Mount Ellinor

3.2 miles round trip

The work: A short climb from the upper trailhead, which cuts 900 feet of elevation from the short and near-vertical Olympics trail.  The payoff: Puget Sound vistas and a popular mountain goat hangout.

Tiger Mountain

7.5 miles round trip

The work: A gentle ascent from a trailhead right in town on the Poo Poo Point trail, one of many Tiger routes. The payoff: A front-row seat to the launch ramp for paragliders that sail down into Issaquah.

Mount Pilchuck

6 miles round trip

The work: Rocky uphill miles through boulder fields with little shade. The payoff: Views of the Central Cascades and a cool old wooden lookout.

Granite Mountain

8.6 miles round trip

The work: Repetitive turns under avalanche chutes (in winter) or berry bushes (summer), this side of Snoqualmie Pass. The payoff: A sometimes-open fire lookout perched on the treeless, steep field of boulders on top.

Rock Mountain

11 miles round trip

The work: Switchbacks upon switchbacks and a few more switchbacks after that, starting just beyond Stevens Pass. The payoff: Views from almost 7,000 feet, plus a workout that undoes a week of snacking.