Joyride: Find the Best Fall Colors
Mountains to Sound Greenway
Suggestions from the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust
The Mountains to Sound Greenway, which stretches along the I-90 Corridor from Seattle to Ellensburg, was officially designated a National Heritage Area in 2019. The Greenway weaves together urban and wild areas, including the 15th largest metropolis in the United States, 900,000 acres of public land, and 100,000 acres of permanent private forests. The Greenway Trust believes that when people are connected with nature, their lives are better. Greenway strives to enhance opportunities for the community to connect with nature through advocacy, education, and collaborative projects. Several of the stops on this week’s itinerary are projects that the Greenway helped collaborate on, creating new opportunities for recreation near Seattle. Enjoy!
Mountain Joyride
This week’s itinerary includes the Snoqualmie Valley Trail, new recreation opportunities in the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Valley and the Teanaway Community Forest (for those who want to drive over the pass into Kittitas County).
Start your day on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail (1), a 32-mile gravel trail open to walkers, bikers, and even horses. You can access the trail at many points along its length. If you want a bite to eat along the trail, there are many good choices, including the Grateful Bread in Duvall (2), independent neighborhood bakery and café that serves natural, organic, local, delicious baked goods and coffee; Remlinger Farms (3), a farm attraction with restaurant, market, and fun park; the Salish Lodge and Spa (4), where you can have lunch overlooking Snoqualmie Falls and treat yourself to a luxurious night at the lodge; the Snoqualmie Falls Brewery and Tap Room (5); or Rio Bravo in North Bend (6).
Places to Stop
If you are looking for a destination to picnic or to go for a stroll while soaking in the fall colors, check out the Three forks Natural Area (7), with more than 200 acres of open space at the confluence of the three forks of the Snoqualmie River, this site offers great views of Mt. Si, paths for walking, and even an off-leash dog park (8) if your companion wants the opportunity to run free.
Ready to head a little farther out of town? Stop for a meal or a drink at the Mt. Si Pub (9) and then head up the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River, and check out several new recreation opportunities that were developed in collaboration with the Mountains to Sound Greenway. Start at the Granite Creek Trailhead (11) and hike the Granite Creek Trail or the Granite Creek Connector Trail. These opportunities, on a mixture of King County and DNR lands, were developed in a cooperation between the DNR and Mountains to Sound Greenway.
Check to see if a Discover Pass is required. Up the road you will find three parking areas in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest—a NW Forest Pass is required. At the Oxbow Loop Trailhead (12), you can enjoy a 1.8-mile loop offering commanding views of the sweeping river meandering through the summits of the Alpine Lake Wilderness. Camp Brown is a new picnic area on a bend of the Snoqualmie River that offers an accessible trail and facilities, and the Garfield Ledges Trailhead (14) provides access to the Snoqualmie Lake Trail.
Day Trippin’
If you want to make a day trip of it, head back to I-90 and over Snoqualmie Pass. If you want to take a break at the top of the pass, enjoy a beer or a meal at DruBru (15) and then head over to the Teanaway Community Forest where you can check out trails that head into the Wenatchee National Forest, starting at the West Fork Teanaway Trailhead (16), the Yellow Hill Trailhead (17), or the Middle Fork Teanaway Trailhead (18).
If you would rather play in the river, picnic, or camp, check out the Teanaway Campground (19), 29 Pines Campground (30), and Indian Camp Campground (31). The Community Forest is managed by WDNR and all of the trailheads and campgrounds require a Discover Pass.
