Rattlesnake Mtn and Noble Knob Trails

A Subtle Warning, Rattlesnake Mtn Trail

It's downright hazardous how quickly this summer seems to be slipping past. Work has been keeping me fairly busy and I can never seem to satisfy my appetite for exploring Washington's trails. I'm making steady daily progress on my 1000 mile challenge but feel like I'm playing a serious game of catch up with the others. If I can keep my weekly average between 25 and 30 miles during the warmer months here in Washington, I should be able to complete the trip on time. Unless I take a wrong turn and go over a cliff like the unfortunate fellow on the sign.

I've got a couple of great trails I wanted to share this week using an online mapping tool that I'm just learning about. It seems to have a few technical kinks and isn't always super intuitive, but it's one of the better ways I've found to share trip details (at least until I break down and design my own online mapping tool that is). As always, I've also got downloadable PDF maps that you can simply print and go.

Rattlesnake Mtn Trail - 9.02 Miles



This was a great trail I hiked two weeks ago, conveniently located off I-90 at exit 32. You'll gain a significant amount of elevation in the first 1.6 miles along this high traffic section of the trail. Most hikers get winded on their climb to Rattlesnake Ledge and go no further but the 2.4 miles of trail along the northwestern ridgeline provides a surprising degree of solitude. On clear days you'll have unmatched views of Mt. Si, North Bend, and Chester Morse Lake to the southeast.

Trail Rating
Elevation	Low Point - 915’ High Point – 3,481’
Trip Length	9.02 Miles Out & Back , Day Hike (4-7 hours)
Season	May - October
GPS Trailhead	47° 26.091’ N, 121° 46.126’ W
Topo Map	Download PDF
More Info	Washington State Department of Natural Resources, (360) 825-1631
Driving Directions	Take exit 32 from Interstate 90, travel south on 436th Avenue SE for approximately 3.1 miles, and park at Rattlesnake Lake to gain access to this trail.

Noble Knob Trail – 7.1 Miles



I had been eyeing this ridgeline trail that borders the Norse Peak Wilderness ever since the snows let up in mid-April. I’m sure the rangers at the Enumclaw Station were wearied by my almost daily calls to find out if the road had been opened to get to the Corral Pass trailhead. With my wife, new hiking partner (Adrian), and five kids under the age of eight in tow, I was finally able to venture up to check it out this last weekend. Two of the kids actually made it the full distance out to Noble Knob and back (7.1 Miles). What can I say, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

A Word of Caution: The trickiest part of getting to Corral Pass and the trailhead is NFD 7174. There are several sections that are extremely steep, narrow, and rocky. You'll want to be in a vehicle with sufficient horsepower and road clearance in order to make it up. Be very careful when passing other vehicles moving in the opposite direction. We actually saw a small Honda Civic that was being plucked from a dangerous embankment by a heavy duty tow truck while we were up there. The owners had the look of terror on their faces as we carefully moved past them.

Trail Rating
Elevation	5,658’ High Point – 5,995'
Trip Length	7.1 Miles Out & Back , Day Hike (3 or 4 hours)
Season	July/August - October
GPS Trailhead	47° 0.855’ N, 121° 27.993’ W
Topo Map	Download PDF
More Info	White River Ranger District, (360) 825-6585
Driving Directions	The turnoff for NFD 7174 is approximately 1.3 miles beyond Buck Creek on Highway 410. Pass Alta Lodge on your left and then take your next available left turn (it's easy to miss if you're not paying close attention). The road up is about 6 miles long but it will seem like a lot longer.