The Snoqualmie Valley Trail is one of the most incredible places in King County. This very bikeable gravel rail trail transports you through mystical forests with breathtaking bridges and, because it’s a rail trail, relatively little climbing.
My partner Kelli and I recently threw our bikes on the bus and headed to Fall City (actually, two buses: ST 554 to Issaquah and Metro 209 toward North Bend). We got off the 209 just south of Fall City and climbed the fairly steep road to the trail. I was expecting it to be beautiful, but I don’t think I was really prepared for how incredible it was:
Of course, trails do have a habit of missing section, and the Snoqualmie Valley Trail is no different. After a long, wonderful and gradual decent through the woods, we reached a missing section that required a bit of climbing to get to the road detour (which was also quite nice), then climb a steep staircase to an old rail bridge where people often jump into the river below (no way I was gonna try it, though).
And, good news: This missing section is a “proposed project” on the list after the successful passage of the King County Parks Levy earlier this month.
After crossing the bridge, it was more wonderful biking until we got to Mt. Si Golf Course and ran into this:
Bummer! But not anymore. King County has finished work on a new steel bridge to replace an aging wood bridge, and the trail has reopened for use.
So get out there an have an adventure.
More details from the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust:
To improve access to this wonderful trail, King County Parks replaced a dilapidated timber bridge with a new steel girder bridge over a wetland between downtown North Bend and the Mt. Si Golf Course.
Hikers, bicyclists, runners, equestrians, tourists and more can travel to and from the community of North Bend, as well as all the way to Rattlesnake Lake and Iron Horse State Park at the trail’s southern terminus, or the communities of Fall City, Carnation and Duvall and the Tolt Pipeline Trail to the north. (Map)
The trail runs along the former alignment of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad’s Everett Branch. Railroad builders constructed trestles to create a gentle railroad grade, but as these structures age, their maintenance presents a challenge.
More about the Snoqualmie Valley Trail:
Comments
8 responses to “New Snoqualmie Valley Trail bridge opens between North Bend and Mt. Si Golf Course”
I generally skip carrying my bike up the stairs and continue the on-road stour on Reinig Rd./428th Ave. Then I reconnect with the trail in North Bend.
[…] The Snoqualmie Valley Trail bridge looks pretty […]
Us mountain bikers already (should) know this, but for newer cyclists, or any who’ve never enjoyed the SVT, be sure to yield to equestrians. Some horses are freaked by cyclists (we wear helmets, shades, etc making it difficult for them to recognize us as human), so take your cues from the folks on horseback: their safety is our responsibility (pedestrians also should defer to equestrians for pretty much the same reasons). So glad to see the gaps in the SVT being filled in!
I ride this with my touring bike all the time. It’s a great ride.
Looks like a great trail! I just moved out to Snoqualmie, and I’m excited that it’s so close to my house.
[…] county recently finished replacing a different bridge on the trail south of Tuesday’s fire. The damaged bridge is very cool, so here’s hoping […]
[…] trails, from the paved non-motorized highway of the Burke-Gilman Trail to the smooth dirt of the Snoqualmie Valley Trail. But nearly without exception, our trails are a series of disparate pieces. They peter out in […]
[…] trails, from the paved non-motorized highway of the Burke-Gilman Trail to the smooth dirt of the Snoqualmie Valley Trail1. But nearly without exception, our trails are a series of disparate pieces. They peter out in […]