Zig Zag Trail

Try this unofficial route up to a viewpoint of the Snoqualmie Valley with the option of pressing on to Mt. Washington.

A small path signed “Zig Zag Trail” marks the trailhead, a few dozen yards beyond the Hall Creek Bridge. The amount of work trail builders have put into the fledgling path is evident – rocks and logs have been used to stabilize problem areas along the way – but be warned that the trail is still a work in progress. The path is also narrow and can be slick in the rain and melting snow. At about the half-way point, a small overlook signed “Mountain Mutt Rock” is a welcoming place to rest and look down at the Snoqualmie Valley below. Above this point, the trail gets rough. Follow the path hacked down long-overgrown logging roads a few hundred feet up to FR 9021, also known as the Hall Creek Road. From here, one can follow forest roads out to Mt. Washington, or make a large loop out to Hall Point and back down to the Iron Horse Trail.

This is a fun Little Side trip for those looking for more adventure on the Iron Horse Trail. It’s short, but steep, gaining roughly 1600’in a little over two miles -- giving your legs a workout and delivering up some views in short order. It’s not a great trail for large groups or hikers that are looking for a more developed trail. We recommend this for those itching for those summer climbs that are still a few months away who want a taste of what’s to come.

History

The Zig Zag Trail climbs up the east side of the Hall Creek Valley. Before you reach the trail, however, you'll pass over or under the restored trestle bridge that spans Hall Creek Valley. Originally built in 1912, the Hall Creek Bridge stood for more than 70 years before a 1988 storm unleashed a torrent of mud and debris downstream, pulling portions of the bridge down with it. For the next 10 years, a 171-foot gap separated the eastern and western portions of Iron Horse State Park. The trails used to by-pass the gap still exist today – the more popular path up Change Creek, and a more hidden route that follows Hall Creek. By 1999, funding was found to repair the bridge and unify the park, which today sees thousands of hikers, bikers, and climbers every year.