Rattlesnake Mountain hike

Yesterday the Northern Rangers headed out to enjoy the colors of fall on a hike on Rattlesnake Mountain near Snoqualmie, Washington.



View our previous hike report of Rattlesnake Ledge from earlier this year here.

Rattlesnake Ledge Trail

Today the Northern Rangers headed up Rattlesnake Ledge Trail outside of North Bend, Washington.
The hike starts at Rattlesnake Lake and has an elevation gain of 1,175 feet over two miles. So it's fairly steep but by no means difficult to the average active person.

Following the trail you'll find a number of switchbacks and a fairly constant uphill grade.
However, you'll also find a large number of people on the trail because of how close the trailhead is to Seattle and I-90.

The picture to the left shows Rattlesnake Ledge overflowing with people.

However, the trail doesn't end at Rattlesnake Ledge and as of 2007, now goes all the way to the old Snoqualmie Brewery at Exit 27 off I-90. So for a bit more peaceful turnaround point hikers can follow the trail up a little higher and still enjoy the great views but without the circus shown in the other picture. (see below photo)

Hiking Time to Rattlesnake Ledge: 45 mins to 1 hour
Miles: 4 Round trip
Elevation gain: 1,175 feet

How to get there

On I-90 east take Exit 32 (436th Avenue SE) just past the exits to North Bend. Turn right off the exit, heading south on 436th Ave SE which turns into Cedar Falls Road. In about three miles you'll see the parking lots. Follow the signs posted for Rattlesnake Lake.

Mount Si closing

There was an article that ran in the Seattle Times yesterday that talked about how to help save costs, the state is considering closing over 20 trails and campgrounds across Washington.

This list includes a number of local trails that I have either hiked, or are planning to hike in the near future. The big ones on the list are Mount Si, Little Si and Rattlesnake trails.

The Northern Rangers shot a video up on Mount Si last year. This photo shows us on the Mount Si trail early last year. And yes, that is back when I had long hair.

These three trails serve over half a million hikers each year.

Outdoor recreation groups will lobby the 2010 Legislature when it convenes today in Olympia to find the $276,000 in general fund money necessary to keep the trails and recreation areas open.

And don't think that Eastern Washington is out of the mix. The Lake Spokane campground, which is very popular during the summer months and sees about 30,000 visitors annually, is also on the chopping block.

I think these are some of the dumbest moves the state could be considering making right now. In these tough economic times individuals and families are traveling less. This means that this year's summer trips will probably involve hiking and camping for many Northwest families. The closure of these trails and campgrounds will only increase the traffic at other places.

What does that mean? More traffic (both foot and car) in local outdoors areas will cause other trails to deteriorate faster. Awesome.

But what can we do?

The Washington Trails Association site provided a link so that you can contact your state senator and local lawmakers.

Also, February 3rd is Hiker Lobby Day in Olympia. Here's a link to some FAQs about just exactly what Hiker Lobby Day is, as well as a link to register for the day.