Top Fall Foliage Hikes in the Pacific Northwest

It’s offi­cial. Fall is here and the foliage is soon to appear on the leaves. With cooler days and longer nights, hik­ers from Belling­ham to Bend are prepar­ing to take advan­tage of the best of the North­west before ski sea­son approaches. Strap on your hik­ing boots, grab your cam­era, and get ready to enjoy the vibrant and col­or­ful trails of the Pacific Northwest.

Maple Pass Loop/Lake Ann  |  Wash­ing­ton
Loca­tion: North Cas­cades High­way
Dis­tance: 7.2 miles Round-trip
With a name “Maple,” hik­ers are treated to a stun­ning view of col­ors and late-season huck­le­ber­ries. The alpine larch peaks in mid-October and hues of red, orange, and yel­low dec­o­rate the ground cover sim­i­lar to a pat­terned tapes­try. For a lovely water view, walk to the Lake Ann por­tion of the trail.

Blue Lake  |  Wash­ing­ton
Loca­tion: North Cas­cades High­way
Dis­tance: 4.4 miles
Noth­ing goes together bet­ter then a view of moun­tains, water, and color. Sim­i­lar to a paint­ing, on a soft-winded day the moun­tain peaks reflect into Blue Lake. The Alpine Larch peak is mid-October, but carry ade­quate gear for win­ter conditions.

Gran­ite Moun­tain  | Wash­ing­ton
Loca­tion: Sno­qualmie Pass – West
Dis­tance: 8 miles Round-trip
This semi-strenuous hike keeps legs in shape, but rewards eyes with a blast of warm fall col­ors. Enjoy the moment, as these leaves do not stay on for long. See even more color from the sum­mit and cel­e­brate a job well done with a nice glass of apple cider. Octo­ber is the peak month for hiking.

Ramona Falls  |  Ore­gon
Loca­tion: Mount Hood Wilder­ness
Dis­tance: 7 Miles Round-trip
Expe­ri­ence stun­ning water­falls and fall foliage on this loop trail. The trail crosses the Sandy River and strolls along Ramona Creek. This fantasy-forest hike is spec­tac­u­lar dur­ing Sep­tem­ber and Octo­ber, when the oppos­ing canyon wall bursts with color.

Sil­ver Star Moun­tain  |  Colum­bia River Gorge
Loca­tion: Colum­bia River Gorge Region
Dis­tance: 4 Miles Round-trip
Get blasted with color from the vibrant maples that ignite the trail in warm hues. The Sil­ver Star trail is a hid­den gem and com­bines the best of fall foliage and meadow views. The sum­mit is well worth the nasty road con­di­tions en route to the trail­head (bring a 4×4 or all-wheel drive with high road clear­ance) as hik­ers view the South Cas­cades and Port­land, Van­cou­ver, and Seattle.