My quest to ride by bicycle down all of King County's historic roads led me to a scenic stretch of pavement last week that I've pedaled along more than once.
What I hadn't realized is that West Snoqualmie River Road dates back to among the earliest byways in the hills and valleys between Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains and hasn't changed that much over the years.
The “Dan Henrys” painted on the pavement for the Tour de Peaks and other rides attest to this lightly traveled roads' popularity among bicyclists. It's flat, winding, and passes organic vegetable farms, horse farms as well as dazzling fields of flowers grown for market.
And the day I visited, the area appeared locked in perpetual summer with warm temperatures and blue skies. The loudest sound came from a row of chirping swallows sitting on a telephone wire that took off in all directions when I passed beneath them.
Historic fort
The King County Road Service division's report on historic and scenic corridors tells me there's more to this road than the smooth pavement.
Native Americans made this area their home for centuries, but the first whites are reported in the area in 1848. Several forts, more like blockhouses, were built in the valley about 1856, including one called Fort Patterson right along the path of the present-day road. (More about those forts.)
The 6-mile road is located roughly between Fall City and Carnation (aka Tolt) along the Snoqualmie River. Although there was plenty of agricultural commerce in the area in the late 1800s, most of the produce traveled on the Snoqualmie River.
Marshy terrain
The road itself was conceived in the 1880s, but surveyors found that a swamp — now the Carnation Marsh Natural Area — would make construction of a road between the two towns impractical.
The southern section of the road is shown as completed on maps in 1907. Construction on the northern portion was begun through the marshland in 1910 to connect to the new Tolt Hill Road where a bridge crossed the river. It was completed by 1913.
Early farming in the area gave way to the dairy business in the first half of the 1900s. Now it's a magnet for organic farmers and growers who produce flowers for sale at market.
The staff that assembled data for the historic roads project pointed out the road still has its historic alignment — “curvilinear in the north half, right angle in the south half.” Also, there's no highway striping, minimal shoulders with vegetation right to the edge of the road, a flat roadway crown and minimal signage.
Destinations
One destination along the road is the Jubilee Farm, an organic farm that sells to local member-customers through a community supported agriculture program. Another farm sells antiques, while another stables horses and hosts children's parties. There also are a couple of golf courses that have found their way onto the old dairy farms.
The road ends at the Tolt Hill Road, with the river crossing just to the east. Crossing Tolt Hill Road, you'll find a gate and a gravel road that leads to the King County Tolt-MacDonald Park, where there are camping and other facilities.
Loop rides
West Snoqualmie River Road is easy to incorporate into a loop ride. Route 202 and 203, linked by Tolt Hill Road, have good shoulders for bicycling. On the east side of Carnation, you'll find the Snoqualmie Valley Trail, a rail-trail that links Duvall with Rattlesnake Lake east of North Bend (there's a short interruption in the town of Snoqualmie).
For ideas about bike rides in this area, consult the King County Bicycle Map. Also, the book “Biking Puget Sound: 50 rides from Olympia to the San Juans” incorporates West Snoqualmie River Road on two rides, Nos. 17 and 18.
West Snoqualmie Road is one of nine historic and scenic corridors identified by the King County Road Services department.
Bicycling more historic roads:
Bicycling the historic Sunset Highway through King County
Bicycling back in time on old King County wagon roads
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