Washington State's John Wayne Pioneer Trail follows the former railbed of the Chicago-Milwaukee-St. Paul-Pacific Railroad two-thirds of the way across Washington. The light gravel pathway offers hikers, bicyclists, equestrians, wagons and cross-country skiers a chance to travel along the historic Milwaukee Road right-of-way on a gentle, easy-to-negotiate grade.
The 100-mile portion from Cedar Falls (near North Bend) to the Columbia River near Vantage is managed as Iron Horse State Park.
Chicago-Milwaukee-St. Paul-Pacific Railroad abandoned this corridor and it was later turned into a trail in the 1980s when Washington State Parks acquired it. In the past, the Milwaukee Road was a vital trade link between Seattle and the Midwest. This article is about the trail between exit 38 East of North bend to exit 54 at Hyak on the Eastside of Snoqualmie Pass.
Some people call the trail the John Wayne Trail west of Snoqualmie Pass and the Iron Horse Trail east of Snoqualmie Pass, while others call the entire trail the Iron Horse Trail.
The trail is most often used by mountain bikes. It's an easy ride that runs along the freeway about 300 feet above, to avoid the noise of the trucks.
On the map there are two Exits 38: Exit 38 west and Exit 38 east, about two miles apart and connected by a side road. You can access the trail from either exit. At the time this trip was documented, the trestle over Hall Creek, about a mile East of Exit 38 west, was broken and could not be crossed, although plans were in the works to fix this trestle in the near future.
The river between the Interstate and the trail is called the Snoqualmie River. The trail itself is approximately 16.5 miles to Hyak and rises steadily from exit 38 to an elevation of approximately 2500 feet. This is high enough so that one can expect snow here in the winter.
Because of snowfall high in the mountains, the builders of the railroad decided to make a tunnel through the mountain at Snoqualmie Pass. So, at its peak elevation, just after Humpback Creek, the trail enters Snoqualmie Tunnel (a 2-mile long tunnel).
NOTE: The ride through the tunnel can be extremely DARK. At two miles in length, the far end is just a small pinpoint of light. Be sure to have a good light and where a jacket. The tunnel is very dark, wet and cool inside. As for the trail its self, the gravel path is level and smooth making for an easy ride. Also, the tunnel is usually closed from November 1 to May 1.
When you pass through the East end of the tunnel at Hyak, its time to return. The return to the car is all downhill making for a quick ride back (the whole trip is approximately 33 miles, round-trip).
For another option, you can take a short ride on the old railroad grade East to Lake Keechelus for a nice lunch spot.
For directions and current conditions check out the Washington State Parks website at http://www.parks.wa.gov/parks/?selectedpark=Iron%20Horse - 16887
The 100-mile portion from Cedar Falls (near North Bend) to the Columbia River near Vantage is managed as Iron Horse State Park.
Chicago-Milwaukee-St. Paul-Pacific Railroad abandoned this corridor and it was later turned into a trail in the 1980s when Washington State Parks acquired it. In the past, the Milwaukee Road was a vital trade link between Seattle and the Midwest. This article is about the trail between exit 38 East of North bend to exit 54 at Hyak on the Eastside of Snoqualmie Pass.
Some people call the trail the John Wayne Trail west of Snoqualmie Pass and the Iron Horse Trail east of Snoqualmie Pass, while others call the entire trail the Iron Horse Trail.
The trail is most often used by mountain bikes. It's an easy ride that runs along the freeway about 300 feet above, to avoid the noise of the trucks.
On the map there are two Exits 38: Exit 38 west and Exit 38 east, about two miles apart and connected by a side road. You can access the trail from either exit. At the time this trip was documented, the trestle over Hall Creek, about a mile East of Exit 38 west, was broken and could not be crossed, although plans were in the works to fix this trestle in the near future.
The river between the Interstate and the trail is called the Snoqualmie River. The trail itself is approximately 16.5 miles to Hyak and rises steadily from exit 38 to an elevation of approximately 2500 feet. This is high enough so that one can expect snow here in the winter.
Because of snowfall high in the mountains, the builders of the railroad decided to make a tunnel through the mountain at Snoqualmie Pass. So, at its peak elevation, just after Humpback Creek, the trail enters Snoqualmie Tunnel (a 2-mile long tunnel).
NOTE: The ride through the tunnel can be extremely DARK. At two miles in length, the far end is just a small pinpoint of light. Be sure to have a good light and where a jacket. The tunnel is very dark, wet and cool inside. As for the trail its self, the gravel path is level and smooth making for an easy ride. Also, the tunnel is usually closed from November 1 to May 1.
When you pass through the East end of the tunnel at Hyak, its time to return. The return to the car is all downhill making for a quick ride back (the whole trip is approximately 33 miles, round-trip).
For another option, you can take a short ride on the old railroad grade East to Lake Keechelus for a nice lunch spot.
For directions and current conditions check out the Washington State Parks website at http://www.parks.wa.gov/parks/?selectedpark=Iron%20Horse - 16887
About the Author:
Looking for some new hiking, backpacking and mountain biking trails? Take a look at this wilderness trails blog for a great resource on all kinds of trails. They even have rock climbing routes and campgrounds.
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