Trailhead Direct – a successful pilot project that provides transit service to trailheads along the Interstate 90 corridor – returned April 21 with expanded service to more hiking destinations.
The public-private partnership will provide weekend and holiday service every 30 minutes, with stops at the Mount Baker Transit Station in South Seattle; Eastgate Freeway Station; Issaquah Transit Center; and several trailheads in the Issaquah Alps.
A second route to Mount Si and Mount Teneriffe will start May 19 at Sound Transit’s Capitol Hill Link light rail station.
Trailhead Direct was first launched in August 2017 as a pilot project sponsored by King County Metro’s Community Connections program and King County Parks to expand access to hiking trails and reduce trailhead congestion in the Issaquah Alps, where illegally parked vehicles created traffic hazards and safety concerns.
The new service will operate 19- and 27-seat vans with capacity for two bicycles for each trip. Passengers pay Metro’s standard off-peak adult fare of $2.50 until July, when Metro implements a $2.75 flat fare. Passengers can pay with an ORCA card, Transit Go Mobile ticket, or cash.
In early summer, the popular Mailbox Peak trailhead will get Trailhead Direct service from a free satellite parking lot in North Bend.
The Visitor Information Center, located at 155 NW Gilman in Issaquah, provides travelers with a wide variety of trail maps and recommendations. Be sure to stop in for all the info you need before your next trip to the Issaquah Alps.