Wildlife Hikes

Often overlooked as places to hike in late winter or early spring are Washington's network of wildlife refuges and wildlife areas.

Our state features 21 National Wildlife Refuges - most of which offer hiking or walking opportunities. Washington's Department of Fish & Wildlife manages more than 900,000 acres of land for wildlife, and county parks also manage public land for wildlife. Many of these places are accessible to hikers and offer a range of opportunities - from rugged settings offering solitude to barrier-free boardwalks and trails in the more developed areas.

Each of the six hikes below are sure bets for seeing a variety of wildlife during the spring. Bring your binoculars!

Spencer Island

If the wind is not blowing the scent of the nearby sewage treatment plant in your direction, Spencer Island is a great place to stretch your legs and take the kids. Photo by Trip Report poster CBig.

Location:  Everett
Distance:  3 to 5 miles
Type of Trail: dirt trail
- can be muddy
Best Season:  Winter and spring; stay clear of north section Oct-Jan for hunting season
Management: Snohomish County
Type of Wildlife:  bald eagles, great horned owls, hawks, seagulls, river otter, deer and more.

Why Go: Spencer Island is one of the best places to view wildlife in the Snohomish River estuary. Because an estuary is a place where salt water and fresh water environments meet, it offers diversity that other hikes listed here do not. The trail is a good choice for families of children, with interpretive signs, viewing platforms and no elevation gain. Two drawbacks to consider: you can hear the sounds of I-5 as you hike, though they dissipate as you go; and if the wind is blowing the wrong way or if it's hot, you may catch a unpleasant whiff from the nearby Everett Sewage Treatment Plant. Otherwise, as the above photo attests, it is quite beautiful here.

For More Information:  Guidebook: Best Hikes with Kids: Western Washington & the Cascades by Joan Burton (Mountaineers Books); Snohomish County parks map.

Visit our Hiking Guide and Trail Reports for Spencer Island.

Directions:  From Everett, go north on SR529 (Broadway) over the Snohomish River. Turn right onto 28th Pl NE. Follow signs to Langus Riverfront Park and continue past the park to a parking lot just after the left curve in the road (under I-5). Follow the walking trail to Spencer Island.

Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge

Owls, bald eagles and harbor seals are among the wildlife you can see along the Dungeness Spit. Photo by Ulrich Fritzche.

Location:  Olympic Peninsula near Sequim
Distance:  1 mi. r.t. to beach; up to 10 miles r.t. to the end of the Spit
Type of Trail:  dirt, rock and driftwood
Management:  U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Best Season:  Year-round
Type of Wildlife:  shorebirds, harbor seals, orcas, eagles, snowy owls and more

Why Go:  Extending more than five miles out into the Strait of Juan De Fuca, the Dungeness Spit is the longest natural sand spit in the United States.  And it's still growing! The Spit provides shelter from the currents and wind for all sorts of creatures. Seals regularly haul themselves up onto the beach, and since it extends so far into the Strait, hardy hikers can sometimes spot orcas.

Getting down to beach isn't hard. But if you're trying to get to the lighthouse at the end, be sure to consult tide tables and pack the Ten Essentials. The Spit is so narrow in places that high tide can breach it, and it can be challenging to hike on sand, rock and driftwood. It's really just a terrific place to wander and explore!

For More Information:  Guidebook: Best Hikes with Kids: Western Washington & the Cascades by Joan Burton (Mountaineers Books); Dungeness National Widlife refuge website.

Visit our Hiking Guide and Trail Reports for Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge.

Directions:  Refuge located north of U.S. Highway 101, west of Sequim. Turn north on Kitchen-Dick Road and continue 3 miles to Dungeness Recreation Area. Go through recreation area to the refuge parking lot. $3/family pass required.

Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge

Bittern at Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge by Ulrich Fritzsche

Location: North of Olympia
Distance: 3 to 5 miles
Type of Trail:  much is barrier-free boardwalk
Management:  U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Best Season:  spring & fall
Type of Wildlife:  bitterns, herons, seals, salmon, rabbits, geese and ducks and lots more.

Why Go: Nisqually is an excellent destination from autumn through spring for wildlife viewing, walking and photography. Each year a three-mile long portion of the Brown Farm Dike Trail is closed during hunting season (October-January).

Spring is one of the best times to visit - mammals and birds are particularly active after the long winter. You have the option of taking the 5 1/2 mile loop around the refuge or a shorter trip. Much of the trail is boardwalk with viewing platforms. Don't forget to bring binoculars to enjoy the many species of dabbling and diving ducks that stop to feed in the wetlands or the several species of raptors, such as owls, harriers and kestrels, that survey the fields for prey. 

For More Information:  Guidebook: Best Hikes with Kids: Western Washington & the Cascades by Joan Burton (Mountaineers Books); Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge (360) 753-9467.

Visit our Hiking Guide and Trail Reports for Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge.

Directions:  Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is on the southern end of Puget Sound between Olympia and Fort Lewis. Take Exit 114 from I-5 and follow the signs to the refuge. The refuge is open daily during daylight hours. The daily entrance fee is $3, waived if you have one of the many passes they honor.
 

Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Duck Lake in the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge's Carty Unit is one of the destinations you can hike to in the spring. Photo courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife Service.

Location:  Between Longview & Vancouver, WA, near I-5
Distance:  Carty loop - 2 miles;
Kiwa loop - 1.2 miles
Type of Trail:  Carty - rocky & uneven undeveloped terrain; Kiwa - barrier-free crushed gravel
Management:  US Fish & Wildlife Service
Best Season:  Carty - all year; Kiwa - May to September

Type of Wildlife:  sandhill cranes, songbirds, migrating Canadian geese, swans, hawks, and more

Why Go:  More than 5000 acres of marshes, grasslands and wooded areas are home to more than one hundred species of birds, waterfowl and fish. Two trails and a loop road provide public access to this serene area just a few miles west of I-5. Spring and fall are the best seasons to see migrating songbirds and shorebirds, but summer offers the additional attraction of the barrier-free Kiwa Loop Trail.

For More Information:  Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge website; Map

Directions: From I-5, take Exit 14, on Pioneer Street go west into the town of Ridgefield until Pioneer Street 'T's' with Main Avenue. Take a right turn on Main Avenue and proceed north for 1 mile. The refuge entrance road is located on the left side of the road. $3/vehicle entry fee. 

Umtanum Canyon - LT Murray Recreation Area

The LT Murray Wildlife area is one of the best places to spot big horn sheep in Washington. Photo by Trip Report poster Mediancat.

Location:  South of Ellensburg
Distance:  6 - 10 miles roundtrip
Type of Trail:  Primitive trailbed
Management:  Washington State Department of Natural Resources
Best Season:  Spring
Type of Wildlife:  Big horn sheep, rabbits, marmots, quail, grouse, beaver, rattlesnakes (in summer), ticks (always!)

Why Go:  If the possibility of seeing big horn sheep isn't reason enough to go, then how about spring wildflowers (peaks in May), a desert creek, beaver activity and solitude? This is truly a desert gem that doesn't get a lot of foot traffic.

The trail starts with a suspension bridge over the Yakima River and winds up a canyon. The creek is a big draw for wildlife, and about two miles up the trail you may just run into the resident herd of big horn sheep. But that's not the only attraction. Keep your eyes on Umtanum Creek for beavers; they've been quite busy along here building dams.

The trail is well-maintained for the first three miles but becomes brushy thereafter. It also criss-crosses the creek several times, so you may opt to turn back at this point. Or camp! This is a nice place to do an overnight.

For More Information:  Guidebook:  Best Desert Hikes Washington by Alan Bauer & Dan Nelson (Mountaineers Books).  Purchase a Vehicle Use Permit online or purchase where hunting and fishing licensing are sold.

Visit our Hiking Guide and Trip Reports for Umtanum Canyon.

Directions:  From I-90, take Exit 110 and go east on I-82 for 3.5 miles (Thrall Rd). Turn right on SR 821 at the stop sign and left at the next stop sign, following the signs for Yakima Canyon. Continue to the Umtanum Recreation Area (btwn mileposts 16-17) and park in the gravel lot on the right side. An annual Washington State Vehicle Use Permit ($10.58) is required here. You can purchase one online or buy one where hunting and fishing licensing are sold.

Mill Butte - Little Pend Oreille NWR

In 2007, a WTA Volunteer Vacation crew built nearly two miles of the new Mill Butte Trail in the Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge. We're back in 2008 to finish the loop! Photo by Henry Hertzfield.

Location:  13 mi. SW of Colville in Stevens County
Distance:  3.5 miles roundtrip - soon to be a loop
Management:  US Fish & Wildlife Service
Type of Trail:  dirt - see photo
Best Season:  Late spring thru fall
Type of Wildlife: migratory songbirds and waterfowl, lynx, black bears, white-tailed deer, coyotes, moose, beaver, and more.

Why Go: While the 40,000 acre Little Pend Oreille was established as a refuge in 1939, it wasn't until 2007 that it got its first trail. Washington Trails Association volunteers spent a week creating a 1.75 mile trail to the top of Mill Butte.

The new trail features open forests of Ponderosa pine, grassy meadows and a views of the whole refuge. More than 200 species of birds and nearly 60 species of birds grace this area. Our trail crew were fortunate to even see a mama bear and cub last year!  But there is much more to see - coyote, great blue heron, osprey, painted turtle, grebes, hawks, grouse, turkeys and white-tailed deer are all commonly spotted.

WTA is once again hosting a week-long Volunteer Vacation to finish the loop from Mill Butte this spring - if there is still room consider joining us June 7-14. It's best to visit the refuge after April 14, when the roads and campgrounds open for traffic.

For More Information:  Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge; (509) 684-8384.  The August 2007 Washington Trails magazine has a fine write-up on the trail that is being built.

Directions:  From Spokane, follow Highway 395 north. In the town of Arden, make a right turn off the highway at Hall Road (just past a lumber mill on the left). At the stop sign, turn left onto the Old Arden Highway and travel a short distance. At the third right, turn onto Artman-Gibson Road and follow it for approximately 4 miles until reaching a 4-way intersection. Turn right onto Kitt-Narcisse Road and follow it for 2.2 miles where the road forks. Turn right onto Bear Creek Road and follow it for 3.3 miles. The Refuge Headquarters is a brown log building.