[ Bernie Sanders Meme ]
I am once again asking you not to leave toilet paper on the trail
Seriously, folks, biodegradable trash is still trash! Put a ziplock bag in your day pack and pack it out!
Anyway...
Thought I'd try a different approach to Rattlesnake Mountain and see if I could avoid the crowds on Rattlesnake Ledge, and I did! AllTrails has this trail marked as "hard" but I didn't find it to be very difficult at all. The grade is very gentle and flattens out in several places to give you a break.
I was worried seeing all the mountain bikers at the trailhead that I'd be dodging bikes the whole way but luckily the hiking trail and the mountain bike trail are separate — they just share a parking lot. The first part of the trail is mostly birch groves and ripe salmonberry bushes until you reach the first viewpoint. This first section up to Stan's Overlook was the "busiest" but still only a handful of people.
Pushing on after Stan's Overlook the trail became much less busy and much more scenic as you enter into beautiful second-growth forest. This being a semi-urban trail you're never very far from the sound of vehicles, but there are a few patches of silence to be found as you get higher on the trail.
The last section of the trail is a neat grove of dense trees that are totally bare on the bottom from lack of sunlight. The Grand Prospect viewpoint gives you sweeping views of downtown North Bend and the mountains beyond. Personally I think the view from Rattlesnake Ledge is nicer but I subscribe to the "Trees Are The View" philosophy of outdoor adventure and this trail is definitely more pleasant than navigating the crowds (and switchbacks) at the Ledge.
There are two benches that have been uprooted and I didn't see a sign board anywhere like it says in the description. 3 or 4 people and a shovel could probably get those benches re-sunk without much trouble.
Really nice trail and well maintained. Some muddy patches but no big deal to traverse. The mosquitos were thick in the early part of the trail but my high-deet bug spray seemed to keep them at bay. Also lots of interesting wildflowers whose names I don't know. This seems like it would be a good winter hike as well.
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