Visits to some of the Snoqualmie Valley’s most popular outdoor destinations could trail off this spring if the Washington Department of Natural Resources shutters trailheads at Mount Si, Little Si, Rattlesnake Mountain and the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River.
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People who love trails are worried the state budget crisis will force the closure of some popular routes, including Mount Si and Rattlesnake Ridge.
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More than 20 trail systems and campgrounds operated statewide by the state Department of Natural Resources would close in March under Gov. Chris Gregoire’s supplemental budget.
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Latitude: 47.5076029
Longitude: -121.7401092

Mount Si is the imposing mountain that towers over the town of North Bend. Mount Si (pronounced like sigh) has been a popular hike among locals long before it was featured on the television show Twin Peaks. Mount Si is named for an early settler, Josiah Merritt, who had a cabin at the base of the mountain in the 1800′s.
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Mount Si (pronounced sigh) is a small mountain in the U.S. state of Washington. Although just 4,167 ft (1,270 m) high, it lies on the western margin of the Cascade Range just above the coastal plains around Puget Sound, and towers over the nearby town of North Bend. The mountain was named after local homesteader Josiah “Uncle Si” Merritt. It was made famous in the show Twin Peaks, which was filmed in North Bend.
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On the 5th of July, our party of four tackled Mount Si (pronounced “sigh”). The mountain rises sharply above the Snoqualmie River valley and the township of North Bend to the south.
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Mount Si should be experienced at least once by every hiker. In fact, a significant number of Puget Sound residents do just one hike per year, and these annual hikers almost invariably turn to Mount Si every time. In the early spring, mountain-loving backpackers and climbers use the trail as a tune-up for the coming season. Others come because the trail is one of few that becomes snow-free early in the year. Land managers estimate that Si draws between thirty thousand and fifty thousand visitors a year, making it the most heavily used trail in the state. As a result, on any sunny summer weekend the trail will be crowded–almost to the point of having to take a number and get in line. Really, it’s not that bad, and the steep trail soon separates the serious hiker from the casual mall walker. And Si‘s payoff is incredible: views of the Upper Snoqualmie Valley, the Puget Sound basin, and far beyond.
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With an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 visitors each year, Mount Si is arguably the most heavily climbed trail in the entire state of Washington. Mount Si is used by a wide variety of people- hikers, climbers, trad climbers, trail runners, people training to climb Rainier, and even mixed climbers in winter. It is not uncommon to see paragliders who have used Mount Si as a launching pad, either.
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Mount Si is one of the most popular hikes in Washington State and at 4 miles each way and 3150 feet of elevation gain it’s no nature walk. I have to assume that what draws nearly 80,000 visitors to Mount Si each year is its accessibility and spectacular views.
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Some hikers are finding this spring very frustrating, with a snowpack that might last well into summer. The lack of snow-free trails has dampened my motivation, with many access roads to favorite hikes still closed. Other than desert hikes, there’s not much available east of the mountains, either. The Olympics aren’t much better. The Hoodsport Ranger Station reports that many trails and roads at lower elevations are still covered by snow.
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