When I asked my friend Hannah (who is from Washington) what a couple great, pretty easy Seattle area hikes are, her answer was: Rattlesnake Ledge and Little Si, both in the North Bend area.
Distance: 4.7 miles, RT
Gain: 1300 feet
Hiked: 3.18.18
Dogs: Yes, on leash
Pass: Discover Pass
We completed Rattlesnake Ledge back in December when we came to house hunt, but we still hadn’t made it to Little Si. When researching some options, I felt it was time to check this one off our bucket list.
After a slow start, we made our way out to North Bend. When we arrived, both the lot and overflow lots were full. We circled them a couple times without any luck, so we considered the Mt Si trail instead but I was not mentally or physically ready for a tough hike. We circled back to the lots again without luck, and as we were driving along, we found another parking area where we parked and walked to the trailhead.
After making it to the trailhead, the trail immediately starts climbing up. I assured Brighton that it wasn’t going to last too long. We briefly stopped to enjoy the view of the Snoqualmie Valley and for a photo op. Even though the trail was busy, we had plenty of times where we didn’t see anyone.
The trail wanders up into a deep forest that feels so big and vast that you feel small next to the mossy boulders and tall trees. What I enjoyed about the trail is that it’s got just enough variety in the scenery to keep hikers entertained as the miles fly by.
With periods of rest and short climbs, this hike gives hikers enough time to make their way up the mountain without being too difficult at any point.
When we reached the top, there was a crowd of people enjoying an afternoon snack in the sun between the clouds that had cleared at the moment.
We saw many dogs and families with little ones making their way up.
For more information, visit WTA’s trip guide!