Information about this hike provided in partnership with
Mountaineers Books.
Copyright © Dan A. Nelson/The Mountaineers Books Rattlesnake Ledge
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. From the parking lot, round the gate and walk the old road 0.25 mile to a grassy swath on the west side of Rattlesnake Lake. A well-signed path leads off to the right. The rebuilt trail climbs steeply from the get-go, gaining more than 1000 feet in just over 1.5 miles. Of course, the old trail made that gain in just 1 mile, so please keep the complaints to a minimum as you slog up the switchbacks. Those new hairpin turns add a little distance to the hike, but they also level the trail a tad, making it a bit easier on the thighs. After a seemingly endless upward march, you'll suddenly burst out of the forest onto the snout of the rock ledge. The views are unbelievable. Peer southeast into the rarely seen Cedar River watershed, with Chester Morse Lake dominating the close-in scenery. This big lake supplies Seattle with a significant portion of its drinking water. The rest of the watershed is filled with untrammeled forest--the watershed is closed to most human access to ensure that the water remains uncontaminated. Look farther east and you'll see the peaks leading to Snoqualmie Pass and, of course, massive Mount Si is just across the valley.
Driving Directions:
From Seattle drive 32 miles east on I-90 to exit 32 (436th Avenue SE). Turn right (south) on 436th Avenue SE (Cedar Falls Road SE) and drive about 4 miles to the well-developed Rattlesnake Lake parking area on the right. Recent Trip Reports
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Day hike
Issues:
Snow on trail
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It's a winter wonderland up on Rattlesnake Mountain right now. I hiked from Rattlesnake Lake park all the way to...
It's a winter wonderland up on Rattlesnake Mountain right now. I hiked from Rattlesnake Lake park all the way to the East Peak. Snow was continuous from the parking lot, 6" of slush at the bottom increasing to 2 to 3 feet on top of the East Peak. A thick icy crust underneath the fresh snow made snowshoes unnecessary, although I broke through the crust in a few spots.
The weather was surprisingly mild on top of the 3500' East Peak. The sun beamed brightly and there was little wind. I would have spent more time up there, but I had to rush back down to beat the rapidly setting sun. This was a fun hike despite my various pieces of malfunctioning hiking equipment: Wall Mart cam-lock poles that kept slipping (screws need tightening), Yak-Trax that kept falling off my boots, velcro-on gaiters that didn't keep the snow out, and cheap boots that got soaked with water. However, Lex, my dog, had fun, and he didn't need any high tech equipment at all. Trail maintenance needs: there is a lot of minor blowdown on the trail, but nothing that can't be removed with pruning saws. Day hike
Issues:
Blowdowns | Snow on trail
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Eight of us started out with the intention of a Rattlesnake Lake to Snoqualmie Point hike, but we suspected that...
Eight of us started out with the intention of a Rattlesnake Lake to Snoqualmie Point hike, but we suspected that we wouldn't be able to pull it off. Time and snow quality were arrayed against us: in particular, the mushiness of the snow was the major factor that slowed us down and made us reassess our goals.
There is snow at the Snoqualmie Point and Rattlesnake Lake trailheads. The main parking areas were closed. Some parking was available, and there were adequate spaces. We were able to navigate the slush in an Impala and a Forester, but not all cars may be suited to the current conditions. The roads to the trailheads are not problematic. Rattlesnake Lake was partially frozen. There were 3-4 inches of snow on the ground at the start; the snow was slushy and partially melted in places. The trail had a 5-6 inch covering of mushy snow, which hampered our upward progress. Three people turned back after one-quarter mile due to the trail conditions. It took about 90 minutes to reach the first ledge. The cloud level was at approximately 1800-2000 feet, with gusts of blowing snow, which limited visibility. We could occasionally glimpse the Lake and the base of Mount Washington from the lower reaches of the trail. There was about 1 foot of snow at the first ledge. We continued to the second and third ledges, with very limited views in those locations as well. We decided to turn back, due to the limited views and slow progress in the snow. The trip down was easier, but we did have to watch our footing. Poles were helpful. We did encounter a few other hikers, but not many: Rattlesnake Ledge sans crowds! There were small blowdowns along the way, which occasionally necessitated going off the trail to pass them. We estimate that we traveled a total of 6 miles with 1500 feet of elevation gain over a period of 4 hours. Day hike
Issues:
Snow on trail
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What happens when a soccer game is cancelled right after drinking a Red Bull... I drive like mad to get...
What happens when a soccer game is cancelled right after drinking a Red Bull... I drive like mad to get out for a hike before it gets dark. The drive out of Seattle was easy as the road ways were clear all the way to the parking lot. There was an est. of 2" inches of snow which was soft and wet; snow deepened to about 4". Up the trail was easy and took one hour from bottom to top at a fast than normal pace. Due to the windstorm the night before trees had fallen across the path yet easy to navigate around. Per the pictures low "hanging" clouds were found at the top of the ledge. One could look down unto the lake however could not look outwardly from the top. Take your time and enjoy the hike on a nice day.
Rattlesnake Ledge
— Jan 08, 2012
— Infrablue
Day hike
Issues:
Water on trail | No water source
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I hiked on Sunday 8th Jan. Wonderful weather and amazing views from the top. No snow on the trail or...
I hiked on Sunday 8th Jan. Wonderful weather and amazing views from the top. No snow on the trail or on the way.
We met lot of kids and hikers all along the way. This was my first visit and loved it. Day hike
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Beautiful views with clear sky's. No mud or water on the trail. No snow. A few bee's at the ledge...
Beautiful views with clear sky's. No mud or water on the trail. No snow. A few bee's at the ledge on the top. Lots of people - even kids in strollers.
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