Our group of six senior hikers did a counter clockwise five trail loop around Cedar Butte. Starting from the Cedar Falls trailhead at the Iron Horse State Park near Rattlesnake Lake, we hiked on the John Wayne Pioneer Trail (the former Milwaukee Road Railroad grade. The last train came through in 1980). After getting to the new Olallie Trail, we headed up it as it switchbacks the west ridge on Mt. Washington. We met one mtn. biker who was coming down. State Parks built this new trail from 2015 to 2017 at a cost of $1.168 million. It goes 8.7 miles from the JWPT up past Mt. Washington over to Change Creek. After a few switchbacks the Olallie Trail stays on the south side of Mt. WA. We turned off at the unsigned/unmarked junction with the old West Ridge Trail that went up the west ridge of Mt. WA. Then we headed down hill, crossed over an old logging railroad grade from the North Bend Logging Co. when they logged this area from 1906 to 1923. Further down we met the old Southside Trail (it is on the southside of Cedar Butte) and hiked it to Saddle Jct. on the Cedar Butte Trail.

From Saddle Jct. we hiked the Cedar Butte Trail up to the summit of the butte for lunch. There is a view to the north up the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Valley where we could see Mailbox Peak, Russian Butte, Mt. Garfield, Mt. Si, Mt. Teneriffe and many more peaks. After eating we headed back down and took the Boxley Blowout loop of the Cedar Butte Trail to meet the JWPT, then a mile back to the parking lot to complete our loop hike. Distance: 6.5 miles with about 1,000' elevation gain.

To hike on the West Ridge and Southside trails you need some route finding skills as some people could get lost. So this is not for the causal hiker. Parts of the Cedar Butte trail need brushing as it is getting really overgrown. We met three moms and their babies as we were leaving the summit of Cedar Butte plus some bike riders and a few hikers on the JWPT. The other three trails we had to ourselves. So no big crowds on our hike. 

You could use the new Olallie Trail to hike to the summit of Mt. Washington as an alternative to the trail from Exit 38 on I-90. It would be 16 miles round trip.

I did a loop hike around Cedar Butte starting at the Iron Horse State Park trailhead near Rattlesnake Lake. Thought I would check on the progress of the new Olallie Trail since my hike on it a year ago. State Parks, DNR, Mountains to Sound Greenway and the Evergreen Mtn. Bike Alliance have been constructing this new trail. It is a two year project and is schedule to be completed this summer in July. It will be 8.7 miles long up past Mt. Washington and over to Change Creek. State Parks is funding the project for $1.168 million and the EMBA put in $30,000 plus volunteer labor. The connection still needs to be constructed between the new Olallie Trail the John Wayne Pioneer Trail. I hiked up several switchbacks to get to the unsigned junction with the West Ridge Trail. This was the old trail up Mt. Washington. Unless you new where is was, most people would not see it. Hiking down the West Ridge Trail I crossed an old logging railroad grade from the North Bend Logging Co. when they logged the area from 1906 to 1923. Their sawmill was down at present day Rattlesnake Lake. After crossing the grade, the trail continues down hill to intersect with the old Southside Trail (it is on the south side of Cedar Butte). I followed the Southside Trail to Saddle Junction where the Cedar Butte Trail goes to the summit. Then I took the Boxley Blowout Loop Trail back down to get the John Wayne Pioneer Trail and a mile hike back to the parking lot. The new Olallie Trail still need some work to finish it, plus some drainage redone from last Winters rain. It has a nice dirt surface to hike on, not rocky like Mt. Si. I saw the elk were using the new trail, as well as the West Ridge and Southside trails. The West Ridge Trail is in pretty good shape for being a little used trail. The Southside Trail has a few fallen trees over it and it brushy in some spots. Where it went along the small ponds I sawed out some vine maples that were blocking the trail. So it is easier to get through now. The elk will like it too. It helps to have some navigation skills while hiking parts of the Southside Trail as some people could get lost. So probably not for the causal hiker. Once the new Olallie Trail is completed, hikers will have an alternative hike up to Mt. Washington beside the trail from Exit 38 off I-90. I saw one hiker on the Cedar Butte Trail as I was hiking down and a few on the JWPT. The other three trails I had to myself. As I drove by Rattlesnake Lake the parking lot was full for the Rattlesnake Ledge Trail, plus cars parked down the road. No crowds on my hike. George