Top 10 Hiking Trails in the Blues

Finding trails to enjoy is what inspired Outside Walla Walla. With 715 miles of trails in the Umatilla National Forest and 2,700 miles in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, hiking opportunities are plentiful. These two forests account for roughly 3.3 million acres of public land across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

What It’s Like to Hike in the Blue Mountains

Ranging in elevation from a few hundred feet to 9,845 feet in the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, the hiking experience varies as much as the elevation. Bring the whole family on a riverside stroll or pack it in for a long weekend, whatever distance covered guarantees scenic vistas and magnificent displays of the intricate and complex workings of geologic time.

Protected by the Cascade and Rocky Mountains, the climate allows for an extended hiking season. Dodging the wet, marine air from the west and cold, Arctic air from the east, it is not unheard of to get a hike in each month of the year.

Hiking through the seasons also means different looks at the same terrain—rivers bulge with winter snow melt as trees bud and blossom, which, in the blink of an eye, turns to trickling creeks and fall foliage.

Take a Hike—Our Top 10 List

Picking just ten trails to recommend was challenging. There are plenty more to love. Always up for a challenge, we’ve compiled a list, elaborating on the qualities and features that make these trails extra special.