TRAILBEAR’S TRESTLE TOUR: The Tokul Creek Trestle and three more

7.14.10 - Snoqualmie Valley Trail

As soon as he learned of a big timber trestle on Tokul Creek, the TrailBear knew he would be up there, camera in hand. Big wood trestles are rare; they tend to burn down and often did. However, the cost was cheap and they went up quick. On the Milwaukee Road they were designed to allow the Road to come back later and build a fireproof steel trestle inside the wooden one. Meanwhile, the Road was open and they were running trains.
You can start the ride in Carnation at …


CARNATION TRAILHEAD – NICK LOUTSIS PARK, GE: N47.64768 W121.90766

Here is a small trailhead: parking, portapotty, tables, info kiok. The only water tap was turned off. The turn from the main drag is Entwhistle St. and the city has signs there pointing to the trail. Wish other towns would be so nice. Head south down the trail for a half mile to the first feature, the …


TOLT RIVER BRIDGE, GE: N47.64119 W121.9072

There is a neat wayside just before the bridge. Three info signs explain about the salmon and why the Tolt is such a nice place for salmon. Notice the fish tiles on the bench platform. Some public trail art. The bridge is closed to all motorized vehicles until they can rebuilt it. Something about a fire.

Cross the river and ride on. Now you are on a long embankment. Remliger Farms are to the left and someone has a scaled down rail road system to play down there. Ride 1.7 miles to the


GRIFFIN CREEK TRESTLE, GE: N47.61582 W121.90426

This is a nice long trestle located by the Griffin Creek Natural Area. The GCNA has a large gravel parking lot and portapotty on 11th St. NE, just a few hundred feet from the trail crossing. There is also room for a few cars at the crossing. Head south on the trail for 600’ to the trestle.

The advantage of this trestle is that you can drive to the bottom for photos. So many are in brushy ravines and getting down involves bushwhacking. NE 8th St. on the far side runs under the trestle. Drive on in and take a look.

That done, keep pedaling south. The next trestle is 1.8 miles along – as the crow flies. As the trail twists, it is over two miles out. Once you leave Griffin Creek you enter the woods.

The woods are "lovely, dark and deep", which is nice on a hot July day. All you see is a green tunnel behind and before you. While you may thing you are in the Amazon, there are homes and farms on both sides – up on the plateau and down on the river bottomlands. If you head downhill, you normally cut a road or field within 600’.

Of course, just when you wonder if there is another human within miles (yes, several), you reach the cougar and bear warning sign. There actually is an elk herd further up river – which is cougar sushi. Make a noise and announce your coming. TrailBear thinks: Do not be here at twilight. It’s the dinner hour. But not to worry, you’ve reached the …


NAMELESS TRESTLE, GE: N47.58966 W121.89991

Here is a line of timber piling bents crossing a ravine without a name. Notice that there have been repairs to a number of the bents. You see new cap timbers, new flashing and some of the pilings look rather new. Those plastic “tin cap” nails used to secure the tar paper to the piling tops are not original.

From here it’s two miles along to homes within view of the trail and …


THE STEEL TRESTLE, GE: N47.56952 W121.86932

Here is a change of pace. No timber. I-beams and spindly steel tubes instead. While it’s fireproof, it seems to lack the “presence” of a good timber trestle. The steel trestle marks the end of the miles of woods. Civilization is only 0.2 miles ahead, where the trail crosses 356th Drive SE (N47.56772 W121.86540). There is a large trail access parking lot here. (No other facilities.) Now that you’ve seen civilization, ride on into more woods – but watch the traffic on 356th. They move. Another 2.34 miles puts you on …


THE TOKUL TRESTLE, GE: N47.55724 W121.82446

The Tokul is well worth the ride. Here is a dramatic long curved trestle on a hairpin bend over a deep ravine. The creek seems a long way down. Notice that this trestle is built out of squared timbers instead of the far more common round pilings.

Timber trestles this large are increasingly rare in the West. TB knows of one magnificent one on the Banks Vernonia Trail at Buxton. Another is in downtown Belleuve – the Willburton Trestle. Still in use after a hundred years. Anyone have more? Let us know. From here another 0.77 miles takes you to the end of the northern section of the Snoqualmie Valley Trail at the …


TOKUL TUNNEL & TRAIL END, GE: N47.54885 W121.82816

Here is a very large culvert underpass below Tokul Rd. The trail ends at the far side, where steps lead up to the road. The wide gravel track turns to singletrack dirt. The mountain bikers can explore onward. The Right of Way runs below a large gravel pit, around an industrial complex and across the swamps to the river.

A car on the road would have trouble spotting this tunnel and there are no signs up there. The only clue is a small gravel parking lot just short of SE 60th.


@@@ A QUICK WAY TO TOKUL TRESTLE

Just want to see the Tokul Trestle and skip the woods? Start at the tunnel.

From SR 202 down at the Salish Lodge at Snoqualmie Falls, you head up Tokul Rd. The first left, in about 0.6 miles is SE 60th St. Turn around here; you have gone too far. That grotty parking lot on the right side of the road about 400’ back was the one you wanted. Park, walk back up to SE 60th on the right side of the road and you will stumble over the steps down to the trail. Through the tunnel and off to the trestle.


ACCESS POINTS AND TRAILHEADS ON THE TRESTLE TOUR …

CARNATION TRAILHEAD – Nick Loutsis Park at N47.64768 W121.90766
GRIFFIN NATURAL AREA – parking and porta potty at N47.61838 W121.90431
356th DRIVE ACCESS – parking at N47.56772 W121.86540
TOKUL TUNNEL ACCESS – parking at N47.54885 W121.82816


NOTES ON THE TRIP

Distance is approximately 12 miles one way from Carnation to the trail end.

Trail surface rates a C. While listed on the county map as soft surfaces, it is hard pack. So hard that horses have not been able to chop up the surface. It is smooth in places but there are a lot more places where the surface has a mixture of 1-3” river rock amid the smaller gravel and it feels like cobble stone.. The bike was set to full suspension.

The scenery ranges from C to A. The trestles are A, but one mile of woods look like another mile of woods: C.

Facilities are limited. There is parking. There are two outhouses. There is no water at any of the trailheads or access points. Bring lots of your own. Portapotties are at Carnation and Griffin Creek.


Ride on!

TrailBear
The trestles are out there somewhere.