4 Gorgeous Dog-Friendly Hikes in the Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest is delightfully dog-friendly, and the gorgeous hiking trails are no exception. We love dog-friendly hikes with our pups in the mountains and lakes around Seattle, Portland, and Bend. We’re thrilled to share a few of our favorite dog-friendly hikes with you here. All the ones I’ve listed here are pretty short, at 4 miles or less roundtrip, with great views along the way.

If you haven’t met them yet, we have two pups: Juliet and Rascal. They’ve been on multiple cross-country road trips, and they’ve hiked so many dog-friendly trails all over the country.

Rattlesnake Ledge, Seattle

This popular out and back 5-mile roundtrip hike in the Snoqualmie region takes you up to the stunning Rattlesnake Ledge with panoramic views. It’s less than an hour drive from Seattle, and worth going on a weekday or early on a weekend to avoid the crowds. Dogs are allowed on leash, and you will likely see plenty of them on the trail.

This is a well-maintained trail that’ll be easy for your dogs to follow, with plenty of switchbacks to keep you occupied as you hike up approximately 1,400 ft in elevation.

What I love about this trail is that it starts and ends at Rattlesnake Lake, the perfect spot for a picnic or a swim after you finish the hike. The hike is mostly under tree cover, so you’ll be protected from a little drizzle or too much sun, and then the trees open up to a scenic overlook. Be careful once you get to the top, the rocks are slippery and it’s a steep fall.

Multnomah Falls, Portland

Another popular (but absolutely worthwhile) hike is just 30 minutes outside Portland, in the Columbia River Gorge. Most tourists will simply park at Multnomah Lodge and walk to the observation point at the bottom of the falls, or up to the Benson Bridge that spans the waterfall.

If you go a bit further, it’s a quick out and back 2.5-mile hike to the top of the falls. You’ll find a viewpoint at the end just above the falls, secured by a railing. The elevation (about 850 ft) is not incredibly easy to do in that short of a hike, so you should be prepared.

Check out this hike early in the morning or on a weekday. It’s a well-maintained trail, and you can extend it further with other trails if you haven’t gotten enough!

Mirror Lake, Government Camp

This reasonably easy 4-mile loop trail goes around Mirror Lake, with a perfect view of Mt. Hood rising over it. We saw families making their way along the lake with picnics, so this is definitely a family-friendly adventure too!

The trail itself is pretty, well-maintained, and not too much elevation (about 700 ft). Next time, I would definitely bring a swimsuit. There are a few spots around the lake you can easily take a nice dip to cool off.

Mountain Lake, Orcas Island

This 4-mile loop around Mountain Lake in Orcas Island is peaceful, easy, and pretty much beautiful the whole way around. Mountain Lake is the smaller, quieter sister lake to the popular Cascade Lake on Orcas Island.

If you can manage to get a reservation, it’s worth it to camp at Mountain Lake’s rustic lakeside campsites. Check out this post I wrote about camping on Orcas Island to learn more. Either way, take a boat out with your pup, and check out the mini-island in the middle of the lake!

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What are your favorite hikes in the Pacific Northwest? We’re always trying to plan more trips up in the area, so I’d love any recommendations.

Click on any of the images below to pin them and save this article for your next trip to the PNW!