5 Best Washington Hikes with Dogs in April

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If you haven’t been keeping up with your hiking over winter, now is the time to dig your boots out of storage and hit the trails. Cool, foggy mornings, flash rainstorms, and warm, humid afternoons make springtime hiking a challenge to dress for so ensuring you have the proper gear and clothing in your pack for even a day hike is going to mean the difference between an enjoyable hike and a miserable one. Make sure you bring a towel for your muddy dog to ry them off before they shake sloppy mud all over the inside of your car. Let the adventures begin!

  1. Poo Poo Point – Chirico Trail: 3.8 miles round-trip, 1760 feet elevation gain, Puget Sound region, no parking pass. This steep trail hugs the shoulder of West Tiger Mountain and is a launching point for paragliders. The South Launch Viewpoint offers spectacular views of Mount Rainier on clear days while a quarter mile further is the Point and North Launch Viewpoint with cityscape and mountain views. My favorite spots to stop in Issaquah after this hike are Rogue Brewhouse for the chicken sliders and perhaps a little drink or Issaquah Cafe for the strawberry rhubarb french toast.
  2. Kalaloch – Browns Point: 4.0 miles round-trip, 25 feet elevation gain, Olympics region, no parking pass. While it’s a long drive up here for a relatively short hike, the beaches here are beautiful and dramatic, but best accessed at low tide. Make a day out of it and stop by Breakwater Seafood and Chowder House in Aberdeen if you’re driving back through that way.
  3. Mima Falls: 6.5 miles round-trip, 650 feet elevation gain, Olympics region, Discover Pass. Really the best part of this hike is that it’s relatively close to civilization but with less crowds than the Seattle-area hikes. The falls are pretty when there is actually enough water flowing through but are rather unremarkable otherwise. It’s a nice hike for a spontaneous need for a small-dose of adventure. Ramirez Mexican Store and Restaurant in Tumwater offers some of the best authentic Mexican food in western Washington–try the breakfast Machaca.
  4. Dune Forest Loop – Leadbetter Point: 2.9 miles round-trip, 60 feet elevation gain, Southwest Washington region, Discover Pass. The trail can be muddy and slick depending on recent rainfall and the tides, so aim for low-tide as you walk the shoreline and forest. This short, easy hike is a good excuse to get a chowder fix at Captain Bob’s Chowder in Long Beach–Sundays usually have clam chowder and smoked salmon chowder, both excellent and pair well with a crab roll or fish and chips. If you time it right, you can pair this adventure with one of the scheduled razor clam digs at Long Beach–annual and one-day shellfish licenses are pretty cheap–or perhaps the Long Beach Razor Clam Festival usually held the third Saturday in April.
  5. Gold Mountain: 4.0 miles round-trip, 1087 feet elevation gain, Puget Sound region, Discover Pass. Spectacular views of the Olympics from the top so save this one for a clear day. Stop by Leonard K’s Boat House Restaurant in Allyn for some killer crab cakes or El Balcon in Bremerton for delicious pupusas.