Rattlesnake Lake Recreation Area — Attraction in North Bend

Pros Lake isn’t too cold on a sunny summer day, and honestly it’s pretty cool even to check out. Great views if you decide to do the hike, it’s 100% uphill so it can be a tricky hike. Make sure to pack something to eat at the top to regain some energy. Lake is LARGE, lots of room to spread out Cons This place has really boomed in popularity, but doesn’t quite have the infrastructure to support all of these people. Parking was awful, and people break the parking rules frequently because of the lack of parking. When you visit on a sunny summer day, you will see people parked on grass, in between trees, in the boat launch spaces (3 cars to a lane, trapping the person in the middle!) and more. I saw a BMW illegally parked in the boat launch area with MASSIVE damage to the side, clearly a boat was making its way up the very small road and the BMW was in its way haha. But seriously, there’s got to be a way to provide more parking with how popular Snoqualmie/North Bend are getting. On really busy days it can be hard to find a quiet spot to relax, especially in the afternoon times 12-4pm are especially...

This is a great place to hike not far from the city with some fantastic views at the top! To avoid the crowds, you can push on and hike to the Middle or Upper Ledge which look down upon the main ledge. But, and especially this time of year, USE CAUTION! Please keep in mind that winter boots can be great for snow and slush but are pretty much USELESS on the SOLID ICE that covers most of this trail. Traction devices (which easily slip over your shoes) and/or trek poles are strongly advised. Have fun but also go prepared. Mountain weather can change very quickly. Just one small slip or trip can turn a short 2 hour jaunt up the trail into 7-9 hour rescue mission. (I've called SAR for a hiker in distress here before, rescues easily take that long or longer.) This is not a technical trail, but can be a lot of "up" for someone new to hiking or out of shape. Have what you'd need in the off chance that you or someone you come across needs assistance. This is the perfect place to get out of the city and into nature. The views are definitely...

When you get to the actual lake it's absolutely breathtaking. Plenty of space to post up and hang with the family. The water looked very nice and clear. This is early June and people were fully swimming. It was so cold and refreshing. There were swimmers, kayakers, and people just on floaties. There were boats far out in the distance as well. The only down fall was the parking. There was a lot of it, but there were quadruple the people there were of spots ... so GO EARLYYYY. we went at about 2 or 230 on a Sunday (yes the wrost day to try to go anywhere lol) and we spent a total of 30 minutes trying to park. But after that it was great. Apparently there is a hike also and we saw a lady who made it to the top of the mountain. Go girl go! There were poapotties and outhouse style bathrooms so they were pretty bad... but there is a store like 3 minutes away that has a nice restroom so go before...