W7W/KG-095(edit)

Overview

Begin your hike from the new trailhead parking area, on a half-mile access trail which switchbacks up from the lot and through second-growth forest. At a junctions, turn left on the old logging road. This road-to-trail conversion was completed by a contractor working with the Department of Natural Resources, and has made the entire former road section a much more enjoyable hike.

You'll climb gently through young forest and meadows for 1.5 miles. Through this section, you'll pass a side trail to the popular Teneriffe Falls. At this point, you can either go towards the falls and up a steep, almost scramble, to the summit via the Kamikaze trail, or take the "New Teneriffe" trail to the same destination over a much longer distance.

If you choose to go with the Kamikaze trial, prepare to climb 2385' in just 1.5 miles above the falls on a direct, extremely steep route to the summit. Hiking poles and good tread are essential here; avoid this upper section in wet or muddy conditions.

If you stuck with the main trail, things ramp up just past the intersection with the Roaring Creek Trail. Now you begin switchbacking at a steeper incline for 2.7 miles. Come to a T intersection shortly past this viewpoint, signed with another map of the area. A left here takes you via a connector trail to the base of the Mount Si haystack; it's a fun alternate way to access this popular summit. But Teneriffe is found to your right, at the end of another 2.3 miles of hiking. About a mile down this section, the road-to-trail conversion ends and you're on honest-to-goodness trail. It's narrower, and the forest is much closer, offering a completely different experience than you've had up to now.

The summit push is a very short rocky scramble to the top. Be sure-footed here, and be careful to not trample the flowers and greenery surviving on the rocks. From the summit, the Snoqualmie Valley spreads out below you, and you can soak in 360-degree mountain views, from Mailbox Peak to the east, to the distant snowy summits of Mount Baker and Glacier Peak to the north, and of course, Mount Rainier to the south.

Getting Started

Make sure to have a discover pass (not to be confused with the NW Forest pass) or you will be ticketed! This parking lot gets full quickly especially on weekends. Plan to arrive before 8am or after noon.

Taking Children

This is not a good hike for children, considering the steep, sketchy scrambles, long distance, and elevation gain. Dogs are allowed, but also discouraged considering a leash makes climbing tough and off leash dogs pose a hazard to other hikers.