There is no feeling like strapping on a backpack loaded with everything you need for a weekend and heading off into the woods. Explore Washington's Olympic Peninsula or Cascade Mountains and experience some of the best backpacking the Pacific Northwest has to offer.

Cape Alava and Sand Point Trails lead to the beach from Lake Ozette. Large sea stacks set among larger islands, countless tidepools brimming with sea life, bald eagles aplenty and even the possible sightings of gray whales make this a pleasurable trip.

Upper Lena Lake may possibly render hikers speechless with its beauty and open views. The trail up to Lena Lake will certainly leave hikers breathless with its intense steep ascent. Lower Lena Lake is much less strenuous.

These three lakes lie within small, rocky basins at the head of Oval Creek. Subalpine larches eke out a living here, at nearly 7,000 feet. The lakes have great camping and offer fun exploration with loads of views from Oval Pass.

At the head of a valley slides Spider Glacier, Washington's easiest glacier to explore. Nearly a mile long but not more than 150 feet across, Spider Glacier ends at scenic Spider Gap, with views of the North Cascades. Few trails this scenic are this easy.

West Cady Ridge is blessed with miles of wide open big-sky meadows. The views are supreme from nearly every inch of the trail, which rides the crest of the ridge straight to PCT. And to top it all off is the panoramic vista from atop Benchmark Mountain.

For those who endure the long, hard hike to reach the Necklace Valley, ample compensation awaits. The Necklace Valley hosts a string of handsome lakes dotting a narrow, high valley. On nearly all sides are rocky slopes and ridges, where patches of snow linger late into summer.

Nowhere is quite like the Enchantments; this is the Shangri-la of Washington hiking. This series of high basins is filled with lakes of unsurpassed quality, with acres of subalpine parkland. No trail description can ever do justice to the true beauty of the Enchantments.

Backcountry trekkers, this is the hike for you. Salmo Loop explores the old-growth forests of Salmo River while also climbing to the peak of Snowy Top, a 7,500 foot peak that's actually in Idaho. The route feels as if it's some of the deepest wilderness in the country for a reason: It is.

The meadows of Summerland and Ohanapecosh Park lie on either side of Panhandle Gap. Above, the ancient volcano of Little Tahoma stands before its big sister, Mount Rainier. Traveling this high country via Wonderland Trail at White River is a diverse and scenic trip.

After climbing into the subalpine with miles of views, the trail finds beautiful but cold Goat Lake. Guarantees are rare, but it's likely that you'll see mountain goats on the high ridges surrounding the lake in the evening. So if you're after goats, wildflowers or views, Goat Ridge is your hike.