Trail Access Points
Find your starting point, access locations, and transportation options along the route
Palouse to Cascades Trail Access Points
Starting Point
Alice Creek Campground - Starting point, primitive walk-in/bike-in only
Western Access Points
Cedar Falls Trailhead/Rattlesnake Lake - Near North Bend, the western terminus. From I-90 Exit 32, go south on Cedar Falls Road for 3.5 miles
Twin Falls Natural Area/Olallie State Park - Exit 38 off I-90, Discover Pass required
Homestead Valley Trailhead (Olallie State Park) - Accessible from parking lot with 1/3 mile climb to trail
McClellan Butte Trailhead - Exit 42 off I-90
Annette Lake Trailhead - Exit 47 off I-90
Hyak Trailhead - Exit 54 off I-90, at Snoqualmie Pass, large trailhead with restroom
Additional Access
Garcia - Where a road crosses the trail
Lake Easton State Park - Camping available but not directly adjacent to trail
Snoqualmie Valley Trail Access Points
Major Trailheads
McCormick Park, Duvall - Northern terminus, on banks of Snoqualmie River
Nick Loutsis Park - Access point
Griffin Creek - From Hwy 203 in Carnation, turn west onto 11th Street NE
Tolt MacDonald Park, Carnation - 575-acre park with camping, accessed via connector trail
356th PL SE in Fall City - Wheelchair-friendly access with parking lot
Fall City Connector Trail - Connects to SE 39th Street in Fall City
Tokul Road - Stairs provide access (not suitable for bikes)
Mill Pond Road/Reinig Road - Via steep stairs to Ronette's Bridge
NE 4th & Ballarat Ave in North Bend - Access point
Rattlesnake Lake Recreation Area - Connects to Palouse to Cascades Trail
Route Through Cities/Towns
The route leaves established trails and uses city streets through: North Bend, Snoqualmie, Issaquah, Maple Valley, Enumclaw, Puyallup, Tacoma, Yelm, and Tenino.
Willapa Hills Trail Access Points
Lewis County
Chehalis Trailhead - From I-5 Exit 77, west on Highway 6 to first stoplight, left on Riverside Drive, follow to SW Newaukum Drive, left on SW Sylvenus, right on Hillberger Road
Adna Trailhead - Off Dieckman Road, 4.3 miles west of I-5 on Highway 6, right on Bunker Creek Road, right on Dieckman Road
Ceres Hill Road - 9 miles west on Highway 6 from I-5, right on Ceres Hill Road for 1.6 miles
Rainbow Falls State Park - Access from park entrance, connects via spur trail
Meskill Road (near Doty/Dryad)
Pe Ell - Fourth Avenue and Front Street trailhead
Pacific County
Lebam - Access point
Menlo - Access point near Willie Keil's Grave State Park Heritage Site
Raymond - Multiple access points as trail enters city, trail accompanies U.S. Route 101
South Bend - Small trailhead accessible by Highway 101
Important Note: A Discover Pass is required to park at Washington State Park trailheads. This route offers numerous access points for support vehicles, resupply, or emergency exits, making it feasible to tackle in sections or as a continuous journey.
Public Transportation
Eastern Section: Cascade Foothills to Issaquah
King County Metro Route 208 connects North Bend and Snoqualmie riders to the Issaquah Transit Center for regional connections and transfers. All buses are equipped with bike racks.
Snoqualmie Valley Transportation (SVT) is dedicated to the Snoqualmie Valley offering door-to-door and fixed route services to the general public, covering North Bend, Snoqualmie, Fall City, Carnation, Duvall, and Monroe with wheelchair-lift and bike rack equipped shuttles.
Central Section: Tacoma/Pierce County
Pierce Transit operates a variety of services including fixed-route buses, dial-a-ride transportation, vanpool and ride-matching for carpools throughout the urbanized portions of Pierce County. Key routes for cyclists include Route 400 connecting Puyallup and Downtown Tacoma.
Sound Transit Services provides regional transit trips with Express buses to Seattle, the Sounder commuter train from Lakewood to Seattle with stops in South Tacoma and Tacoma Dome, and the T Line light rail in Tacoma.
Western Section: Thurston and Lewis Counties
Intercity Transit operates 21 bus routes serving the Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and Yelm area. Bus routes currently operate with zero fare for all riders as part of the Zero-Fare Demonstration Project.
Rural Transit (rT) provides free public transportation serving rural and tribal areas of the Thurston Region, including Rainier, Tenino, Rochester, Bucoda, and the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation.
Lewis County Transit connects in Centralia with Rural Transit, providing service through Lewis County communities along the Willapa Hills Trail corridor.
Pacific Transit provides bus transportation to North and South Pacific County communities. Pacific Transit fix routes are currently Zero-Fare.
Key Transit Hubs and Connections
Issaquah Transit Center - Major hub connecting eastern sections to regional services
Tacoma Dome Station - Multi-modal hub with Sounder train, T Line light rail, and bus services
Puyallup Station - Pierce Transit hub with multiple routes
Tumwater - Connection point between Intercity Transit and Rural Transit
Centralia - Connection between Rural Transit and Lewis County Transit
Service Gaps
Notable gaps in transit service exist: Limited service between Enumclaw and Puyallup, no direct transit along the Foothills Trail corridor, no identified transit service in Raymond/South Bend area, and weekend service limitations in some areas, particularly rural sections.
Amtrak Access Along the Route
The route has excellent Amtrak access at two key points, providing valuable bailout options or starting/ending alternatives for your journey.
Primary Amtrak Stations
Tacoma Dome Station - 422 E 25th Street, Tacoma, WA 98421. Served by Amtrak Cascades (Vancouver, BC to Eugene) and Amtrak's Coast Starlight (Seattle to Los Angeles). Multi-modal hub with Sounder rail, T Line light rail, and bus services.
Centralia Station - Historic train station built in 1912, located directly on your route along the Willapa Hills Trail corridor. Seven daily train trips available from Centralia to Tacoma, taking approximately one hour.
Secondary Access Options
Kelso-Longview Station (Detour Option) - 501 South Avenue, Kelso, WA 98626. About 30 miles west of Centralia via Highway 6. Bike racks available at the station.
Strategic Use for the Route
Amtrak provides flexibility to start your ride at Tacoma Dome Station instead of Alice Creek (eliminating the challenging Cascade mountain section), end at Centralia instead of South Bend, or use as bailout points if weather or mechanical issues arise. Both stations have multi-modal connections and parking available for vehicle logistics.