Washington is known for its magnificent views of mountains, nature, and forests So what better way to celebrate this amazing beauty than with local recreational hiking? Recreational hiking is a universally loved sport/outdoor activity that anyone can take part in by walking around or scaling a mountain. Washington’s Issaquah area is home to over 200 trails according to the WTA the Washington Trails Association in comparison, for all over Washington there are only roughly 1,000. For a small part of a state that is an extreme number of trails and, we are fortunate to have so many hiking trails around us that are preserved and conserved.
Hiking is available everywhere, even on vacation. Families can spend time hiking to see the best views and or viewpoints of any state city or country. All over the world there are many extreme trails such as Mt. Kilimanjaro or even Mt. Everest, but more local trails like Mailbox Peak provide scenic views that can almost compete with these world beauties. Mailbox Peak, located right off I-90, is a beautiful and hard hike that in the end is worth it. It features two trails that you can take, one that offers a straight shot up to the top of the trail or a newer trail that features more switchbacks. These switchbacks make the hike longer but provide an easier experience and better views looking back towards the other mountains. Trails like these that are so close to Issaquah should be used because they provide so much entertainment. Freshman Eloise Peterson could not agree more. She says, “There are a lot of challenging areas, but it is really beautiful if you just really focus on the trail and not the destination and even when you get to the destination, it is super rewarding!” However, sophomore Madelyn Kraemer says, “When I go hiking it is for no reason, because I am forced.”
Preservation and conservation of these trails can be hard to maintain since these trails reach so far up into the mountains and because there are so many of them. That is why at many local hiking trails they require the Discovery Pass, which costs 40 dollars to allow you to be able to hike on the trail. Some people use this as an excuse to not go hiking, but as junior Audrey Short says, “Between camping amenities and state parks, it’s pretty easy to feel like you’re getting your money’s worth, especially since we have so many state parks near us.” You can buy yearly passes and register up to two different cars with it with unlimited uses. This money is used towards keeping all the parks and trails open to the public without having to charge money up front every time and having people manage each trail. These passes go further than just trails. According to the Discovery Pass website “There are more than 100 developed state parks 350 recreational sights 700 water access points 2,000 miles of trails and water.” This is just a fraction of what this pass gets you which allows you to explore so much of Washington.
Tons of IHS students go hiking but one issue is parking. With most of these trails being off highways and in forests, cutting down a ton of trees for parking is not what these trail creators want so usually parking lots are minimal. Senior Julliana Cullen says, “Parking is hard to find especially on weekends or holidays.” When planning for these hikes you should always plan for a backup if you cannot find parking, or most hikes usually allow for you to park along the road up to the trail if the road is wide enough. For example, Twin Peaks, an easy and popular trail, has a long road that leads up to the trail that is exceptionally wide. Because the trail is so popular lots of people park alongside the road and walk up the long path because of the limited parking they have in their parking lot above.
There are also many activities that you can do locally with hiking and a huge one is geocaching. Around the area in Washington, we have thousands of geocaches on trails and just in neighborhoods and anyone can create one. Geocaching is an awesome way that people can spend time if they are bored and are looking for a little challenge. In modern times it has become more accessible as you can now just do it on apps rather than having to buy a whole machine to be able to go geocaching in the first place. Cullen says, “[I have] done geocaching on hikes and enjoyed it.”
Washington is lucky to have so many great outdoor activities and great projects to help these trails and other public spaces open. Take advantage of what is around you and make use of even the trails that go right behind our school! Hikes do not have to be long. One or two miles can be classified as a hike if you believe it is. If you are looking for more hikes check out hiking apps or the WTA. They provide great maps and show where hikes and how to get there and even reviews from other hikers too. Now do some local Washington hikes.
