Take These 5 Ghost Town Hikes In Washington If You Dare

Need an outdoor experience that’s a little unorthodox? Not only will hiking through one of our many ghost towns put you in a spooky state of mind, but you’ll be able to burn off some of the energy buzz (and calories) you've likely got going on. Let's get outside, enjoy the outdoors, and embark upon some of the best hikes in Washington for those of us who like things a little spooky.

1. Bordeaux

Bordeaux sits on Mima Creek, south of Olympia. This was one of the longest-lived logging company towns in the Pacific Northwest, but now all you’ll find there are building foundations and walls. Park on the side of Bordeaux Road SW when you see an old concrete structure. That structure is an old bank vault that was once part of a hotel. The trail through this town is only half a mile round trip, so this is a great place to visit if you have other Halloween plans.

2. Liberty

Liberty, which you’ll find in the Central Cascades near Ellensburg, is a living ghost town. It was a popular gold rush town in the 1870s, but now very few people call it home. The trail begins by the roadside and you can cover the one-mile grounds easily.

3. Franklin

Located on the south slope of the West Cascades, Franklin is an old coal mining town. Follow the old railroad grade into the "town," which consists of a cemetery, sealed mine shaft and some coal cart tracks. It’s an easy 2.5-mile loop, and you’ll walk along the Green River near Black Diamond.

4. Wellington

We saved the spookiest for one of the last. To reach Wellington, which was founded in 1893 at the west portal of the Cascade Tunnel along the Great Northern Railway, you must walk the Iron Goat Trail near Stevens Pass. This trail is known for being haunted, and for good reason. In 1910, a passenger trail and a mail train were stuck at the Wellington Depot waiting out a blizzard when an avalanche hit the trains, swept everything downhill and killed 96 people. The entire loop is 5.5 miles, but you can take the eastern portion if you only have time for 2 miles.

5. Copper City

Head down Chinook Pass on Highway 410 and turn right onto Bumping River Road to reach Copper City, which was once the center of mining activity in Yakima County. The founders of the town were hoping for a boom when the railroad came through, but sadly the tracks were never put down. Take the old mine-to-market road to town and back for a nice, short 1.5-mile walk.

Would you go on a ghost town hike? What would you say are some of the best hikes in Washington? If you prefer to stay in your car, you can always go on a road trip of Washington's abandoned places!