If you've hiked to Rattlesnake Ledges and beyond from Rattlesnake Lake, this is a delightful alternative. Thanks to the handiwork of our colleagues in the trail community, you can now reach Rattlesnake Mountain from the west, starting from a new trailhead at Snoqualmie Point.

Expect more solitude on this approach, and enjoy the fantastic views out over the Snoqualmie Valley, Mount Si, Mount Teneriffe, North Bend and more. You can choose to hike to one of the pleasant viewpoints along the way, to Rattlesnake Mountain, or as a traverse all the way to Rattlesnake Lake (11 miles). The views are some of the best in the Cascade foothills and the trail can be hiked year-round, though it can be snowy in winter.

The trail was officially dedicated in June 2007, though people have been hiking along a mix of trail and logging roads for years. Now the trail winds its way through mostly second-growth forest, crossing a few logging roads and requiring just a few stints on old roads.

The trail follows I-90 fairly closely, but there are times you don't remember that it is there. Still, the reality of being in a managed forest does intrude - you do see and walk through clearcuts. Fortunately, the forest canopy does get more mature as you go, and there is a delightful progression of ecosystems along the way.

The first nice viewpoint is Stan's Overlook, about 2.5 miles in (elev. 2100'). You'll pass under the powerlines and continue gradually upward another 1/3 mile to an obvious signed trail to the left. Stan's Overlook has a picnic table and two benches. From there you can see Mt. Si and the Snoqualmie Valley. Next up, and a fine turn-around for those not traveling end-to-end, is Grand Prospect at about 4.9 miles. This precipice is due south of the town of North Bend. At six miles and 3500 feet is the high point of East Peak - great views abound from here! Then it is downhill to the Ledges (8 miles) and ending at Rattlesnake Lake (that is, if you've cached a car here).

This trail system is the result of thousands of hours of hard work by trail crews from Washington Conservation Corps, EarthCorps, and Washington Trails Association (WTA's handiwork was up to the Ledges from Rattlesnake Lake), all jointly managed by the Mountains-to-Sound-Greenway and DNR. If you see a crew, please take the time to thank them!

Both trailheads (east and west end) require the state's Discovery Pass.