Snoqualmie Valley Trail I

Walk an old railroad grade from Duvall to Carnation

Hike Length: 9 miles

Elevation Gain: minimal

Hike Difficulty: moderate

Revised 9/20/2021

This section of the Snoqualmie Valley Trail offers a long, flat walk through the fields and marshes of the Snoqualmie River flood plain. Birders and wetland enthusiasts will especially enjoy this long trek along the former railroad grade, once a branch of the Milwaukee Road railway. The gravel-surfaced path is friendly to feet and remains free of mud even in the rainiest weather. Part of the trail passes through a state wildlife refuge, where hikers can leave the trail and explore side paths leading to the river’s banks.

Bus access had become difficult in this area, making hikes in the Snoqualmie Valley hardly worth the effort. Perhaps this walk is best done as a "bus assist hike" where you drive your car to Duvall, then ride the Snoqualmie Transit bus to Carnation. Then walk back to Duvall on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail.

Start of Snoqualmie Valley Trail in Duvall (photo by Joe Mabel/Wikimedia Commons)

Getting There

Bus service here has been affected by the 2013 cutbacks - there is no more Metro bus service in the Snoqualmie Valley. All is not lost, however - Snoqualmie Valley Transit (SVT) https://svtbus.org/ runs a bus that replaces the Metro 224. However, the requirement of making two transfers to sparsely scheduled buses makes access difficult and slow.

From downtown Seattle , ride Sound Transit 545 to Redmond Transit Center.

Catch Metro 224 at the Redmond Transit Center. This bus has a sparse schedule (once every two hours) so plan your connection carefully. Ride the bus to downtown Duvall at Brown Ave NE and Richards Street. No weekend service.

The Hike

Walk streets through the historic heart of Duvall to the intersection of Main and Stephens. Along the way, cafes and art galleries occupying the old buildings may tempt you to linger a bit. At Stephens, turn right (west ) and walk downhill past the old Duvall train station building to the Snoqualmie Valley Trail, adjacent to McCormick Park. Here, head south along the trail.

The scenery along the Snoqualmie River Valley is gentle, uneventful, and largely unspoiled by development. The trail passes cow-dotted fields and marshes well appreciated by the local duck population. South of 124th Street ( 2 miles from Duvall) the trail parallels busy State Route 203 closely for about two miles, making this stretch a little less enjoyable. At the four mile point, the trail heads away from the highway and passes through the Stillwater Wildlife Refuge. Side paths head through the fields toward the meanders of the Snoqualmie River, tempting explorations for hikers with extra energy.

At the six mile point, the trail passes the second of two parking lot/ access points for the wildlife refuge. Here a tired walker may leave the trail and catch the SVT bus at the Stillwater Store, located at the intersection of Stillwater Hill Road and SR 203.

Beyond Stillwater the trail once again parts company with SR 203 and cuts through the center of the valley floor. This is a fine stretch of trail, quiet and shaded by large cottonwoods.

At 7.5 miles, the trail crosses SR 203 and heads into the outskirts of Carnation. A park and trailhead parking area is reached at the nine mile point, where the trail crosses Entwistle Street. Go right(west) on Entwistle to reach downtown Carnation and stops for the SVT bus.

Getting Back

From Carnation, It’s possible to get home by taking the SVT in either direction, which makes the sparsely scheduled bus (departures in a given direction (every two hours or so) a little more usable. Ride to either North Bend (Mt. Si Senior Center) and catch Metro 208, or Duvall and catch Metro 224.