SEATTLE — The trek to Sol Duc Falls is one of our favorite short hikes — it's only one-point-six miles round trip. If you pick Saint as your hiking buddy, don't put him in charge of food. When he went with Jose, he brought exactly one cookie — and ate most of it before offering 1/8th to his hiking buddy.
The Guillemot Cove Stump House hike in Seabeck is a journey to the ultimate tiny home. It’s on the Kitsap Peninsula near Seabeck, and about two and a half miles round trip.
It takes you to a cedar stump that was the home of jailbreaker Dirty Thompson until he was recaptured by local authorities. The best thing about this ancient cedar turned domicile — the view of the trees through the window carved in a tree!
Off Highway 2 near Skykomish, the Deception Falls Interpretive Trail is a perfect place to take kiddos exploring — it’s a short easy nature trail that feels like a big adventure. And it's got waterfalls.
Another easy waterfall walk — Madison Creek Falls is just one-third of a mile up a trail in Olympic National Park's Elwha Valley. It's paved, so anyone can enjoy this beautiful spot.
Rialto Beach is a bucket-list hike in Olympic National Park. You can keep it as short as you'd like, but if you make it one-and-a half miles down the beach, you get a reward — a sea stack you can walk through called Hole in the Wall. Be sure to go on a low tide! It's a one-of-a kind frame that's fits this northwest adventure perfectly.
The Spruce Railroad Trail is also in Olympic National Park, it starts on East Beach Road. It's a five-mile trail that’s flat and easy to navigate, and just one mile in you hit the fun: Old railroad tunnels to get lost in and a swimming hole called Devils Punchbowl for cooling off.
Whichever short hike you choose, remember to leave no trace — and leave each place better than you found it.
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