Description - Rattlesnake and Taylor Mountains lie east of Tiger
Mountain and Hwy 18, and south of I-90, with Rattlesnake on the north
side of the Raging River and Taylor on the south. Efforts since 1993
by King County Parks, Washington State Dept. of Natural Resources
(DNR), and the Forest Service have led to the acquisition of over
3,000 acres of public land on Rattlesnake and 1,700 acres on Taylor.
Most of the land on the south slope of Rattlesnake and the north slope
of Taylor is still in private, timber company ownership including
Weyerhaeuser, Sunkist Growers, and Trillium.
On Rattlesnake, the public ownership lies almost exclusively on the
northward (facing I-90) side of the mountain and covers the area from
the old Snoqualmie Winery site (I-90 Exit 27) across the face of the
mountain, generally above the powerline corridor, eastward to
Rattlesnake Lake. The first large acquisition occurred in 1993, when
DNR and King County combined funds to purchase 1,800 acres at a
generously discounted price from Weyerhaeuser. This acreage was
designated the "Rattlesnake Mountain Scenic Management Area," and is
managed as a "Natural Resources Conservation Area (NRCA)" by DNR. This
means that no timber harvests are allowed and protection of the
ecological and natural resource values are top priority, with
recreation a secondary priority.
An additional 1,100 acres at the western end of the "Scenic Area" was
purchased in 1997 as "working forestlands" using combined federal
Forest Legacy and King County funding. Some parcels of land are owned
by the Forest Service, but the majority of these lands are managed by
DNR on behalf of the County as "trust lands," producing income for the
county from timber harvests.
In early 2000, a critical 130-acre parcel, called Snoqualmie Point,
was purchased by the Forest Service from owners that had planned to
locate a large new office park on the former Snoqualmie Winery site,
one of the most spectacular viewpoints in King County. Instead,
10-acres of this site (the open area of the former Winery and
entertainment amphitheater) will be managed by the City of Snoqualmie
as a public park, scenic viewpoint, and event amphitheater, while the
remaining 120 acres will be managed by the Forest Service as public
forestland.
The Rattlesnake Mountain Trail (RMT), an enjoyable 11.3 mile long,
cross-Rattlesnake trail from Rattlesnake Lake to Snoqualmie Point was
officially established and signed in 1998 via a joint effort by DNR,
King County, IATC, MTS Greenway, and WA Trails Association. The
eastern portion of the trail starts on City of Seattle Water Dept
property at Rattlesnake Lake and climbs 1.3 miles to dramatic rock
outcroppings (Rattlesnake Ledges) that offer spectacular views. The
Seattle Water Dept. allowed IATC volunteers to construct this trail as
the first public trail use allowed on watershed property. Along the
RMT, as well as from the distance, several communications towers are
located at the high points of the ridgeline.
Led by IATC member Harry Morgan, enormous efforts and years-long
battles led to a settlement in which King County Parks purchased the
1,700-acre Manke parcel, which is now called "Taylor Mountain Forest."
This park lies on the south-facing slope of Taylor, while the entire
north facing slope remains in private ownership. Master planning is
underway by King County Parks to determine how Taylor Mountain Forest
will be managed and what uses will be allowed.
|