How to Avoid Crowds While Hiking Near Seattle

Sheep Lake Trail, empty on a weekend in late September

A practical playbook for quieter trails without waking up at 4 a.m.

If you hike within 90 minutes of Seattle, crowds are inevitable — unless you change how you approach hiking altogether.

Most people optimize for the same variables: weekends, peak season, early mornings, famous trails. That creates predictable congestion. This article is about flipping that script.

These are the strategies I actually use to avoid crowds — not by chasing obscure destinations, but by making smarter decisions about when, how, and why I hike.

1. Hike on weekdays whenever possible

This one is obvious, but it’s also the most effective.

If you have any flexibility at all, a weekday hike will almost always feel like a different experience than the same hike on a Saturday or Sunday. Parking is easier. Trails are quieter. You don’t feel rushed or boxed in.

If you can only hike on weekends, don’t give up — just lean harder on the rest of the strategies below.

2. Embrace the off-season, shoulder season, and winter

Almost no one on the mountain at Ira Spring Trail (45 minutes outside of Seattle) on a Saturday in early December

Peak summer isn’t the only time to hike — and often it’s not the best time.

Some of my favorite hikes happen:

In late fall, after the first snow
In early spring, when snow lingers but roads are still open
In winter, when trails empty out completely

I go deep on this philosophy in my pillar on the art of the shoulder season hike, which explains how to time hikes between seasons when conditions are shifting but crowds haven’t arrived yet.

The biggest mistake people make is assuming hiking is a summer-only activity. That mindset alone filters out 80% of trail traffic.

3. Hike later in the day (what I call “second shifting”)

This is one of my favorite tactics.

Hiking has become an arms race to arrive earlier and earlier in the morning. Instead of competing in that race, I opt out.

Here’s why hiking later works:

Early hikers are finishing just as you’re arriving
Parking spots open up, even at busy trailheads
Trails often get quieter as the day goes on
You experience golden hour instead of harsh midday light

By the time you’re on your descent, many trails are nearly empty.

I talk more about this approach — especially how it pairs with light, timing, and safety — in my pillar on sunset hiking and golden hour strategy.

4. Seek out sleeper hikes

Empty trails at Mt. Rainier’s Pinnacle Peak in early October

Some trails are crowded because everyone knows about them. Others are crowded because they’re easy to find.

And then there are sleeper hikes — trails that are underrated, overlooked, or only shine in specific seasons.

Finding these takes a bit more research and judgment, but the payoff is huge. Instead of competing for space on the most famous routes, you let those crowds absorb themselves elsewhere.

I maintain a dedicated list of these in my Sleeper Hikes in Washington pillar, which focuses on under-the-radar trails and off-timing advantages.

5. Be willing to drive a little farther

Distance matters.

The farther you get from Seattle, the fewer casual hikers you’ll encounter. This doesn’t mean driving five hours — sometimes another 30–60 minutes is enough to dramatically thin crowds.

That said, some destinations are simply crowded no matter what:

National parks during peak season
Iconic fall foliage hikes
Prime wildflower zones in midsummer

The goal isn’t to eliminate crowds everywhere — it’s to avoid predictable congestion when you can.

6. Learn a new outdoor sport (and get the gear)

Backcountry cross country skiing on Kendall Lakes Trail

Barriers to entry matter.

The moment a trail requires something beyond basic hiking — even something small — the number of people drops fast.

Examples:

Snowshoeing or snow hiking with traction
Cross-country or backcountry skiing
Alpine touring
Mountain biking
Paddle access via kayak or SUP

Winter is already quieter than summer. Adding even minimal gear opens up terrain where you may see almost no one.

The same is true in summer: mountain biking trails and paddle-access routes are often shockingly uncrowded compared to hiking trails nearby.

7. Backpack, camp, or car camp (if you’re open to it)

Camping at Mt Baker in August on the Chain Lakes Loop

This isn’t for everyone — but it’s one of the most reliable crowd filters.

Backpacking allows you to:

Get farther from trailheads
Experience trails early or late in the day
Share space only with other backpackers (a much smaller group)

If backpacking isn’t appealing, car camping can achieve many of the same benefits:

Early or late trail access
No rush to drive home
More flexibility with timing and conditions

Just make sure overnight parking is allowed and follow all local regulations.

Final thought: crowds are predictable — and avoidable

Crowds aren’t random. They follow patterns:

Time
Season
Popularity
Accessibility

Once you understand those patterns, you don’t need secret hikes — you just need better strategy.

Most people hike where everyone else hikes.
I focus on when and how I hike instead.

If you adopt even a few of these tactics, your experience on the trail will change immediately — without waking up earlier, hiking harder, or driving farther than you want to.