Cedar Butte may be the least visited mountain in the Snoqualmie Pass corridor. The smallish butte stands between the popular Rattlesnake Lake and the remote Chester Morse Lake in the Cedar River watershed area. This butte's lack of popularity, though, has more to do with its lack of publicity than its dearth of scenery. Indeed, Cedar Butte offers plenty of scenic spectacle.

From the trailhead, start east along the wide ribbon of the Iron Horse Trail. When you reach Boxley Creek, you have another 0.25 mile or so before finding the start of the well-established path (about 1 mile from the parking area) up Cedar Butte. Turn right (south) onto the sometimes-signed Cedar Butte Trail.

Signage is only "sometimes" because this is technically an unofficial trail--the signs are installed and maintained by unauthorized volunteers rather than official agency staff. Still, even if the signs are down, the trail gets enough use and maintenance that it is easy to find if you look for it.

After leaving the Iron Horse, you'll cross an old logged-over area, then climb steeply up the face of Cedar Butte. Once at the summit, enjoy the expansive views to the north--Mount Si, Teneriffe, and Mailbox stand tall on the horizon.