Little Si, Mt. Baker National Forest-Snoqualmie Trip Report
March 20, 2004
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John Munyan
126 Review(s) to Date
John is an avid hiker, spending a goodly portion of his time up in the hills, or sitting in front of a computer.
Either way, most of what finds his eye is green, or blue, - organic, or lcd. John likes this website, hopes you do too, and invites you to write a review of a couple hikes you've done!
zzzlyle
24 Review(s) to Date
I live in Federal Way, WA and I enjoy getting out into the great outdoors and hiking and would someday like to make it to the top of Mt. Rainier. When I can't get outside, I'm the IS manager at a marketing firm in Kent.
Driving Directions: Drive I-90 to the town of North Bend and take exit 31 into town. Continue east on the main drag, North Bend Way. Just east of town turn north on Mount Si Road (432nd SE). Turn right at the next intersection and drive .25 miles more to the new parking lot. The lot is designed to hold 50 cars and includes a state-of-the-art outhouse.
Trail notes: The weather for the last couple days has been pretty nice around Seattle. Fortunately this break in the 'bleak' coincided with the schedules of many and collectively we decided to get out of town to enjoy a little of mother nature. Little Si seemed to be a reasonable choice since (for me at least) I haven't been getting out on the trail much since starting school again and this seemed like a fairly easy hike with a decent payout - one none of our group had recent memory of.
I should start by saying there is a new access point to Little Si which is about a quarter of a mile from the old entry point which went through many peoples backyard. Apparently, the former setup didn't work well for the neighbors so a new entry was created. The above directions point you to the right place.
That said Little Si much like its bigger sibling is a crowded thoroughfare, but unlike Mt. Si the journey is much more enjoyable along the way. The trail starts out along medium grade for about the first 15 minutes then moderates to more temperate travel for a while. Along these relatively level sections there almost always seems to be something interesting to look at from remediation sites, to rock climbers on Little Si's sheer cliff face, to the remains of a decent landslide. About 40 minutes of so the going gets a steeper as you near the top of Little Si. Some sections require the use of hands, but none of them are in anyway threatening. This section is only about 10 minutes long, if that.
Once you reach the top you can get about 180 degree views looking towards Snoqualmie Pass, McClellan Butte, Mailbox Peak, Rattle Snake Ledge, North Bend, and of course Mt. Si. The views are quite nice there is adequate room for many people in all the nooks and crannies which is a good thing considering the amount of people making use of the trail.
So if you are looking for a quick hike this one might just fit the bill. The time estimate on this hike isn't representative of the time taken to do this hike, but rather indicates we spent quite a bit of time admiring the view. Maybe that is telling 
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Nice off season
Reviewed By: Tinadam on Sunday, November 26, 2006 @ 12:49:40 PM
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Review: We did the Little Si in late October, 2006. It was a rainy day, so we hiked with ponchos and an umbrella. The fallen leaves were beautiful at this time. The hike traversed a nice variety of scenery. As we hiked, we went through patches of heavy rain, fog, and hail, which made for an interesting day. Nearing the top, there were a few tricky climbs that required hands as well as feet. The vista at the top was nice. When we arrived it was 100% fogged-up, nothing to see, but then after about 5 minutes it cleared completely. 5 minutes later it was again lost in fog-- very surreal. The trip down was a bit scary in places with the rain and the slippery rocks. Took maybe 2.5 hours to get up, definitely less than hour to get down.
Good family hikel
Reviewed By: Bob on Saturday, June 17, 2006 @ 10:48:54 PM
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A 70 year old birthday/father's day gift by my daughter and her two children, 10 and 12. Beautiful hike through green, trees, rocks. I'm not in shape, and it took us 2 hrs, 15 minutes to the top, casual. Then 1 hr, 15 minutes down. All but my daughter were tired, but the pictures were great, and the memories, well, memorable.
Nice quick hike
Reviewed By: vern on Friday, May 19, 2006 @ 12:48:59 PM
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Great little hike, about two hours round trip. A little steep at the start to get you warmed up and then a nice easy hike from there on. Recommend doing this one early in the day; this trail can get pretty crowded cause it's so close to I-90 and parking fills up fast.
Great for really fast hiking
Reviewed By: Bill on Tuesday, September 20, 2005 @ 01:00:52 PM
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Review: I love this trail, but if you're in shape it might be too easy. So, try running it. I summit in 30 - 40 minutes and run back down in 25 for about a 1hr round-trip. Nice workout!
Fun for Beginners!
Reviewed By: TheWiseOne on Sunday, August 28, 2005 @ 11:37:59 PM
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Review: I took a couple friends on this hike. I'm not in top physical condition, but in much better condition than the two that came with me (one just quit smoking, too). It took us 3 hours total - and we had a nice long comfortable stop for lunch. By the time we reached the top it was about 80 degrees out, and I'd only gone through 16 ounces of water or so. The very beginning was a little steep, but the rest of the trail extrememly reasonable. Saw one group with trekking poles, but they were not necessary at all - unless you have bad knees or something. Also saw elderly people and a little girl learning Portugese from her mom - not even close to out of breath. Very fun trail and a good view at the top! Relaxing!
We did this on a Thursday morning - but the later it got - the more people there were. A lot of "hello's" and head nods to go with.
Lil Si is Alright!
Reviewed By: Alper Tekin on Sunday, August 7, 2005 @ 11:33:36 PM
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Review: I did this hike a couple of days ago on a hot Saturday afternoon (80-85)in August. It took me 1.5 to get up there with frequent stops for water; 0.5h for admiring the view at the top and about 45 mins for the hike down. Overall, the terrain is easy to handle except some slipery parts and infrequent climbs on rocks and wood. The hike down is a breeze however you need to watch for moss on rocks and trees; can get pretty slippery.
Do note that it is a crowded trail and parking can be problematic. Bring water, camera and some food for enjoying the view up top.
Happy hikin'
Spontaneous hike
Reviewed By: Anonymous on Tuesday, April 12, 2005 @ 01:10:09 PM
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Review: Having lived in Seattle for many years, I'd avoided this trail in favor of ones further away, longer, etc. Did I miss out! It's a busy trail, but never felt like we were boxed in by people even on a sunny Saturday afternoon. The scenery is varied and interesting, with pretty little valleys, then ends with a gorgeous view of the mountain peaks. The rocks at the end serve as good lunch spots. It's a great choice for spontaneous outings.
Quick hike. Nice view at top.
Reviewed By: Bob on Monday, April 11, 2005 @ 10:22:33 PM
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Review: Well marked trail. There is gravel put down in the lower portions and even a bench to rest on part of the way up if you need it. You can decide how easy or hard you want to make this hike. On the way up there are mossy rock gardens with fallen old growth trees. The summit is a rocky clearing. There are great panoramic views of North Bend and the Snoqualmie Valley. It was drizzling on and off on the day I took the hike and (Big) Mount Si was obscured by clouds. The forested trail provided shelter from the light rain. There was light traffic on the trail and we had the summit to ourselves. It was a week day.
LITTLE SI IS LITTLE
Reviewed By: Colin on Sunday, April 10, 2005 @ 12:36:54 PM
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Review: Had my hiking sticks in my pack the wholes time. Barely broke a sweat on a hot day with a beenie on. not a good workout. you will meet plenty of old ladies and men, and lot's of pups. Good Views, fun people, .....kind of like the "mall of hikes"
Great for the kids
Reviewed By: Richard on Tuesday, March 15, 2005 @ 10:22:50 AM
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Review: This is a good hike for younger children. It starts off quite steep then flattens off quite quickly. The climb to the top isn’t too steep but there are lots of rock scrambles places for the kids to 'climb on'. (Adults can just walk up.)
Near the top there is a cliff which over looks Mt Si, where you would need to watch younger children carefully.
My 2 year old loved the walk she rode all the way up; then climbed, jumped, hopped and ran most of the way down. Slept like a log in the car on the way home. Priceless!
A nice Sunday afternoon jaunt...
Easy but fun
Reviewed By: Yarek on Sunday, March 13, 2005 @ 07:07:02 PM
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Review: Hiked this today, and it was a fun, short hike. We made it to the top and back in under 2.5 hours, and that was a very leisurely pace. The views are nice, and it's interesting in both directions. It was busy but not crowded today (a nice day in March), but with many more people in-season it could get a bit unpleasant.
Take the alternate route
Reviewed By: Rob on Saturday, September 11, 2004 @ 07:12:11 PM
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Review: They don't get much easier than this if you are in good shape. One way to spice this hike up is to find an alternate and more scenic route to the top. The best place to start is where the rock climbers on the far right. :) There is a fun trail that leads to the top, but it's moderately dangerous and requires short spurts of rock climbing, so if you don't like scrambling, don't try it. From the top, you can take the "boring" trail back.
Great view from the top.
little si
Reviewed By: jinda on Sunday, August 22, 2004 @ 10:48:53 PM
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Review: did this hike with the kids ( 9yo and 6 yo) ,they really enjoyed the walk. the hike is not too strenuous and interesting along the way. good views at the top
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