Named for a Native American activist who fought for tribal fishing rights, the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually Wildlife Refuge allows you to explore an undisturbed river delta on Puget Sound. Birdwatching here is spectacular, with opportunities to spot eagles, dunlins, sandpipers, falcons, merlins, purple martins, and geese.
The challenging snowshoe route to the summit of Sun Top Lookout in Washington's Mount Baker Snoqualmie National forest offers a great workout, a historic forest lookout, and fantastic views of Mount Rainier and surrounding peaks.
The snowshoe route at Artist Point in Washington's North Cascades offers a stunning panorama, including magnificent views of the the glaciated peaks of Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan. Find out more in Craig Romano's latest Get Outside! column.
The Boundary Bay Dyke Trail in BC's Fraser River Delta offers some of the best birdwatching in British Columbia. More than a million migrating birds can be found on this coastal walk, including shoerbirds, waterfowl, raptors, and owls. It's also a great place to spot harbor seals and orcas.
Easily accessible, the Lower South Fork Skokomish River Trail makes for an ideal Olympic Peninsula outing any time of the year. The well-built trail meanders through old growth Douglas-fir forests, and offers fantastic views of of the river, as well as opportunities to spot Roosevelt elk.
The challenging Glacier Basin trail off Washington's Mountain Loop Highway takes you past a mining ghost town and up a steep track to a gorgeous alpine basin. It's a workout, but the payoffs include solitude, old growth forests and a fascinating trip through Cascadia history (including a town where Donald Trump's grandfather was justice of the peace!)
A hike for all ages not far from Vancouver, BC, the Lightning Lake trail passes through forests of subalpine firs and Engelmann spruce and offers a chance to see and hear pikas in the talus slopes.
Ape Canyon Trail is one of the most popular trails in the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, offering views of a narrow canyon, the effects of a mile-wide mudflow created by the 1980 eruption, and spectacular views of the volcanic peak.
One of the best wildflower hikes in the Capital Regional District on Vancouver Island, Mount Wells also grants some of the area’s best views. But don't be fooled by this hike's short distance: you'll climb 864 feet (264 metres) in less than a mile.
The hike to the summit of Oregon's Lookout Mountain is an easy summer hike through meadows full of wildflowers. Views from the top span the surrounding Badger Valley Wilderness and you'll have a prime view of the glaciated face of Mount Hood.
