Then you don't need to have these things, right? So this is just, if you want to be able to go on a hike, maybe on a trail that is icy, maybe there's no snow on it, but it was really cold the night before. Um, and those couple of things are, uh, what's called micro spikes. There, there's the Yak Track brand, which is pretty popular.

I don't. Care for yak tracks. Um, they have kind of a metal coil. I like the ones with brand. You can get them at REI, you can get them at Amazon. Uh, that is my personal go-to. Um, and also having hiking poles. I hike with poles all the time actually. But in the winter it can be extra helpful, especially if you encounter some surprise snow or ice.

Of course you can always just turn around. Um, but those are a couple things I find helpful. It's really important to bring ex extra food and water in winter when it's colder. You wanna make sure to have a headlamp with you, um, for our short days and definitely an extra. Layer, um, beyond what you think you're gonna wear, especially if, like me, you get really hot even in the winter while you're hiking.

You need that warm layer for when you stop or if you get injured or something takes longer than you expect. Really important to have that, those four things, food, water, having a light and an additional layer are actually important all the time, but extra. In the winter. So feel free to sound off, hit that text message button and tell us if you have a favorite winter hike.

Just a reminder that we are gonna talk more about snow in early January. Um, we don't have too much snow in the mountains just yet because of this recent warm flooding weather that could change between now and early January.

Um, we have talked about that in the past on the podcast as. Well, and I'll be talking about it in my email list. So happy holidays everyone. Um, I hope you enjoy getting some time outside with family and friends. I hope that you get out for some hikes this winter. As you know, Craig and I are big fans of year round hiking, and for us there is no off season and there's not for this podcast either.

So I hope you all have, um. Wonderful holidays. Get to spend some time outside. Get to spend time with family and friends

if you are enjoying the Washington State Hiking Podcast, Craig and I would love to have you leave us a rating and a review that helps other people find us. And if you wanna support us financially, you can leave us a tip through the show notes. No account, no commitment, nothing like that. Thank you so much for listening and see you next week.  

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Jennie Thwing Flaming

Host
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Craig Romano

Co-host