RIVER ACCESS SITES ON THE MAIN SNOQUALMIE
Paddle Trails Canoe Club
C Bagley, Access Chair,
206-282-1578
October 2006

Photos are coming later.

In October I visited most of the access sites on the main Snoqualmie to provide detailed access information for Club members.  I tried to visit and describe every regularly used site. The list starts at the mouth of the Snoqualmie at the hiway 522 bridge and goes up to the Blue Hole in North Bend, which is the lowest site on the Middle Fork (MF) of the Snoqualmie.  I took photos of most sites.   A limited number of B+W photo sets are available on request.

 In this report, the abbreviations are: Fee = Fish and Wildlife fee required to park,  T = toilet available when I visited the site (All sites have some “cover,” except #8), and river side of each site, R or L, is noted.  At present, there is no fee to park in State Parks.  There is a Park launch fee for using a developed launch site, but no fee for non-developed sites.   MP = milepost

1.  Hiway 522 bridge.  Going NE on 522 toward Monroe, cross the river and exit at “W Main, Monroe.”  At traffic circle immediately go right onto Tester Road.  Go 2.7 miles to end up under the 522 bridge.  Access is under bridge and up/down a  muddy trail to a huge gravel beach, then a long way to the water, total carry 200+ yards.  No parking under bridge, but it is allowed on road shoulders to the west.  Space for ~ 6 vehicles.

Fee – no, T – no, River – R       Photos 1- AB

2.  High Bridge.  On State hiway 203, go to just south of  MP 21, about 1 mile south of Monroe, and turn west onto 203d Street SE.  At Tee go left onto Crescent Lake Road and on to the Bridge. Just before bridge turn north into a large parking lot.  For bridge access from west, follow High Bridge Road.  Concrete ramp to water.

Fee – yes, T – no, River - R.            Photo 2

3. Duvall... “Taylor’s Landing”, Turn west off 203, about .2 miles north of the 203 / Woodinville-Duvall Road junction at Duvall.  Look for sign.  Turn left at tee.  City park... Has large picnic area with covered tables.  Large parking lot.  Concrete ramp to water.

Fee – no, T-YES,  River – R                  Photos  3-AB

4. Carnation Farm Road.  From hiway 203 at MP 7 turn west onto Carnation Farm Road.  Just before bridge turn right into a small parking lot (6 cars).  Trail to water starts under bridge.   

Fee – no, T – no, River-R.       Photo 4

5. MacDonald Memorial Park / Tolt confluence.   Just south of Carnation, north of Tolt River mouth, off 203.

River access off the Tolt and on/off the Snoqualmie has been on a sand bar, river right, and just below the Tolt mouth. (Photo 5-A)  Lots of parking in woods just above, reached via a muddy road just  north of Tolt bridge, along the top of the lower Tolt levee.  King County plans to move the levee back 100 to 200 yards to allow the Tolt to wash out vegetation at the mouth and restore the old flood plain, creating new salmon spawning area.   The County proposes to build a new take-out site for Tolt boaters on Tolt river right, just below the 203 bridge, where there is now a small parking lot, trail to the river and large pebble beach.  Photo 5-B

The main MacDonald park access road (sign, at NE 40th Street) goes to a small parking lot.  Here are campsites, toilets (a short walk from current access), playfields, and a footbridge over the Snoq. about 200 yards below the Tolt mouth. (Photo 5-C)  Just downstream of the footbridge there is a good trail, steeply down to a narrow bank of rocks, maybe underwater in the spring. Photo 5-D.  Across the footbridge is a river L rubble beach, below bridge, with a good take out, but no road access.  Parking in foot bridge area can be expected to be full early, every weekend.

Fee – no, T-YES  River - R

6.  F+W access just above Tolt  mouth.  Turn west from 203 onto “NE 32nd – NE Tolt Hill Road” which is just south of the 203 bridge over Tolt.  Turn right into a big parking lot and concrete ramp down to the Snoqualmie.  No direct Tolt access.

Fee-yes,  T – no, River- R           Photo 6

7. Neal Road access.  From Fall City, take 203 north (left) over bridge.  Then almost immediately turn left again onto Neal Road, signed.  Drive to blocked end, which is virtually on the 203 shoulder, farther north of Fall City.  Large lot, ramp.  Also, may be accessed by parking off 203 (8+ cars) at the blocked, north end and walking to site,  50 yards.

Fee-yes, T – no,  River-R              Photo 7

8.   Fall City Downtown...Large parking lot on river bank and street parking in town (city park) just below the 202-203 bridge, river left.     Good luck in finding a toilet!

Fee-no, T – no, River-L      Photos 8-AB

9.  Fall City F + W site  north of Town     Off Fall City-Preston Road; go about 1/4th mile south of Fall City and turn east onto SE 44th Place, which becomes Dike Road and goes to just above the Raging River mouth.   Large parking lot and ramp

Fee –yes, T – no,  River- L                    No photo 

10.  Plum’s Landing,  From Fall City, take hiway 202 SE toward Snoq. Falls.  Then about 1/4th mile south-east of MP 24, turn SW onto 372nd Ave SE, then right at Fish hatchery Road. Go about .1 mile. Large parking area.  Concrete ramp, and also good trail to a beach.

Fee-yes, T – no, River-R                         Photos 10-AB

11.  F+W site at junction of Fish Hatchery Road  and 372nd Ave SE. (see above)    Steep trail to river. Wide beach.  Parking for about 8 cars.

Fee-yes, T – YES,  River-right.             Photo 11

12.   Powerhouse... Follow 202 between Fall City and Snoq. Falls.  About 1/4th mile SE of MP 24, turn SW onto 372 Ave SE and then left at junction with Fish Hatchery Road.  Go to end.  You are Puget Sound Energy property.

Electric outer gate (Photo 12-A) is supposed to be open dawn to dusk.  If the gate is closed and your car is inside, a magnetic sensor in pavement should open it.  Inner road gate is always locked.  It is easy (and allowed) to walk around both gates.

Then walk down to road end by powerhouse, which is also accessed by a popular foot path from Lodge (Photo 12-B).  Then a short, dangerous climb over boulders to river (Photo 12-C).   Total carry about 80 yards.

Fee-no,  T – YES, River-R

13.  Last take-out above Falls....cited by Verne Huser,  [page 121 of  Paddle Routes of Western Washington, Mountaineers, 1990]     From Falls, take 202 SE (upstream), and just before road veers right and over the Snoq. River, turn left onto Mill Pond Road.  In about ½ mile look on right for a big concrete block painted yellow.  Short carry to river with a very small beach.  From river the site is hard to spot.  Put a flag on a tree branch to mark it.  There is parking on road shoulder for 2 cars.

Fee-no, T – no,  River-R       Photo 13

14.  Meadowbrook Bridge –Lower site, below RR bridge.  Follow Mill Pond Rd. which continues in a curve to end at Reining road.   2/10ths of a mile before the end there is a stop sign and a side road south that goes to the one lane bridge to the Town of Snoqualmie.  Between this side road and Reining is an attractive access site with parking for 10 cars on a wide shoulder.  Across the road is a large Weyerhaeuser “No Trespassing” sign.  A short path leads to a large pebble beach and view of the road bridge downstream. 

Fee – no, T – no, River- R       Photo 14-AB

15.  Meadowbrook Bridge –Upper site, above RR bridge.  This is immediately upstream of the Mill Pond/ Reining Road junction –see above.  Can also reach Reining Road from North Bend via 428th SE, as described below.  Green gate across short trail to small beach with view of RR bridge downstream.  Parking for 5 cars

Fee – no, T – no, River R.                 Photo 15

16.  Old Norman Bridge on Middle Fork Snoqualmie   From downtown North Bend, go north on Ballarat, an arterial that becomes SE 108, then turns right as NE 12th, then becomes 428T h  SE.  Or from Meadowbrook continue upstream on SE Reining to the end, then right on 428th.  Turn off 428th on east (upstream) side at north end of bridge.  At paved road end and red/white barrier is parking for ~ 8 cars, and a carry to river of about 50 yards. The old bridge is gone.   

Fee-no, T – no,  River- R    Photo 16

17.  Blue Hole on MF Snoq.  From Ballarat Street, North Bend, turn east onto 6th Ave, and go to the end, which has parking for maybe 10 cars.   Go around the red gate (Photo 17-A), turn left, and walk downstream atop the levee 60 yards to an easy and attractive access site (Photo17-B).

Fee – no, T – no, River – L   

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Telephone: (206) 444-4313
Last modified on 11/14/2008