Mountains & Skiing
Kirkland benefits from an unparalleled and spectacular location for mountain enthusiasts.
Perched on the shores of Lake Washington, it is ringed by two majestic mountain ranges; the Cascade Mountain Range to the east, and the Olympic Mountain Range to the far west.
Views abound from the comfort of your hotel room or waterside café, but for those who hanker to experience the joy of mountainside adventure, mountain madness activities of all varieties are less than an hour away from Kirkland. Base yourself at one of Kirkland’s fabulous hotels and foray off for a day of hiking, mountain biking, waterfall spotting (with an exquisite brunch) or skiing in one of the world’s most beautiful outdoor recreation areas.
Innumerable trails of all difficulty levels and access criss-cross the Cascade Mountain range just to the east of Kirkland, and provide a deep green escape to adventure seekers during every season of the year. In winter, skiing, Nordic skiing, snowshoeing and snowboarding are as close as Snoqualmie Pass and the Summit at Snoqualmie recreation area, a mere 55 minutes from downtown Kirkland. Miles of groomed trails await the alpine adventurer, and the slopes are open until 9 pm most days of the week.
Day trip possibilities to the mountains from Kirkland are too many to name and number. A few stand out for being extremely popular and accessible to explorers of all varieties. Top among these are Snoqualmie Falls one of the Pacific Northwest’s most extraordinary scenic attractions. Hiking abounds in the mountains and foothills of Snoqualmie Pass as well. All Trails provides excellent, up-to-the-minute user accounts of hikes and trail conditions. Mount Rainier National Park is the region’s most iconic natural landmark and reachable in under two hours. Similarly, the North Cascades National Park --less than two hours’ drive from Kirkland--is a boundless wilderness mecca, but many of its natural treasures are accessible to voyeurs of all ages and abilities.