Seattle's Game-Changing Bus Service Connects Outdoorsy City Dwellers To Trails With No Parking Worries

The city of Seattle, Washington, has wonderful things to do, like visiting Pike Place Market, full of unique shops, or checking out the Space Needle. You can take a fascinating tour of the Seattle underground, learning the secrets of the city before the 1889 fire, or visit the famous waterfront. However, when you're in this part of the country, one of the chief attractions is the great outdoors. If you happen to be in Seattle from late May through the beginning of September, you can take advantage of a service that takes you from the city to a number of trailheads around Mount Si and the Issaquah Alps called Trailhead Direct. The transportation program, which runs on weekends as well as Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day, started in 2017 and is provided by King County Metro with help from King County Parks, SDOT, and Amazon. The bus service to the trailheads exists to reduce traffic and parking for the hikes, which can cause congestion, particularly in the summer and on holidays. Since Seattle is one of the most crowded destinations in America during Labor Day weekend, this is no small thing.

The summer hiking season service for 2025 runs from May 24 through September 1, and you can visit Trailhead Direct's official website for info as it's updated. From the start of the program through May 2024, over 78,500 people have reportedly used the transportation service, and it's only likely to grow in popularity. As local Redditor u/null-g wrote, "Glad this is coming back and (re)expanding. Great access program, especially when those hikes have an extra hour hike from where you parked to the actual trailhead on summer days."

The Trailhead Direct bus service, which serves King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties, has added stops in recent seasons, and you can use the trip planner site here to get all the current info to plan your route. The bus service is not only convenient, but it's also inexpensive. As of this writing, adult tickets cost less than $3, and kids 18 and under ride free. The buses seat between 22 and 27 people, and there are spaces for two bikes on each one. Every bus is wheelchair accessible (though some of the trails are not). Dogs are allowed at the discretion of the driver, and larger dogs may require an additional fee. That's great because some of the area's trails are dog-friendly, provided your furry friend is on a leash.

Before you go, make sure you have all the right supplies like a full water bottle (you cannot fill up at the trailheads), snacks, the correct attire and shoes, sunscreen, and a bag to pack trash in and out. You should also make sure you have any required passes like the Discover pass. Some of the North Bend trails accessible through Trailhead Direct include the popular 7.9-mile, out-and-back Mount Si Trail that boasts 3,395 feet of elevation. You can also visit the Poo Poo Point Trail in the Issaquah Alps, a moderate 6.6-mile, out-and-back trail with 1,794 feet of elevation. Another trek to check out is the 10-mile Mount Teneriffe Trailhead loop with 4,081 feet of elevation gain.