Boulder Garden Hike in Northbend
April 6th, 2021Introduction
Some family of mine and I went on a hike the first weekend of April. The hike is called the Boulder Garden Loop and sits at the base of Mt. Si between the Little Si trail and the old Mt. Si trail.
We expected rain but were surprised by the sun and warmth. To top it all off, after the hike, we drove into town to visit a local brewery.
I didn't track the hike, but some quick stats are:
- 2.5 miles roundtrip from overflow lot
- less than two hours
- asc./desc. ~850 ft.
The Hike
Trailhead
The trailhead is better known as the LIttle Si trailhead. It gets hectic, despite the overflow parking on your left just after you cross over the Middle Fork of Snoqualmie River.
We didn't try to park at the main trailhead parking lot (which has a bathroom) and opted for the overflow parking where we found a spot pretty easily. It was midday on a Saturday, so our luck was surprising.
There's a short connecting trail to the main parking lot that is off the road and flat. As previously mentioned, there is a bathroom and trail information board in the main parking lot.
On the Trail
The trail begins on the Little Mt. Si trail before branching off to the right after a quick ascent.
The trail gains elevation quickly at the outset, and this serves for a nice warm-up. You'll come across a couple of popular selfie areas that sit at a pleasant height above the valley. We stopped at one of those areas to enjoy the view on the way down, where I snapped a candid shot.
Not too far after the trail levels out there's a sign denoting the Boulder Garden Loop on your right.
If you take a look at my screenshot of the hiking route, there's an elevation chart at the bottom. The hike was much steeper on the descent because we took the first offshoot.
However, you could go further up the trail and enter the Boulder Garden Loop in the reverse direction. This would make for a steep ascent and a more gradual descent on a nicer trail.
Taking the Boulder Garden Loop on a Saturday is a nice reprieve from the crowds, without sacrificing the chance for a heart thumper and cool environment.
We hit a series of switchbacks as we climbed, enjoying the shade from the unexpected sun.
When the trail leveled out, we began to see more giant rock faces and interesting forested terrain.
Additionally, you come across the trail crossing for the Douglas Fir trail and the crossing for the Old Mt. Si Trail crossing. The trail crossing is marked for both by signs, and the sign for the Old Mt. Si is quite detailed, noting that you should continue if you want to stay on the Boulder Garden Loop.
Despite its steepness, we enjoyed the descent, even stopping to take pictures next to tall trees and massive boulders.
The loop meets back up with the Little Si trail above where you turn off. Therefore, as you hike back on the trail, you pass where you first turned off the Little Si Trail to start the loop.
The rest of the descent was uneventful, just the occasional trail traffic that comes with popular hikes in the I-90 corridor.
I didn't track the hike, but it's about 2.5 miles from the overflow lot, took us less than two hours, and we ascended/descended ~850 ft.
Post Hike
After the hike, we ventured into the town of Snoqualmie to the Snoqualmie Falls Brewery.
They have plenty of outdoor seating with a local beer selection and some delicious food that we used to reward ourselves for the successful hike.
Finally, the brewery is located next to a park on the river that I hadn't walked down to before.
It's a great Saturday line-up and even better with nice weather!