A voice in the dark - Snoqualmie Tunnel

The Snoqualmie Tunnel is an old railroad tunnel turned into a hiking path. It's part of John Wayne Pioneer Trail, which stretches over 100 miles. Most of it is in Iron Horse State Park.

The tunnel itself is approximately 2 miles long, which lends to a unique, and for me a creepy, hike.

Snoqualmie Tunnel
Washington State Parks and Recreation
Parking permit: Discover Pass ($10 per day/$30 per year)
Distance: 5 miles round-trip
Elevation gain: negligible

Not many hikes have creeped me out as badly as this one. I've hiked Iron Goat Trail (and apparently didn't blog about it [but I'm re-hiking it this summer anyway]), which is widely regarded as one of the state's most haunted trails, and I've hiked to the Sumas Gold Mine, which has a lot of history and relics from the past, but no trail has profoundly scared me as badly as this one.

The trailhead is shortly off I-90 exit 54 for Hyak. From the exit head south toward the tiny little community, and then immediately hang left on NF-906. After a bend in the road, parking for the Iron Horse State Park is on your right.

About half a mile from the trailhead, you'll hit the tunnel.

The tunnel is 2 miles long but fairly straight. From either end, I could see the light on the other end. It felt like an exercise in futility, however, as the light is so far away, it doesn't feel like it's getting any closer until the final quarter-mile or so.

Heading through the first time, I was alone, and it was profoundly creepy. There was only one other car at the trailhead before me. It appeared no one else was in the tunnel. My tiny little light illuminated alcove after alcove of what appeared to be old switch panels of some sort, but I kept thinking about how easy it would be for someone to hide there.

About halfway through the tunnel, I heard a voice behind me. It sounded like a man clearing his throat. I turned around, but could see nothing in the dark, just the few yards my flashlight could illuminate and the now-distant spot of light at the end of the tunnel. I power-walked the hell out of the tunnel as fast as I could. At the picnic area on the far end, I waited to see who would emerge. Coming the other direction down the John Wayne Trail were a pair of guys who had hiked further than I (and I later discovered the other car at the trailhead belonged to them), but no one ever emerged from the tunnel behind me. Where did the voice come from? I can't tell you as I never found out.

A small outhouse and some picnic facilities await you at the other end of the tunnel.

Going back, I was about a hundred yards behind the other hikers. They conversed most of the trip, and even though I didn't know them, it was comforting just to be sharing the tunnel with someone else, someone concrete and physical anyway. As I reached the starting point, a family of five was getting ready to bike through the tunnel.

I can promise I will never hike this tunnel again alone. Bring some company with you on this one. It's the most terrifying hike I've ever done, and I don't care to repeat it.