In advance of National Trails Day this Saturday, June 6th, Mount Si and the Snoqualmie Valley Trail earned national recognition from U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis when they were designated as National Recreation Trails.
Each year 10 trails earn the national designation and are added to the National Parks Service’s extensive National Trail System consisting of 16,000 miles of trails across the country.
“By designating these exceptional trails as part of the National Trails System, we recognize the efforts of local communities to provide outdoor recreational opportunities that can be enjoyed by everyone,” said Jewell. “Our world-class network of national trails provides easily accessible places to get exercise and connect with nature in both urban and rural areas while also boosting tourism and supporting economic opportunities in local communities across the country.”
National recreation trail designation recognizes existing trails and trail systems that link communities to recreational opportunities on public lands and in local parks across the nation. Each of the new national recreation trails will receive a certificate of designation, a letter of congratulations from Secretary Jewell and a set of trail markers.
The national recreation trails program is jointly administered by the National Park Service and the Forest Service, in conjunction with a number of federal and not-for-profit partners.
Mount Si Trail
About a 40-minute drive from Seattle, the four-mile Mount Si Trail is one of the most popular hikes in the Pacific Northwest. The main summit of our beautiful Mount Si offers stunning views of Snoqualmie Valley, the Seattle skyline and the Olympic Mountains across Puget Sound. The trail’s many switchbacks serve as a training ground for aspiring mountaineers, yet its wide path allows families to get a real taste of the rugged Cascades.
Snoqualmie Valley Trail
King County’s longest trail parallels the Snoqualmie River for more than 31 miles from Duvall to Rattlesnake Lake near North Bend. The trail passes through forests, historic sites and farmland, providing a scenic path for bicycling, walking and horseback riding. The route was once a spur line of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. Today the trail continues to serve as an arterial route, connecting multiple rural communities and a number of regional trails.
