3 Great Hikes for Winter

Marymere Falls

Located near Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park, the short hike to Marymere Falls offers a delightful walk through a verdant rainforest. Along the way, the trail passes through a botanist’s dream: a garden of mosses and ferns beneath a majestic canopy of ancient trees. Viewpoints afford views of the rambunctious falls from above and below. Choose both. The total distance is less than two miles, and the elevation gain is a mere 500 feet, so bring the kids.

Trailhead: Drive Highway 101 west from Port Angeles to the Storm King Ranger Station (Milepost 228) on the shore of Lake Crescent. National Park Pass Required.

Horseshoe Bend

 

Looking for an infusion of green in the depths of a grey Cascadian winter? Look no further than the Horseshoe Bend Trail. Follow the rambunctious Nooksack River upstream along the moss-dripping rainforest lining its shore. The air itself seems green. And if you’re lucky—and the clouds part—you’ll get a tantalizing glimpse of the snow-covered high country. If you walk to the end, you’ll have covered a scant 2.5-miles round-trip, but if you take your time and stop along the way to contemplate the river’s flow and listen to the water music, it might take you a while—time well spent.

Trailhead: Drive Highway 542 (the Mount Baker Highway) east from Glacier. Park in the pull-out on the south side of the road, 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) past the Glacier Public Info Center, east of the bridge between mile markers 34 and 35 (opposite the Douglas Fir campground entrance). No permit required.

Happy Creek Trail

This little loop trail is aptly named. Covering only a third of a mile, this boardwalked excursion through towering cedar beside a mossy stream is more of a stroll than a hike. But it offers big-time sensory delights and is great for the little ones. At the halfway point, a side trail heads to Happy Creek Falls, a rougher uphill mile. In winter, the North Cascades Highway is closed approximately a half mile west of this trailhead, necessitating a bit of a walk along the road to reach it and creating opportunities for solitude.

Trailhead: Drive the North Cascades Highway (WA-20) east to the trailhead between MP134 & 135. If the highway is closed for winter, park at the closure and walk a short .5 mile up the highway to the trailhead. No permit required.