A popular hike with better views than Little Si. Five miles round trip and lots of parking. What’s not to like?
Trailhead Location:
18006 Cedar Falls Rd, North Bend, WA
Trail Stats:
5 miles round trip from the parking lot. 1100 ft of elevation gain
Directions:
From Seattle, take I-90 East to exit 32. At the end of the off ramp, turn right. Drive 2.7 miles down the road to the entrance of the parking lot on your right. The lot is well signed.
Trail:
While there isn’t a lot to see as far as views go on the way up to Rattlesnake Ledge, the payoff at the end is big. Soaring views of Mt. Si, Little Si, and the surrounding town of North Bend make this trail a rewarding trip.
Once you drive in to the park you’ll see a sign pointing towards parking and overflow parking. For the purposes of this trail, park in the overflow parking. It’s actually a much easier walk from the overflow parking than it is from the regular parking. Walk down the road towards the regular parking and you will see a gate on your right and a sign for the Rattlesnake Ledge trail.
Approximately .2 miles down this wide gravel path, you’ll see a sign on the right at the actual beginning of the trail. From this point on you’ll be in the woods until you reach rattlesnake ledge. Here the trail starts its relentless march up hill. You’ll pass quite a few boulders in the beginning but otherwise it’s a forest walk for the next 1.9 miles. The trail is very well marked and it’s near impossible to get lost. A word of warning though, there are lots of dogs along this trail. So, be sure to watch out for wayward poop bags that the owners ‘forgot’ on the side of the trail.
After what seems like an eternity (which really amounts to about an hour worth of hiking), you’ll emerge out of the forest on to the ledge. Be careful in inclement weather as the rocks can get slippery and there’s a rather large crack that you can fall in. Enjoy the 200 degree view of the surrounding area and take a break for lunch. Once you’re done, head back the way you came.
[...] off ramp, turn right. Drive 2.8 miles down the road just past the entrance to the parking lot for Rattlesnake Ledge. The lot is on your [...]
[...] The trail continues through a couple switchbacks, but is otherwise fairly unremarkable. At around 1.7 miles the trail starts to flatten out, and you’re almost at the viewpoint. At 1.89 miles from the parking lot, you’ll be at the point we stopped. There’s a makeshift bench in the shade and a pretty awesome view to look at while you eat a snack. On a clear day, you’ll be able to see all the way to Issaquah and Renton. Closer by, there’s a nice view of Rattlesnake Ledge. [...]