Along I-90, as you head East into the Cascade Mountains, just beyond the town of North Bend, Rattlesnake Ridge has always been a crazy busy choice for hiking. It’s too close to Seattle, so it is overrun on weekends. It is only 2 miles (give or take) to Rattlesnake Ledge; it’s just easy enough for the masses. But parking at the lot isn’t easy. If you don’t get there early, good luck on finding a spot.
Instead, we decided to do an early thru-hike from Snoqualmie Point trailhead, doing the Rattlesnake Traverse and ending at the trailhead for Rattlesnake Ledge. To do this, we needed 2 cars. We dropped the first one off at Rattlesnake Ledge early in the morning. Take I-90 to Exit 32. Go south on 436th Ave. SE, turning into Cedar Falls Rd. SE – follow this main road 3.1 miles to the parking area for Rattlesnake Lake. You will need a NW Forest Pass to park here.
Then we got back on I-90 and returned to exit 27 for Snoqualmie Point, which had only a few cars. The trailhead is at the end of the road.
The Rattlesnake Mountain Traverse was finished in 2007, finally becoming a real trail, and not just a hodge podge of old logging roads.
Being early in the season we still had snow to deal with, but it was very compact. We did not need snowshoes. As you climb up you eventually get views starting. There was power lines we crossed under near here.
This early in the season, we couldn’t visit Stan’s Overlook (picnic tables!), but we could see Mt. Si across the valley.
An old logging road to the right, that was passed. It had a stellar view of Mount Rainier due to the old clearcut.
Trail signs, under the heaviest snow.
As we reached the top of the slog, we really had nice views of Mt. Si and North Bend across the valley, and the Cascade Mountains in the distance.
There was snow still hiding deep in the forest, but eventually, we left it behind.
The first views of Chester Morse Lake.
The ridge between I-90 and Chester Morse Lake.
Selfie with Chester Morse Lake in the distance, above my right shoulder is Rattlesnake Ledge, full of hikers. Down below is the dried beach of Rattlesnake Lake.
We had seen almost no other hikers for miles, but once we reached the top of Rattlesnake Ledge it got very busy. As we dropped down quickly on the trail, it was snow free and a line of hikers heading uphill.
The typical forest of the lowland ridges of the Cascade Mountain foothills.
Trail sign near the Rattlesnake Lake parking area.
The old trailhead sign, where the mileage is considerably different. The first time I hiked to Rattlesnake Ledge was in the spring of 2003, and it was before the trail was rebuilt, and it was shorter then.
After picking up the first car, we headed into North Bend and treated ourselves to an icy cold frappe and a bad-for-me chocolate pie. I think I earned it. Our best guess was 10.5 miles.
Did you know you can connect to the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail from Rattlesnake Lake? And hike all the way to Snoqualmie Pass (and across part of Eastern Washington). See here for when I hiked the Western side.
~Sarah