Preston to Snoqualmie Falls


Hike Length: 10 miles
Elevation Gain: 500 feet
Hike Difficulty: Moderate
Map: Green Trails-King County Bicycling Guidemap
hike overview map


Many hikers are not big fans of paved multi-use trails, where the threat from speeding bicyclists and joint damage from walking on hard pavement can take much of the fun out of a hike. But the Preston-Snoqualmie Trail passes though too much nice scenery to ignore. Much of this hike follows the former route of the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railroad, the same railroad right-of-way that the famous Burke-Gilman Trail is built on. The final portion of this hike leaves the railroad grade to explore a newly constructed system of trails around the Snoqualmie Ridge development. The hike’s end is at Snoqualmie Falls, which provides a spectacular finale to this long (10 mile) point-to-point route.

Getting there:

In downtown Seattle, catch the ST 554 bus at Second and Union (departs every 30 minutes), and ride the bus to the Issaquah Park and Ride bus station [GPS N 47 deg 32 min 32 sec, W 122 deg 03 min 44 sec]. 

Here, transfer to the M 209 minibus, departing every hour.

The M209 bus goes through downtown Issaquah, travels on I-90 for a few miles, then leaves the freeway for good at Exit 22. Get off at Preston Park and Ride [N 47 deg 31 min 35 sec, W 121 deg 56 min 24 sec].

There is no M 209 bus service on Sunday.

The Hike:

From Preston Park and Ride, carefully cross the busy Preston-Fall City Road and step onto the Preston-Snoqualmie Trail on the north side of the road. Go right (east) onto the trail, which passes a trailhead parking area, then quickly  heads out into pleasant wooded country. The walking is easy as the trail traverses the side of the Raging River valley at a nearly level contour well above the valley floor. Occasional streams tumbling down gullies liven up the trail side scenery

About two miles from Preston, the trail switchbacks sharply and descends to a crossing of the Preston-Fall City road, near where the road crosses a bridge over the river. Once across the road, the trail unexpectedly backtracks in the Preston direction along the road’s shoulder, then turns left onto SE 68th, a paved spur road. Now heading in the “correct” downstream direction, the combination trail/road crosses the Raging River on a older bridge. Soon the trail rejoins the main Fall City road just east of the river and bridge.

The hiker will notice with consternation that the trail detour on SE 68th adds a considerable distance to the walk. Apparently the trail designers thought that the new road bridge had an insufficient shoulder to be safe for trail users.

Speaking of shortcuts, if you want a shorter hike, instead of getting off in Preston you can ask the M 209 bus driver to let you off at SE 68th (there’s no bus stop there). Bus drivers on rural routes are usually agreeable to make custom stops if given sufficient warning, and if the stopping point is safe.

The trail follows the road’s shoulder for a tedious quarter of a mile, then climbs up a hill in switchbacks to regain the level of the railroad grade, which once crossed the Raging River via a long-gone trestle. The next mile of trail is a fine stretch indeed, a journey along a lushly forested slope far from the noisy highway. About 4 miles from Preston, the trail arrives at a major trailhead(parking, sani-kan type “bathroom”) at the Alice Lake Road. If the party is pooped, it’s possible to walk north (downhill) on the Alice Lake road a long mile to a M 209 bus stop on the Preston-Fall City road.

Now heading due east, the trail passes through mostly wooded country, dotted with a few exurban estates. A long half mile from Lake Alice Road, just beyond a driveway crossing, the trail dips through a creek valley, then reaches a junction with the first of the newly constructed Redmond Ridge trails, taking off to the right (uphill). The trail has no sign or name, but its wide, machine constructed tread is impossible to miss. This is the newly constructed Silent Creek Trail, part of the Redmond Ridge development trail system.

Turn right and follow the trail as it climbs the side of a lush ravine. The soft bark-chip-covered path will feel wonderful after all the pavement walking. A quarter mile from the Preston-Snoqualmie trail junction, the Silent Creek Trail reaches a unsigned junction with another trail coming in from the left, the Deep Creek Trail. Beyond this junction, the Silent Creek Trail continues climbing the hillside, eventually ending at Azalea Way in the Snoqualmie Ridge development. To continue the recommended hike, turn left at the junction and follow the Deep Creek Trail as it rambles up and down a forested hillside a half mile to a junction with another unsigned trail that leads back down to the Preston-Snoqualmie Trail; for this hike go right (uphill) to stay on the Deep Creek Trail.

The path climbs a bit over a ridge, then drops to a creek crossing on an elaborate bridge. A vigorous climb begins here as the trail switchbacks up the slope to the plateau-like summit of Snoqualmie Ridge. At the brink of the plateau there is a magnificent viewpoint out over the Snoqualmie Valley toward Mt. SI and the Cascades; picnic tables and benches are scattered about for your resting pleasure. Beyond the viewpoint, the trail follows a power line right of way, passing close by newly constructed houses, before coming to an end on Eagle Lake Drive.

You are now in the heart of Snoqualmie Ridge, a huge new suburb carved out of former forest land. However, the shock of seeing all the new construction is somewhat mitigated by the view of the Cascades made possible by the vast open spaces of the golf course. To get through Snoqualmie Ridge, use the power lines as a guide. Go right (south) on Eagle Lake Drive as it circles around the namesake pond. Near the intersection of Eagle Lake Drive and Ridge Street, follow the power lines onto a paved service road which drops downhill and eventually ends at the major four-lane Snoqualmie Parkway. Go right (east) on the paved path adjacent to the parkway, which leads in two miles to Highway 202. This stretch is a bit tedious, but offers uplifting views of Mt. Si.

Turn left (north) and follow the highway a quarter mile to the lodge and park complex adjacent to Snoqualmie Falls. A M 209 bus stop is located here also; use the one on the opposite side of the highway, near the pedestrian overpass, where Seattle-bound busses stop. If you have time, take a look at the falls and have a well deserved espresso at the gift shop.

Side Trip to Snoqualmie Falls Viewpoint

The recommended hike leaves the Preston-Snoqualmie Trail at the Clear Creek Trail junction. However, if you are feeling energetic and have the time, it is worth following the Preston-Snoqualmie trail to its end at the falls viewpoint. The name of the Preston-Snoqualmie Trail is a bit of a misnomer because the trail actually doesn’t go to Snoqualmie; private land and a dangerous trestle block the way. There’s been talk of fixing the trestle, but with various government fiscal crises going on that’s probably not going to happen in a long time. The trip to the viewpoint will add about three miles to the overall hike.

However, if you are brave, there is a rumor that a rough trail exists that bypasses the trestle bridge by dropping down into the ravine below. Reports suggest that it takes about 20 minutes to get to the continuation of the railroad grade beyond the trestle bridge. Using this "trail" would save several miles of hiking to get to Snoqualmie Falls.

Getting Back

The M 209 bus to Issaquah Park&Ride leaves hourly from the falls. Ride the bus to the end of the line at Issaquah Park&Ride, where connections are good to downtown Seattle via the ST 554 bus. 

Rev 02.12.06