Remote Day Hiking in the Inland
Northwest
What
Geographic Areas are Covered?
Our focus is
the desert and forest lands of Eastern Oregon and Eastern
Washington, as these are least-visited parts of the
Northwest, with the largest swaths of public land. We
exclude any hikes within an hour’s drive of a large inland
population center, such as Spokane, Boise or Bend. These
areas already get plenty of use and attention!
How
Difficult are These Hikes?
Most
are moderate to easy day hikes, with no overnight camping
on the trail. They are suitable for any reasonably fit
adult or teenager who will enjoy hiking two or three hours
in the morning, having an hour or so to relax and eat
lunch, then hiking a couple of hours back to the trailhead.
Few of these hikes are overly strenuous. If the terrain is
steep or the trail is poor, the hike is usually a short one
(four or five miles roundtrip). If the terrain is more
gentle or the trail is good, the hike is generally longer
(six or seven miles roundtrip). Nearly always, if you are
out on the trail at 9 AM, you can be back at your vehicle
by 3 PM.
Our hike difficulty ratings are:
•
Easy………………Hike is mostly on an
established trail or road track or is cross-
country
over terrain that is easily negotiated.
•
Moderate…..…Hike may include some
challenging sections, such as rough
terrain,
stream fords, bushwhacking or a steep hillside scramble.
•
Difficult…………Hike has significant
challenges throughout its length, including
bushwhacking,
boulder-hopping, steep terrain and/or elevation changes.
Which
Season of the Year is Best?
In the
high desert and mountainous regions of the Inland Northwest
(with elevations generally over 4,000’), day hiking is best
enjoyed between June 1 and September 31. Though campgrounds
on public lands normally open in May, this is rarely a good
month to be day hiking. You’re likely to encounter
unpredictably cold and wet weather, muddy roads and trails,
plus streams still swollen with spring runoff. Best to wait
until June.
June, July and August are usually ideal, with late
afternoon thunderstorms the only caution. September is also
a great month for day hiking, though bow hunters are often
out in force, especially on weekends. October marks the
start of rifle hunting season, as well as the cold and wet
weather again, so it is not a great time to be on the
trail.
The one exception is the Columbia Basin of Southeast
Washington (with elevations generally below 2,000’). Spring
comes early to this region and day hikes are best enjoyed
in April, May and June, then later in September after the
hot summer has passed.
For the special challenges presented by desert day hiking,
see our Desert Hiking
Tips.
Are
Permits Required to Day Hike on Public
Lands?
It
depends on the public agency that manages the land on which
you're hiking.
For the BLM,
which manages almost 30% of all public land in Oregon and
Washington, primarily in the eastern, desert portion of
these states, permits are generally not required for
personal recreation use (hiking, camping or parking) on any
BLM land.
For the USFS, which manages nearly 50% of Oregon and
Washington's public land, all in forested mountain areas of
the region, a Northwest Forest Pass is required to park at some
of the hiking trailheads. Since it's not always clear
which trailheads require a pass and which do not, to be
safe it's easiest to just purchase this pass and keep it
on your dashboard when hiking on USFS lands. The cost of
an annual pass is $30.00 (or $5.00 per day per vehicle)
and it's good for any USFS trailhead in Oregon and
Washington.
Another
option for federal lands is an interagency pass, the
America the Beautiful
Pass.
This pass covers all federal fee sites managed by the
National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau
of Reclamation, as well as the BLM and USFS. The Annual
Interagency Pass costs $80.00, though those over age 62
can purchase a $10.00 Lifetime Senior Pass and those
with permanent disabilities can receive a free Lifetime
Access Pass.
Finally, in 2011, Washington State introduced a
recreational use fee for state public lands. The
Discover Pass is required to park and
recreate on lands managed by Washington's Department of
Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) and the State Parks and Recreation
Commission. This Discover Pass costs $30.00 for an
annual pass or $10.00 for a one-day pass.
Can
an Entire Vacation be Spent on These Day
Hikes?
It’s possible, but not advisable — you’d spend too many
days moving your camp and driving between hike
locations.
We suggest including these hikes as just one of several
activities in a given location. Once settled at a remote camp,
enjoy the day hikes there, but also take advantage of the
other recreation opportunities nearby: fishing, bird
watching, or just reading and relaxing. After a few days,
move your camp to the next remote location and enjoy the
day hikes and activities found there.
Page
last updated: 11/10/13