Local Hike Recommendations

You will need passes to access many of these hikes; the required passes can be purchased at R.E.I. in Issaquah or the Chevron in North Bend. For the Twin Falls hike, you can purchase your pass at the trailhead with a credit card.

Franklin Falls
Hiking with kids, new to hiking, or just looking for an easy day hike with a spectacular endpoint? Look no further then Franklin Falls!
  • Views: Waterfall
  • Total Mileage: 2.0
  • Elevation gain: 400 ft.
  • Highest Point: 2,600 ft.
  • Pass Required: NW Forest Pass
  • Directions: I-90 East to exit 47 Denny Creek/Tinkham Road. At the top of the exit ramp, turn left and cross over the freeway. Go 0.2 miles and turn right at the stop sign onto Forest Road 58. The road crosses under the freeway, after driving 0.2 miles, turn left. Continue straight on for 2.9 miles and about a half mile past the Denny Creek Campground there is a large paved parking lot on the right that can accommodate about 60 cars. The trailhead can be accessed via a trail that begins near the bulletin board in the parking lot. There is ADA parking available nearer the Franklin Falls Trailhead. Be sure to have a placard; parking patrols are on and will ticket violators.
! Take Note!
In winter, the county often closes the Denny Creek road about 2.5 miles before the Franklin Falls trailhead. Visitors can park at the closure (as long as they are safely off the road) and walk to the trailhead.
Twin Falls
Visit a trio (yes, trio) of waterfalls just off I-90 on this sure-to-please short trail! It is easy to miss the stairs to the best view of the waterfall, so look at photos in our blog before you go. :)
  • Views: Old growth and waterfalls
  • Total Mileage: 3.5
  • Elevation gain: 500 ft.
  • Highest Point: 1,000 ft.
  • Pass Required: Discover Pass
  • Directions: I-90 East to exit 34 Turn right at the end of the exit ramp onto 468th Avenue SE, and proceed a little more than 1/2 mile to SE 159th Street. Turn left and continue another 1/2 mile where the road dead ends in the Twin Falls parking lot.
Rattlesnake Ledge
This is a fine hike on a well-maintained, yet busy trail through a cool forest with views of the Cedar River watershed, Mount Si, Mount Washington, Rattlesnake Lake and Chester Morse Lake.
  • Views: Rattlesnake Lake and Snoqualmie Valley
  • Total Mileage: 4.0
  • Elevation gain: 1,160 ft.
  • Highest Point: 2,078 ft.
  • Pass Required: None
  • Directions: I-90 East to exit 32, for 436th Avenue SE. Turn right onto 436th Avenue SE, also signed as Cedar Falls Road SE. Proceed about 4 miles down the road to the Rattlesnake Lake parking lot on the right.
Little Si
Companion piece to neighbor and big brother Mount Si, the small rocky bluff known as Little Si is a moderate grade 4.7 mile trail located in the hike rich North Bend area. Although relatively steep inclines bookend this hike, this primarily North/South route is perfect for beginners who are looking to get back in shape, while still accommodating veterans with opportunities to cut away on the Boulder Garden Loop (at .3 miles and .5 miles) to merge with the more challenging Mount Si trail.
  • Views: Mountains and Snoqualmie Valley
  • Total Mileage: 4.7
  • Elevation gain: 1,300 ft.
  • Highest Point: 1,550 ft.
  • Pass Required: Discover Pass
  • Directions: I-90 East to exit 32 for 436th Ave SE and turn left. Head 0.5 miles on 436 Ave SE and take a left on SE North Bend Way. Proceed 0.3 miles and turn right on SE Mount Si Road. The main parking lot for Little Si will be 0.4 miles on your left as the road straightens out after the bend (if you pass 439 Pl SE or 440 PL SE, you have driven too far).
! Take Note!
There is an overflow parking lot west of the main lot tucked into SE Mt Si Rd and 434 Ave SE. There is a trail connecting the two. Be warned that both lots may be full on weekends. There are two toilets in the main parking just off the trailhead.
Chirico Trail to Poo-Poo Point
Hike a short but steep trail with many stone steps. Pause at a viewpoint offering a fine view of Mount Rainier, then continue on to Poo Poo Point itself, only 1.9 miles from the trailhead. Enjoy views to the northwest, and perhaps watch paragliders sailing off into the sky.
  • Views: Mt. Rainier, paragliders and Issaquah
  • Total Mileage: 3.8
  • Elevation gain: 1,760 ft.
  • Highest Point: 1,850 ft.
  • Pass Required: None
  • Directions: I-90 West towards Issaquah to exit 17 (Front Street) and head south on Front Street through the old part of town. At the south end of town, Front Street changes names to Issaquah Hobart Road.3.1 miles from I-90, turn into the large gravel parking area on the left adjacent to the paraglider landing field.
! Take Note!
Portable toilets may be available at the south end of the parking area. There is no regular source of water here. This side of the field is King County land, and it is not necessary to display a Discover Pass. There is no posted time limit.
Snow Lake
A relatively short and moderate hike within a stone’s throw of Seattle, Snow Lake delivers splendorous alpine scenery – crystal clear waters, towering peaks – at a mere pittance of sweat and toil. Just don’t expect to have the trail to yourself &ndah; Snow Lake is Washington’s most heavily-used trail in a wilderness area!
  • Views: Alpine Mountain Lake
  • Total Mileage: 7.2
  • Elevation gain: 1,800 ft.
  • Highest Point: 4,400 ft.
  • Pass Required: NW Forest Pass
  • Directions: I-90 East to exit 52, signed for Snoqualmie Pass West. Turn left (north), crossing under the freeway. Take the second right, traveling 1.3 miles to the end of the road at the Alpental Ski Area parking lot.
! Take Note!
In winter, avalanche Danger is extreme on the Snow Lake Trail. Have past experience with travel in avalanche terrain before hiking here when snow is present.
Ira Spring/Mason Lake
With sun drenched ridgelines, blooming trillium, and sparkling alpine waters, you do not want to miss this gem!
  • Views: Mountains and lake
  • Total Mileage: 6.5
  • Elevation gain: 2450 ft.
  • Highest Point: 4,320 ft.
  • Pass Required: NW Forest Pass
  • Directions: I-90 East to exit 45. Turn left and cross under the highway, then veer left onto FR-9030. About one mile from the exit, stay left at the fork onto Mason Lake Road, FR-9031. Park in the lot at the end of this road, 3.8 miles from the highway. There is a toilet at the trailhead.
Denny Creek/Melakwa Lake
The way to Melakwa Lake is like two different trails: first a wide gentle trail through old growth forest beneath an elevated and noisy Interstate freeway. And second, a rocky steep trail that follows a waterfall and a precipitous gorge upstream to get to a pair of clear alpine lakes flanked by rocky peaks. Is it about the journey or the destination? You decide.
  • Views: Waterfalls and lake
  • Total Mileage: 8.5
  • Elevation gain: 2,500 ft.
  • Highest Point: 4,600 ft.
  • Pass Required: NW Forest Pass
  • Directions: I-90 East to exit 47 Denny Creek/Tinkham Road. At the top of the exit ramp, turn left and cross over the freeway. Go 0.2 miles and turn right at the stop sign onto Forest Road 58. The road crosses under the freeway, after driving 0.2 miles, turn left. Continue straight on for 2.4 miles and take a left just after Denny Creek Campground, passing the Franklin Falls trailhead. The road here is fairly potholed so use caution. While some people may be parked here, continue on, crossing a bridge. Past the bridge, it's just 0.2 miles to the trailhead, where the parking lot can accommodate about 30 cars. If that lot is full, turn around back to the intersection near Denny Creek Campground. Turn left, and about a half mile past the Denny Creek Campground, there is a large paved parking lot on the right that can accommodate about 60 cars.
! Take Note!
* For safety and access reasons, the county has closed the Denny Creek road ~ 2.5 miles before the Franklin Falls trailhead. Visitors can park at the closure as long as they are safely off the road and walk the road to the trailhead.
* During high water season, the trail is “Impassible” at the water slide (1 mile in).
Mount Si
There are many reasons – besides its proximity to Seattle – why Mount Si is one of the most popular hikes in the state: beautiful views, wildlife (some of it not so wild), old growth forest, and a dramatic summit worthy of a more remote peak.
  • Views: Mountains, Snoqualmie Valley and Seattle
  • Total Mileage: 8.0
  • Elevation gain: 3,150 ft.
  • Highest Point: 3,900
  • Pass Required: Discover Pass
  • Directions: I-90 East to exit 32. Turn left onto 436th Ave SE. Follow 436th to its end at SE North Bend Way. Turn left at 0.3 of a mile, then turn right onto SE Mt. Si Road. Follow it 2.4 miles. Entrance to the trailhead will be on the left.
! Take Note!
This lot is patrolled regularly. Don’t forget your Discover Pass!
Mailbox Peak
The Department of Natural Resources created a new trail to the summit to increase the safety of the hikers. Steep, yet incredibly rewarding! Experienced hikers!
  • Views: Mountains, Snoqualmie Valley and Seattle
  • Total Mileage: 9.4
  • Elevation gain: 4,000 ft.
  • Highest Point: 4,822 ft.
  • Pass Required: Discover Pass
  • Directions: I-90 East to exit 34. Head north on 468th Ave SE for approximately half a mile until the intersection with the SE Middle Fork Road. Turn right onto the Middle Fork Road. Follow SE Middle Fork Road 2.2 miles to the stop sign at the junction with SE Dorothy Lake Road. Head left onto SE Middle Fork Road and drive .3 miles. Take the turnoff to the trailhead on the right and continue a short distance up the paved road to the paved parking lot with 40 spots and a vault toilet.
Information found in these trails descriptions is from wta.org. Please visit this website before completing any hike as it has the most up-to-date information!