HIKE DESCRIPTION: This trail has many virtues – it’s close to home, it’s forested, it offers views and its low elevation makes it accessible year round when higher elevations are under snow. In addition, it’s a short hike, making it ideal for beginners and for families with short-legged hikers. In early June, as more snow was being unseasonably dumped above, this trail provided a wonderful forest experience with studies in green. Early spring forest foliage comes in all shades of green that is made even more brilliant in light rain. The trail goes through combinations of deciduous and evergreen forests. The deciduous trees showed their fresh new leaves, the ferns were nearly full open, all the other forest plants added to the sense of the old growth-rain forest ambiance of the Pacific Northwest. The destination of this hike is the ledge with, on clear days, views of the North Bend Valley and Snoqualmie-area mountains. On cloudy days the ledge still gives you the sense of being at the top, even if you can’t see what is below. The ledge is a good spot for lunch or a snack and if no views are available, enjoy the pink flowers in this ultimate rock garden.

DIRECTIONS: Take Exit 32 off of Interstate 90 and take a right onto 436 Avenue Southeast. The trailhead parking lot is 2.7 miles just before Rattlesnake Lake. From the parking lot you’ll walk about 1/8 of a mile to the trailhead.

DIFFICULTY RATING: 2 (1 is easiest, 5 is most difficult)

MILES ROUND-TRIP: 4

ELEVATION: 1,160 feet

BEST TIME OF YEAR: Year round

MAP: Green Trails 205S – Rattlesnake Mountain

PASS: None

ALSO: Use caution at the ledge if you are hiking with children. The ledge is an outcropping of boulders with a drop straight down of several hundred feet. Hunting is allowed in national forests, so autumn is not the best time to wear clothes that blend in with the environment. Fluorescent orange is a good color to wear.

INFO: Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, North Bend Ranger District 425-888-1421 www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs; “Day Hiking Snoqualmie Region,” Mountaineers Books.

Hike of the Week is presented by The Mountaineers Tacoma Branch Hiking/Backpacking Committee. For other hikes, visit www.thenewstribune.com/hiking.