Perfect hike with a rewarding river for little legs. The hike starts off from the parking lot with…read morepicnic benches. This picnic area does not open to the river front but leads you into the trail. The trail is nice & clear. Within 0.6 miles, it opens to several openings to the river. The water is crystal clear and cool. It must make a good fishing point as we did see some folks walking in with fishing rods. You can walk along the shore - the water is not deep around the edge till you get to the bridge that goes over the river that has a pretty good view of the jagged mountains. We couldn't see any elks or deer as many have cited having seen around this river. The parking lot however is bang opposite to a farm and my five year old was still able to see 8 majestic horses as we were leaving. The honey bucket was extremely dirty, so please plan to hold it in until you get to your next stop or empty your tank before you arrive. Overall, we spent an hour here but families can easily spend half a day at the picnic area. We did not see a lot of space on the river front to camp around but there may be other openings to the river that may have better possibilities for picnic. The picnic area is closed and very safe for young kids to play around. It does not have any dedicated playground, just picnic tables.

This is truly a gem. I've only come a couple of times to see the elk, but it's been a beautiful…read moreexperience. At sunset on a hot day you'll see the elk come out as it cools down. They're so beautiful and you can hear them talking occasionally. Do not go into the natural area and approach them. It's not safe. Watching from a distance is safer for everyone.

Parking lot was full when we arrived but there's plenty of side pull offs to park. The FS road was…read moreactually really nice- only really large potholes at the start. The trail was a bit muddy and damp in some areas but totally manageable. Kids said there were some bugs but I didn't notice any. There were a handful of other hikers on the trail but not too bad. We didn't notice any poop bags or trash- good job people with pack it in pack it out!!! Once we arrived at the lake there were only a few hikers relaxing and enjoying the view. The lake is so clear and was so tempting to jump in but waited for another trip. There were some stones and roots but most of it was quite pleasant and we found the hike back down to be way less brutal than most hikes with some kind of elevation. It was giving me Yosemite vibes with the large rocks and mostly dry path. There was a pit toilet at the parking lot but didn't use it. It states the Discover pass is not valid there- had the national parks pass posted. The noise of traffic could be heard off in the distance but by the time you're at the lake it's completely gone and you're just vibing with the sounds of nature. Will be back again to take a dip in the lake and soak up more of the views. Hiked 6.22.2023

This hike is really catered to family friendly hikers. With that being said, it's a pretty easy…read moreand very light elevation and switch back gain. The only downside is that it can get packed, quick! Be mindful of parking. All in all the lake is gorgeous!! I highly recommend coming early and leaving early, by mid afternoon this place is packed to the gills! The views are gorgeous and you cannot take a bad picture. Enjoy!

What a beautiful and popular hike! Parking can be a beast so go early or later in the day if you…read moredon't want to have to hike from a remote spot far away from the start of the actual hike. I took my teen with me and we conquered it in about 7 hours round trip. We used the "new" trail up and back because I didn't want to hear my kid complaining about the brutal elevation gains on the old trail. We lucked out and had a clear, beautiful, sunny view. This won't always be the case and depending on the time of year you may not see much of anything at the top so plan accordingly and be mindful of the weather. We left a sticker and a heart shaped rock we found along the way in the mailbox before we hiked back. It's a fairly challenging hike if you are t in excellent shape- but it's doable if you use the new trail. Pack plenty of water and snacks and something to leave in the mailbox.

Mailbox is a niche hike that's pretty well known around here but not for the views. One of the…read morehardest single day hikes in Washington, it's usually foggy up there but even when it's not, the view isn't all too exciting compared to other trails, well except for the mailbox. As a moderate hiker (once a month or so) in 2018, I was able to push through in 5 hours round trip. Four years later, I tackled Mailbox with only one hike beforehand in the previous 6 months and it took about 5 hours and 40 minutes. Went through the old trail and it's steep to the point where you'll likely feel your calves burning the whole way due to the flexion of your foot. As you enter the trailhead, the first Mailbox sign will be the new trail which is longer but overall easier because it's not a full incline hike. Go further and you'll find the old trail. Once you clear the forest, you'll see tons of boulders and rocks. Hopeful it's the end, you also won't see much in yet and you've still got a chunk of rock climbing left. Completing the hike will probably net you nearly a days worth of calories so you can feast afterwards. Pack some electrolytes, they're saviors. Our party of three hiked this on a collective 4 hours of sleep and some Gatorade was super helpful alongside caffeine. My quads started cramping near the boulders and it made this hike one of the worst I've experienced, but we managed to push through. With my experience, I highly recommend electrolytes because I had some Gatorade and a banana already yet was still dying. Push through to brag to your friends.

Mount Si is an 8 mile hike roundtrip in North Bend about 45 minutes east of Seattle. It is the big…read moresibling to the smaller Little Si trail which is closeby. I missed the entrance the first time I drove by it and turned around to get to the parking lot. I arrived at 7:45am on a Friday morning and there was a good amount of parking available. It's a bigger parking lot than I expected but the potholes in the lot were a pain to drive through. The first part of the hike was mostly incline and I was dripping sweat pretty much right away. It continued like that other than the occasional flat land for like 30 seconds before it was back to incline again. There were more switchbacks near the top and was rocky to get to the very top. It was mostly cloudy on the way up and the tall trees helped shade away some of the sun as it peaked out. At the summit there were beautiful clear views of Mt. Rainier above the clouds which was just amazing to see. The contrast of the clouds and the clear skies above them were breathtaking. I fought the urge to stop and take a break multiple times on the way up and got to the top in just under 2 hours. Going down was hard on the knees with the steep decline and I got down in about 1.5 hours. It was a tough and challenging hike but I'm happy I overcame it. I recommend bringing lots of water because it can be pretty tough with all the incline. Also, there weren't too many bugs at the top but if you're bothered by them I suggest bringing some bug spray.

Wow! Hard to believe it's almost been a year since I moved to the PNW, this was one of my first…read morehikes, and after the craziness of moving, charging jobs, and a few weeks without hiking, this one kicked my ass! What a year of hiking in the Cascades, and a physically and mentally challenging job can help, this time was much more enjoyable, plus knowing the terrain and area helps. It's still a kick ass hike, but much more enjoyable. The views from the peak are amazing!! Even on a cloudy getting ready to rain day, you can see Seattle, on. Clearer days Mt Rainier is viewable. Lots of fun wildlife and plant life still gearing towards fall, seeing a few trees colored up. This is a popular hike, so expect to see people, luckily parking lots is large, although full of potholes. Thank God for a 4 wheel drive, so No worries. This hike, especially as you get towards the peak, has many cross cross or zig zags on the trail, which helps, because it's steep, especially the last half mile. I didn't wear the proper shoes to rock climb, so doing the final ascent to the top of the peak will wait till next time. It still amazes me how green the foliage gets after it starts raining.. like instantly turning a more vibrant green, if that's possible? Plenty of views with out going to the top peak. And as always, since it's all uphill going to the summit, it's all downhill coming down. I would also recommend hiking poles, the help on the steep inclines and were helpful going down as the rain made some of the surfaces slick. Definitely love the sound of the rain in some of the silent moments, which brings me to one of the downsides of hiking near the I-90 corridor, still hear quite a bit of traffic noise even 6 miles away, part of the echo through the pass, but still some quiet moments. This is a challenging and fun hike, enjoy the moments, I've met lots of people who were determined to make it to the top.. and did!! Goals!! Happy hiking! SYOY , God Bless and Cheers!

The views on this hike warrant a five star review for sure! Loads of waterfalls, mountains, and of…read morecourse trees and flowers to see on this route up to Rachel Lake. The problem? Not a clear trail at all. My hiking group and I found ourselves asking, "Is this trail?", numerous times on this extremely strenuous seemingly endless uphill trek to the lake. Now, granted, some of our group was in better shape than others and managed the physicality of the trail better than others but still we all agreed it was extremely hard. First you drive up a gravel road approximately 6 miles to get to the parking lot. One bathroom is available there which wasn't too gross. Once you enter the trail it starts heading up. And up and up and up. It is seemingly endless. I believe it about 4 plus miles up. The trail starts out fairly marked and easy to follow. Then it doesn't. Unfortunately I got separated from my group for a good portion of this hike due to my attempt to stay with the "faster" ladies, lol. I just kept going up. Thank goodness a few other people passed me to let me know I was on the right track. No trail at all really for a good portion and I merely followed a dry creek trail. Extremely rocky and loads of bushwhacking. I had to stop every five to ten feet to catch my breath. The steepness reminded me of a hike in Big Sur called Garrapata which after I competed that one I said I would never do again, lol. Now to the good parts of the hike. Gorgeous scenery beyond words! Loads of amazing waterfalls as you are following a creek flowing from a lake high above. The lake was outstandingly beautiful. I took a quick dip in the icy water at the top! Quickly it changed my outlook on the hike and cooled me off. Will I do it again? Maybe, but next time. I will bring more snacks for the hike that give me energy. I will start out slower and take more frequent deliberate breaks. And please please don't forget your mosquito repellent! Also, long pants as a large portion of this hike you go through tall grasses and overgrowth. I consider myself an experienced hiker when I was in CA, but here in WA, I am a beginner for sure. Stay hydrated and go at your own pace. This is worth it at least once. SYOY and No FOMO for me here! Lol.

Lake Rachel is a great hike if you're looking for a beautiful end view and lots of fun sights along…read morethe way. Unfortunately, the trail is not marked well and we went off path and up towards different falls a couple times but going off trail was worth it for the extra couple views we saw! Be prepared to get your feet wet and be careful climbing over the slippery rocks.

A gorgeous trail and a beautiful day. The trail heads up below the chairlifts and is very rocky…read more When you reach the top of this trail you head into the forest. Part of the trail is the PCT (pacific crest trail) which is always fun to say I've been on. Today's hike had spring vibes but summer heat. The trail has been cleared somewhat and is a single lane trail. Loads of roots and rocks on this trail. The lake is easily accessible but not many places to really sit down. Look for a log. Wear your bug spray and sunscreen and hug a tree. Enjoy nature. SYOY!

This was a nice easy hike right behind our houses. Good to take friends that are not experienced…read morehikers I will be taking some of my friend coming up in Aug on this nice hike. One hour hike!

I went for a horseback ride with three peak's outfitters out of Cle Elum Washington. Only it wasn't…read morejust a ride we had an intent in mind. Trail clearing of fallen trees that block access to the trail system. As you can see in the pictures it's not just some leisurely ride into the cascade mountains, it was work. But it was good work. Like a great CrossFit workout. Cutting these trees is all done with a hand saw, because you cannot use any gas or electrical equipment in the wilderness. In conjunction with the U.S. Forest service these trails get cleared and opened up for all hikers to enjoy. So if you're ever out there on these trails take time to think about how they got cleared of the trees you walk through when you see those cut logs laying there. And if you ever see the trail clearers thank them for what they do. Three peaks outfitters offer's day rides, overnighters and other great adventures including sleigh rides in the winter, providing there is snow.....

Had an amazing horseback riding experience through the mountain trails. The horses were very tame…read moreand friendly and the staff were absolutely great to ride with.

Y'all, I had to stop by and check out Smokey Bear :)…read more The office has information about local hiking trails, and they sell local passes in person and online. Nice place to stop if you're exploring the North Bend area. Hours vary seasonally and suggest calling ahead to make sure someone is in the office.