Iron Horse Trail to Snoqualmie Pass

Iron Horse Trail over Snoqualmie Pass –
The Iron Horse Trail goes across much of Washington state, though it has its interruptions in various spots. The trail is a converted rail track, and is almost entire gravel, thus best meant for mountain bikes or fat tire bicycles. There are a number of tunnels on the trail, including the 2.5 mile tunnel under Snoqualmie Pass.
East side of tunnel
West side of tunnel
The trail goes over some of the existing railroad bridges. The sights are a beauty. The only problem with the trail is that it parallels I-90, so that one is always able to hear the roar of traffic off in the distance. Except for that, the condition of the trail is excellent, and it never goes over a 3-4% grade. One does need headlights for the tunnel, as it is pitch-black inside. The day that I rode the trail, the weather was good, and so there were many people on the trail. It appeared as though parents would drop groups of children off at the top of the trail (by the tunnel) and then pick them up at the bottom. Those poor children never had the opportunity of what was most enjoyable about the trail, which is the joy of riding UP the trail.

Scene of the mountains from the Iron Horse trail
The Garmin data are as follows…
https://web.archive.org/web/20191210225033if_/http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/368319947
By the way, I also saw a number of touring bicycles going over the pass. I’m sure they were headed for distant eastern Washington. I wish them happy trails in their journeys.