Rattlesnake Ledge
Trail description
Rattlesnake Ledge is one of the most popular hikes near Seattle, and it earns it: a short, well-graded climb through mossy second-growth forest to a bare rock ledge hanging high above Rattlesnake Lake. From the top you look straight down at the lake, across to Mount Si and Mount Washington, and over the protected forests of the Cedar River watershed with Chester Morse Lake beyond. The trail starts at Rattlesnake Lake near North Bend and switchbacks steadily to the ledge junction. The drop-offs at the viewpoint are real and unfenced, so keep children close and dogs leashed, and step back from the edge when it is crowded. For quieter views, continue a short way up to the Middle and Upper ledges, or carry on along the Rattlesnake Mountain Traverse toward East Peak. Expect company: on summer weekends the parking lot can fill before mid-morning, so an early start or a weekday visit makes for a much better experience. The trail is hikeable most of the year, with only occasional lowland snow in winter.