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Rattlesnake Ledge

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You won't find better views anywhere else this close to Seattle. Rattlesnake Ledge is a monolithic block of rock on the eastern end of Rattlesnake Ridge, towering high over the cool waters of Rattlesnake Lake and the Snoqualmie River valley. Looking up from the trailhead, the site is daunting--the rock face looks sheer and impregnable. Fortunately, the cliff face isn't too broad, and hearty Washington Trails Association volunteers have carved a path through the steep forests flanking the rock face. Indeed, the original trail, which was daunting in its own right, has been largely replaced with a new, more secure pathway.

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.

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Note: the description and driving directions for this Mountaineers Books entry are copyrighted and can't be changed.

Recent Trip Reports

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There are 264 trip reports for this hike. See all trip reports for this hike.
Rattlesnake Ledge — May 20, 2013 — Surviving Urban
Day hike
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Another early morning found us at the trail head around 430am. We were looking for a relaxing hike a...
Another early morning found us at the trail head around 430am. We were looking for a relaxing hike and enjoyed our time. The trail as you may guess is in good shape. We went to the third ledge where we broke out the camp stools, coffee and bacon. Good times even with lots of clouds.

For more on this hike visit http://survivingurban.com/rattlesnake-ledge-am/
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Rattlesnake Ledge, East Rattlesnake Mountain — May 19, 2013 — cyleriggs
Day hike
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Arrived around 3PM at the parking lot by the lake, found it completely full and found scarce parking...
Arrived around 3PM at the parking lot by the lake, found it completely full and found scarce parking on the roadside nearby.

We hiked up to the first ledge, with a herd of people passing us coming down the mountain, of which only a couple people yielded to uphill traffic. Most people seemed ill-prepared, lacking packs and in most cases not even carrying water (I observed one group that didn't even bother to have their children wear socks under their sneakers). The edge of the trail has become littered with abandoned clothing (probably because folks don't bring along a pack to stash layers of clothing).

Around 4PM most of the herd had made it down and the trail was quite enjoyable again. We hiked past the crowded first ledge and viewed instead from the second and third ledge. Above the first ledge the trail was not crowded at all and we were able to sit and have an enjoyable dinner viewing the valley. It was much windier up this way so we had to put on some extra clothing at this point.

We hung out up top long enough that we nearly had the trail to ourselves as we hiked down. Two dogs and their respective two human companions had a great day despite the mob of suburban trail invaders. It seems on days like this wearing a backpack makes one appear as some kind of park ranger as we were asked many hilarious questions like "How far up does this trail go?" and "Does this trail get steep?".
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Rattlesnake Ledge — May 12, 2013 — alison
Day hike
Issues: No water source
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beautiful hike, it was cloudy but we were glad it wasn't hot -- pretty busy. as other reviewers have...
beautiful hike, it was cloudy but we were glad it wasn't hot -- pretty busy. as other reviewers have said; clean bathrooms, no water, great hike. wish we brought bug spray-- got to the top, sat down, started getting bit.
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Rattlesnake Ledge — May 11, 2013 — mxmom
Day hike
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Perfect weather for a day hike, about 75 degrees, maybe a little hazy. Hiked the round trip to the p...
Perfect weather for a day hike, about 75 degrees, maybe a little hazy. Hiked the round trip to the peak and boy was it worth it! About when I thought I couldn't male it much further a young boy ran past me squealing "The Sky's the limit"! It was a little grueling for an inexperienced hiker...no an unfit person, like me. But besides being a little out of breath, I did great and the reward was a view I will never forget! Being a beautiful weekend day, the trail was crowded but everyone was polite. After my little dog and I returned to the bottom we both refreshed our feet in the lake. Great day!
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Rattlesnake Ledge — May 10, 2013 — ZeeMox
Day hike
Issues: Bugs
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This is probably the most rewarding payoff for the difficulty of the hike and its distance from Seat...
This is probably the most rewarding payoff for the difficulty of the hike and its distance from Seattle. Pretty great views, extremely well-maintained trail, and no passes required. That said, it was super crowded, even mid-day on a weekday. If you're looking for an escape into nature, keep looking, but this is a killer hike if you just want an easy way to end up somewhere beautiful.
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RattlesnakeTrail.jpg
Location
Snoqualmie Pass -- North Bend Area
Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Snoqualmie Ranger District, North Bend office
Statistics
Roundtrip 4.0 miles
Elevation Gain 1160 ft
Highest Point 2078 ft
Features
Lakes
Old growth
Mountain views
Ridges/passes
User info
Good for kids
Dogs allowed on leash
No pass or permit required
Guidebooks & Maps
Day Hiking: Snoqualmie Pass (Nelson & Bauer - Mountaineers Books)
Green Trails Rattlesnake Mountain/Upper Snoqualmie Valley No. 205S

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Note: the description and driving directions for this Mountaineers Books entry are copyrighted and can't be changed.

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Red MarkerRattlesnake Ledge
47.43345 -121.767533333
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