The Middle Fork Snoqualmie River valley has come a long way. Once the playground of loggers and miners, the valley was stripped of many of its resources and then left torn and tattered. Soon came the unsavory characters, making the Middle Fork their own personal dumping ground. Drug users and meth producers fouled the forest with their toxic concoctions. Then came the Mid-dle Fork Coalition, a hard-working group of volunteers who helped the Forest Service clean up the valley while developing plans for its future greatness. Roads were closed, trails were built, garbage dumps were cleaned up. Peace and quiet was restored. Today, the Middle Fork Snoqualmie is a recreationist's dream, and the Middle Fork Trail is one of the best recreational resources in the valley.

The Middle Fork Snoqualmie River is a fast-moving, cold river that few hikers would care to cross on their own. But when the Forest Service and a team of volunteers installed a bridge over the Middle Fork near the mouth of the Taylor River, hikers gained new trails to explore.

Walk across the bridge--stopping midspan to enjoy the views up- and downstream, as well as to marvel at the beautiful bridge (circa 1993)--and turn left to hike upstream alongside the tumbling river. The trail rolls in and out of the trees, sometimes dropping down close to the water's edge while at other times it pushes far into the forest. The Middle Fork is a trout-rich river, so it's not uncommon to see fish-eating birds along its banks. Blue herons and bald eagles are frequent visitors, so don't be surprised if a massive bird takes wing right before your eyes.

Around 0.75 mile into the hike, you'll pass under a tall granite wall, dubbed Stegosaurus Butte. These cliffs top out at 2000 feet (about 1100 feet above your head). Another mile on and you'll find the narrow path opening up a bit as it takes advantage of an old railroad right-of-way--steam locomotives once used this route to pull railcars loaded with logs out of the forest.

The next 1.2 miles angle through the woods, finally dropping down to the riverside. Cool your feet in the icy waters--or maybe even wet a line if you're an angler (good fishing here at times!)--before heading back down to the trailhead.