Hike Length: up to 3 miles
Elevation Gain: 300’
Hike Difficulty: easy to moderate with steep hills
Map: Official Green River College trail map
Updated 9/22/2021
Green River College in Auburn is spectacularly situated on a bluff overlooking the Big Soos Creek and Green River valleys. The public is welcome to use the 3 or so miles of student-built trails that wander through the campus forest lands. The easiest trails wander along the top of the bluff; more exciting ones drop steeply down to the river.
Here, the Green River runs through a much wilder setting than the industrialized valley of Kent and Auburn. The steep bluffs and protected parklands keep things natural. If the paved Green River Trail was too civilized for you, this is the place to come. In late summer and fall when the river is low, the opportunities for exploring along the river’s banks are greatly expanded.
The trail system is complicated; be sure to download this map:
Getting There
In downtown Seattle, catch Sound Transit 577/578 and make the long ride to Federal Way Transit Center.
There, catch Metro 181, and ride it to the end of the line at Green River Community College.
The Hike
The developed part of the Green River College campus is composed of a collection of buildings surrounded by a ring of parking lots. To get to the forest lands, head south from the bus stop on 320th St. and walk through or around the campus buildings. Eventually you reach the southernmost parking lot zone, where the forest begins. Walk along the edge of the forest until you find a trail, then dive in.
A dense maze of trails interlaces the forested plateau between the developed campus and the bluff that drops down to the Green River valley. The trail network is a little confusing, but in a good way; you really can’t get too lost in the limited area of wilderness here. Simply wander at will. Along many of the trails, you’ll see signs posted by the forestry students explaining some of the features of the forest.
The broadest, most “main” trail in this area is the Foundation Trail, which forms a semi-loop connecting the east and west ends of the campus. The trail provides pleasant walking through thick douglas fir and hemlock forest. After crossing a dirt road, the trail reaches a viewpoint at the edge of the bluff featuring an excellent view of Mount Rainier. From here, a paved section of the Foundation Trail returns you back to the campus.
Toward the east end of the plateau is the Dead Horse Canyon Trail, which branches off the previously mentioned paved trail. The trail dips down to a viewpoint close to Highway 18, then climbs along the edge of the namesake canyon, a deep gully cut into glacially- deposited clay and gravel. The trail ends at the easternmost parking lot.
When you’re tired of plateau walking, drop down to the Green River. The dirt road that crosses the Foundation Trail near the Mt. Rainier viewpoint provides the easiest way down. Follow the road south(marked as a horse trail) as it switchbacks down a slope to a lower plateau, recently logged.
The Abel Loop Trail branches off the road at the lower plateau, and is well worth following. Midpoint on the short loop trail, at a junction, follow a sign pointing to Parking Lot I. This stretch of trail, perhaps the finest on the campus, contours the slope of the bluff and dips through a cool, shady ravine, before coming to an end at the westernmost campus parking lot. Taking the Brush Patch Trail at another junction delays the end of the hiking a little bit.
Beyond the lower plateau, the river access trail makes a swift descent toward the lowlands. Just before reaching the river, note a trail of sorts taking off to the left. This nasty little path passes underneath the Highway 18 bridge and leads to the Burlington Northern railroad tracks. Thickets of blackberries line the trail, making the trip a bit of an ordeal. If you do make it to the tracks, you can hike across the railroad bridge spanning the Green River and gain access to the Auburn Narrows Park. But beware of the train traffic, which has gotten heavier since the reopening of the Stampede Pass tunnel.
Beyond this side trail, the river access trail soon reaches the banks of the Green River. In winter, when the water is high, your only option, other than backtracking, is to follow a steep ribbon-marked trail climbing the slope of the bluff. This rugged but pretty route eventually rejoins the Abel Loop-Parking Lot I trail described previously.
In late summer and fall, you may be able to wade across the Green River and explore the Auburn Narrows Park on the other side. If you are able to continue downstream along the river by wading or walking on sand bars, you can eventually pick up a serviceable trail that heads along the north bank. This trail begins at a popular swimming hole complete with a rope swing. The path travels along a beautiful forested flood plain at the base of a bluff, eventually leading to a cul-de-sac on 104th Place. Following 104th Place soon leads you to 8th Street at a stoplight, where you can catch the Metro 181 bus back to Green River College or Auburn.
Unfortunately, during high water periods, it is not possible to get from Green River College to 104th Place this way; the river and steep bluffs make things well-nigh impossible. The 104th Place trail is usable as a separate hike, although it is very muddy in winter.
Getting Back
From 320th St, next to the north side of Green River College, catch Metro 181 and ride it back to the Federal Way Transit Center.
To get to Seattle, transfer to Sound Transit 577/578.