Pratt River Connector Project

In conjunction with Earth Day, we have an exciting new trail maintenance project to announce! Starting April 20th, WTA will begin restoring a 3.25 mile segment of trail that connects hikers to the Pratt River Trail and the trail up Rainy Creek to Rainy Lake.

<<VOLUNTEER NOW>>

Background about the Pratt River Connector Trail

The Pratt River Connector - or as Mountaineers Books calls the first part of it, Middle Fork Snoqualmie: Downstream - has not been maintained since the 1960s. The first three-quarters of a mile is a brushy, mostly boot-beaten path along the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River, and from there it is nearly impossible to follow.

The Forest Service has acknowledged the importance to restore this connection for quite some time, noting that this link is necessary to provide for public safety and to provide other recreation opportunities that are not currently fully available to the public. But for various reasons, the project stalled.

Finally, the time has come to start on this reconstruction and relocation project. A viable solution has been laid out to create a solid and sustainable trail outside of the riparian zone. The connection will be completed through the combined efforts of WTA volunteers and professional contractors (in areas where the trail goes through bed rock and other obstacles).

The Forest Service has secured funding to begin the first third of the trail, which will provide much better access to the Rainy Creek trail to Rainy Lake. Additional funding will be necessary to complete the last two miles of trail, something that WTA and the Forest Service will continue to look for opportunities to collaborate on. 

When the project is complete, hikers will be able to access the Pratt River Trail without having to ford the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River, which is usually quite dangerous.

What Volunteers Can Do to Help

WTA will be fielding many work parties on this trail project this spring and summer. Starting April 20th, we'll be working on the Pratt Connector trail six days a week for two straight weeks, then back for weekends (Friday through Sunday) through the end of June.

Contractors will resume work during the summer, paving the way for volunteers to go in again for some finish work this fall. These work parties will be listed on WTA’s list of upcoming work parties, posted at least a month out. Please check out the calendar and sign up for a work party today!