Rattlesnake Ridge

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(3 votes, 2 reviews)

Difficulty: Easy
Length: 1.9 miles / 3.1 km
Duration: 1-3 hours

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Overview: This is a very popular trail in the summer months. It is a short 30 minute drive from downtown Bellevue or under an hour away from Seattle. Not only does this trail provide you with great panoramic views from atop Rattlesnake Ridge but there is also a great park located down below. Many people come to the use the lake in the warmer months. There are no motored boats or fishing allowed on the lake which makes this place ideal for kayakers and swimmers alike.

You can also find several connecting trails within the Rattlesnake Ridge parking area. At the end of the Rattlesnake Ridge trail you can continue on for a full day hike along the Ridge on the East Peak trail or complete the 10 mile trek to Snoqualmie. Additionally you can find the Snoqualmie Valley Trail just as you leave the parking area. This is a great trail if you are looking for a long hike or bike ride. The trail starts south of Rattlesnake Lake and continues up to Duval, over 35 miles of converted railroad to trail.

Tips: How to get there:

Take I-90 east and get off on Exit 32, 436th Avenue SE, just past the exits towards North Bend. Take a right off of the exit, heading south on 436th Ave SE which turns into Cedar Falls Road. Travel about three miles and follow the signs posted for Rattlesnake Lake. You will see several parking areas on both sides of the street. The park is a very popular location in the warmer months due to the lake. You may have to park on the edge of the road if the park is crowded.

Hours:

The park is open year around, dawn to dusk.

Amenities:

-There are restrooms by the lake as you enter the park.
-No camping is available in the park.
-An additional portable restroom is located in front of
the trailhead marker.
-No water is available within the park, you should pack
your own water.
-On Cedar Falls Rd, the road leading up to the park, there
is a small shop where you can purchase food and drinks.

Points of Interest

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Mountains Range Seen from Rattlesnake Lake

From this spot you can see the entire Rattlesnake Lake. It is tucked between Rattlesnake Mountain and Mount Washington. Located nearby are grass and sandy areas which would be a perfect area to have a picnic. Also behind this spot are the restrooms and main parking area for the park.

Mountains Across from Rattlesnake Lake Photo

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Rattlesnake Lake 1

This is another great view of the lake. On the lake you can view many birds floating along. The shoreline is muddy so bring a pair of extra shoes or you can find dryer ground further away from the lakes edge. It is interesting to search the muddy areas to find out what animals have visited lake during the night.

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Rattlesnake Lake 2

At the far edge of the lake you should be able to spot the Rattlesnake Ridge trailhead marker. You will cross over a compacted dirt access road and see a single portable restroom near the trail entrance.

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Rattlesnake Ridge Trailhead Marker

This is the official start to the Rattlesnake Ridge Trail. From here you will be greeted by a gentle uphill climb. The trail is an easy hike for the whole family; I have seen a few strollers on the trail as well.

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Giant Boulder

A short way into the trail you will come to a giant boulder. This is the only giant boulder I have found while hiking the trail. It is similar to other large boulders located in nearby parks. I believe it's a glacial boulder left over from when a giant glacier crossed the area millions of years ago to form the Puget Sound area.

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Access Trail Road

You will come to a crossroad in the trail. To your left and right will be an old access road. The road does not appear to have been maintained for quite some time. Fallen trees will block your path, continue up the dirt path.

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A Small Clearing

Here is a small clearing where you can see numerous grasses and wildflowers. Most of the trail consists of large trees and ferns. This is one of the few areas to view wildflowers while on the trail.

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Fallen Tree

Here you can see a large Douglas fir that had fallen years ago. It offers a great spot to rest before the first switchback in the trail.

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Hollowed out Tree

I just thought this was an interesting site on the trail. I was hoping to catch a picture of a blue jay that had stopped to rest. Unfortunately my camera made to much noise and I was unable to capture its photo.

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Moss Covered Trees

Just after the first switchback on the trail, you will start to see moss covered trees. Most of trail is covered in a thick canopy from the towering Douglas fir trees. The low light and natural moist weather are excellent conditions for the moss to grow.

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Straight Away

After the first switchback there will be few twists and turns in the trail. The trail has a gentle incline as it rounds the base of Rattlesnake Mountain.

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Viewpoint 1

This is one of many view points along the trail. Some of the viewpoints may require you to take a short detour off the trail to get a better view. Looking out over the edge you can see the lake below as well as the mountain range to the southeast.

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Mushroom

There will be many opportunities to look for mushrooms along the trail. With little to no light penetrating the forest canopy, these fungi are plentiful.

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Clearing Along the Trail

This is another vantage point along the trail. Now that you are moving further into the forest on your way to the peak, your views of the lake are limited. On clear days though you will always be able to catch glimpses of the Mountains across the way.

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Wooden Bridge

Here you will cross a short wooden bridge over a ravine. There are no water features on the trail unless you are hiking in heavy rain and crossing over the runoff. On your climb up through the switchbacks you will be able to hear a waterfall in the distance but it is not accessible from this trail.

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Overlook Trail Marker

Congratulations you are almost to the top. Continue on the trail to your right and you will arrive on a large rock ledge. From here you will have a great view of numerous mountains and reservoirs in the distance.

If you are looking for a longer hike, take a quick moment to enjoy the view and continue on the trail the left towards North Peak.

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Mount Si

Mount Si can be seen from the top of the ledge. Look to the North and the large mountain standing alone will be Mt. Si and Little Si.

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Mt. Washington

From the rock ledge you can see Mt. Washington. It is located to the east just across Rattlesnake Lake and to the right of I-90.

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Mountain Squirrel

On the rocky ledge you are standing on, there are numerous cracks in the rock. Use caution if you have to jump over them.

Located in many of these cracks are a number of animals. While I was there I saw a few squirrels and a possum. If you brought your dogs along with you make sure you have a tight grip on them as it is easy to loose your footing.

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The Peak

This is the rocky ledge that you are now standing on. Take a moment to enjoy the view before heading back down. There is plenty of space to have a snack or picnic on the rock.

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East Peak

As you make your way towards the ledge, there will be a break in the forest that will provide a great view of Mount Si to the north. If you look to the left you can see the rock face of North Peak. If you wish to continue on up the trail this will be your next stop.

Pictures in this guide taken by: gbhoskins

How does this work?

My friend Amanda and I decided that we wanted to start hiking (neither of us have lived in Washington state that long and we both wanted to take some time and some of the more or less free sources of recreation), which led us to climbing up a mountain yesterday! I think that we were a happy mixture of pretty prepared and horribly unprepared. At the bottom, it was flat and green with a few trees that had been knocked down after the snow/ice storm we had gotten a week ago. It did, however, kind of reinforce to me that I have been horribly inactive lately and that I need to get better about it. I also learned that the craziest things can motivate me to keep going (I was going to give up with only .50 or so miles to go until someone said that there was a cave at the top. Of course the first thing in my mind was “I have to see if it’s the G.D. bat cave” and continued to go).

Overall, it was a really fun hike and the people that we met on the trail going up/down were all very nice as well as encouraging. I would like to do this hike again later on in the year after it has gotten a little bit warmer and the skies a little bit clearer.
Visited on Jan 29, 2012

by tottenkoph on Mar 06, 2012 at 02:24:26 pm

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About the Author

gbhoskins
25 guides
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Just moved back to the Pacific Northwest and love exploring new trails.

Other Guides by gbhoskins

Rattlesnake Ridge 3 Day Forecast

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