Washington State Snowshoe Trails for Beginners

If you’re unfamiliar with snowshoeing, it can be a bit intimidating to get started. Not only do you need special equipment, but you also need to know where to go for the easy trails — the ones that don’t require much winter driving experience to access and are relatively flat and free of severe avalanche dangers.

Luckily there are several scattered throughout Washington State that are great for beginners. In Western Washington, there are national park guides at both Olympic National Park and Mount Rainier National Park that take hikers on snowshoe hikes at Hurricane Ridge (Olympic) and leaving from the Paradise area of Mount Rainier. All that’s required is a sense of adventure, and these incredibly scenic trails are great for learning.

The Snow Lake trail near Snoqualmie Pass is a good pick too. Though it does involve some elevation gain, the trail’s parking lot is right off Interstate 5, and there is a large parking lot that is free to use.

For Eastern Washingtonians, your best bet is Mount Spokane. Here, the ski area is easy to access and trails heading up the mountain are accessible and rewarding for beginners.