Middle Fork Snoqualmie River
Trail rebuild nearing completion
10 this month · 161 reports
Snoqualmie Region
The Cedar Butte trail is snow-free and accessible for all vehicles, with no reported bugs as of September 20, 2026. The trail is generally in good condition, with recent reports indicating that blowdown has been cleared and brush has been significantly reduced. However, the entrance to the Cedar Butte trail itself can be a bit overgrown and easy to miss, with a sign marking its location. The trail splits into two paths: a steeper, more direct left fork and a longer, gentler right fork that is more overgrown. Both paths rejoin before the summit. The summit offers limited views due to dense forest. Parking is available at the Palouse to Cascades lot, which requires a Discovery Pass. While the Palouse to Cascades trail is wide and popular with bikers, the Cedar Butte trail itself sees fewer people.
Generated from 70 trip reports. Trails change faster than reports do, so check anything you’d turn around for.
Generated from the most recent trip reports, newest 5 days ago. Check anything you’d turn around for.
As of September 20, 2026, the entrance to the Cedar Butte trail is described as a bit overgrown and easy to miss, though marked by a sign. This condition was also noted in a report from September 12, 2026.
As of September 20, 2026, recent reports from September 12 and August 27 indicate the trail is in good condition with no downed trees or significant blowdown. However, a report from July 10, 2026, mentioned a surprising number of smaller blowdowns across the trail, though all were easy stepovers. The right fork may be more overgrown than the left.
Parking is available at the Palouse to Cascades lot, which requires a Discovery Pass. Reports from September 12 and August 27 confirm the need for this pass. The parking lot size can vary, with the upper section filling up while middle and lower sections may be empty, according to a September 12 report.
While the summit itself is heavily forested with limited views, reports from July 5 and August 27 mention enjoyable viewpoints of Mt. Si and the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Valley through the trees. One report from July 5 highlighted a favorite viewpoint before the summit where the trail reached the edge of the butte.
Trail rebuild nearing completion
10 this month · 161 reports
Steep climb with shifty rocks in spots
8 this month · 140 reports
Fall color arriving, a few stream crossings
8 this month · 138 reports
Extremely popular, expect many hikers on trail
7 this month · 221 reports
Fall colors arriving at the top
5 this month · 201 reports
False summits and rock stairs abound
5 this month · 137 reports
Trail notes generated from recent reports. Conditions change fast.
Short and sweet out-and-back trail with a nice climb and great views. The parking lots are huge and were pretty popular on the Sunday evening. Although the trail starts out on the old railroad grade (...
Arrived at the lot around 9:30. Upper section was full while the middle and lower sections were almost empty. Lot requires a Discovery Pass to park. Arriving at Cedar Butte first requires walking a po...
Nice flat walk on gravel road until you get to the actual trail head. The trial splits into 2, taking the right path takes you to an overlook. The left is shorter and takes you right to the summit. Bo...
Walked up Cedar Butte Thursday morning after doing the Meadowbrook Farm loop earlier. Parking at the Palouse to Cascades lot is hardly ever super busy compared to the rattlesnake ledges lots and does...
Needed to do a little tune up hike before a larger backpack next week, and this was perfect! After leaving the gravel bike trail, I saw ONE person. Incredible after passing the overfilled parking lo...
Started at the overflow lot near Rattlesnake and headed up the Palouse Trail to the small turnoff leading up to Cedar Butte. It was fairly hot and smoky out, but sticking to the shaded sections kept i...
The parking down below for Rattlesnake Ledges was a bit hectic but up at the DNR parking lot there were plenty of spots at 10:00 a.m.. conditions are very nice right now. We only saw about 10 people. ...
Quick climb up Cedar Butte Friday morning in the sunshine. Parking at the Palouse to Cascades lot at Rattlesnake Lake requires a Discover pass as per normal. The lot isn’t huge but doesn’t seem to f...
Hiked to the top of the butte on a warm summer day. There were lots of people enjoying Rattlesnake Lake, and it was hot in the sun, but most of this trail stayed reasonably cool under the tree cover. ...
Pleasant hike with only a few steep sections.