Information about this hike provided in partnership with
Mountaineers Books.
Copyright © Dan A. Nelson/The Mountaineers Books Iron Horse Trail: The Tunnel
Featured In:
Day Hiking: Snoqualmie Region,
by Dan A. Nelson and Alan L. Bauer.
A portion of all book sales from the links above benefits WTA and helps protect and maintain our trails. Find the trail on the south side of the parking area, and turn west to hike along the open railroad trail until you reach the eastern portal to the tunnel. Stop and recheck your flashlight batteries before diving into the darkness. You might also want to pull on your sweater before you go in so you don't have to fumble in the darkness. It can be 100 degrees Fahrenheit outside on a bright, sunny day, but underground the temperature drops into the 50s. The dampness makes it feel even colder. Also, note that the tunnel is gated November 1 through May 1 for safety reasons. Giant icicles form in the tunnel during the cold winter months, creating massive spears that could threaten the unwary.
Driving Directions:
From Seattle drive east on I-90 to exit 54. Turn east (left) on State Route 906, and in 0.5 mile turn right on Keechelus Lake Boat Launch Road. In about 200 feet turn right to access the trailhead parking area. Recent Trip Reports
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Iron Horse Trail: The Tunnel
— Oct 15, 2011
— RnCnT
Day hike
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Day hike/bike ride for dad, mom and 7 yo son. Trail condition was excellent. Tunnel is very dark. We used...
Day hike/bike ride for dad, mom and 7 yo son. Trail condition was excellent. Tunnel is very dark. We used head-lamps and had back up flashlights. Started at parking lot at Hyak and rode approximately .5 mile to tunnel entrance. Lots of traffic heading west. Small drips in several locations from the ceiling; however not enough to get a person wet. The deeper you travel into the tunnel the cooler it gets. Be sure to LAYER CLOTHING.
Our son did fairly well, especially considering he is just learning to ride w/o training wheels. Unfortunately too many big kids making creepy noises did their toll on our son. He ended up getting so spooked that he wanted to turn back. My husband continued on to the other side of the tunnel as I slowly trekked back east with our boy. He was getting even more spooked walking and I did notice that riding was easier on his nerves. Later, my husband told us we were about .25 mile from the end when we turned around. We will definitely be back when he's older! Such a neat trail!! We continued our "train" weekend by a stay at the Iron Horse Inn B&B in South Cle Elum where we took the narrative trail. Overall we enjoyed the trail and would easily recommend it to others.
Iron Horse Trail: The Tunnel
— Sep 04, 2011
— Whitedog
Day hike
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The tunnel is in great shape and a nice outing on a hot day. There was heavy bike traffic...
The tunnel is in great shape and a nice outing on a hot day. There was heavy bike traffic and foot traffic, and a brave group using the phones as their flashlights -- probably not the best idea. Plenty of parking.
Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
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Started Out at the 2.3 mile tunnel at 5 miles we seen a brown bear cub, crossed three trestles at...
Started Out at the 2.3 mile tunnel at 5 miles we seen a brown bear cub, crossed three trestles at one trestle we seen an old box car that derailed long time ago, came upon a couple of nice little campsites half way through, we went 20 miles down to North Bend, one area there were rock climbers.
Iron Horse Trail: The Tunnel
— Jul 05, 2011
— joneskari
Day hike
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FYI The tunnel had a grand reopening on July 5th, 2011...
FYI The tunnel had a grand reopening on July 5th, 2011
Iron Horse - Tunnel
— Jul 07, 2009
— Hiker1834
Day hike
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This tunnel has been closed indefinitely. Due to the risk of falling debris tunnels 46 through 50 — from...
This tunnel has been closed indefinitely. Due to the risk of falling debris tunnels 46 through 50 — from Thorp, in Kittitas County, westward to Snoqualmie Pass — will be closed according to the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. They need an estimated $9 million dollars in repairs and are not expected to re-open anytime soon.
Here is a link to the Seattle Times article: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/[…]/2008691509_trail31m.html Day hike
Issues:
Snow on trail
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Like last winter, unusually heavy snows have accumulated at low elevation in the Cascades---not so great for hiking, but a...
Like last winter, unusually heavy snows have accumulated at low elevation in the Cascades---not so great for hiking, but a real opportunity for cross country skiing in normally snow-free places. I did a 5 mile ski on the Iron Horse trail from Rattlesnake Lake to Ragnar site. About one foot of snow covered the trail right from the start, and it only got deeper farther up the hill. The snow conditions were pretty good for skiing, especially beyond the Cedar Butte trail, where there was less trampling by snowshoers and booters. As a bonus, other skiers had set a decent track much of the way. The Iron Horse trailhead parking lot was not plowed; be careful about driving low-slung cars there.
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Entrance to the Snoqualmie Tunnel, Iron Horse State Park. Photo by Alan Bauer.
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