Snoqualmie's River Walk Finally Has a Mile You Can Walk. Downtown Is Right Across the Street.

The City of Snoqualmie opened the new north section of the Snoqualmie River Walk Trail on September 16 with a ribbon cutting at 11 a.m. The new section is a mile of soft-surface trail along the river between Kimball Creek and Northern Street, on the east side of Railroad Avenue. Most of historic downtown sits directly across the road from it, including the coffee counters, the bakeshop, the spaghetti restaurant and the depot.

Its location shapes how the trail gets used. It isn't out at the edge of town with its own trailhead and parking lot. It runs along the river side of downtown's main street. For the next while, a walk here will start and end on Railroad Avenue, and this October that street has a train schedule running through it.

What actually opened in September

The project spent years on the city's books as the Riverwalk project. When construction started on October 20, 2025, the city was calling it Rivertrail, and this first piece was officially named "Rivertrail Northwest (NW) of Sandy Cove." The work did more than lay a path. It removed invasive plants and protected the trees that shade and cool the river. Much of the funding came from a State of Washington appropriation championed by then-Senator Mark Mullet.

The October 2025 construction notice forecast an opening by summer 2026. The ribbon cutting came in mid-September, so the trail missed most of the summer. That timing puts its first full season in fall.

For the opening, the city told visitors how to get to the entrance, and the same route still works:

1. Park on the west side of Railroad Avenue, which is also SR 202.
2. Cross at the marked crosswalk.
3. Walk north toward Kimball Creek. The entrance is just south of the creek on the east side of the road.

Those directions were written for the ribbon cutting. The city hasn't announced a dedicated trailhead lot. Railroad Park is the closest downtown spot with listed parking and public restrooms. The city describes it as next to the Historic District shops, Snoqualmie Depot and the Northwest Railway Museum.

A loop with only its first mile built

The new mile matters more once you see the full plan. The city describes Rivertrail as a multi-phase project that will eventually form a loop of about three miles. The loop will connect the area near Snoqualmie Falls with historic downtown and Meadowbrook while restoring habitat along the river. The first phase also includes "preparation work for future trail connections in subsequent project phases."

So about a third of the loop is built, and it's the downtown third. An older city capital-project sheet describes a separate Phase II running from Riverview Park to the Meadowbrook Bridge. That segment would link downtown with Meadowbrook and bring Snoqualmie Valley Regional Trail users into the historic district. That sheet lists 2022 as its construction schedule year, so it shows the planning history, not a current commitment. The city hasn't published a new date for the remaining phases.

Until those connections are built, the walkable river frontage begins and ends on the same street as downtown's coffee and lunch stops. The trail and the town come as a package because of where the first mile was built.

Across Railroad Avenue, sorted by what you're after

The Snoqualmie Valley Chamber's 2026 coffee passport lists several downtown stops within a short walk of the trail. Hours change by season, so the table below uses each business's own website where one was available.

Tuesday is the day to plan around. Both The Freestone Collective and The Black Dog Arts Café are closed, and Copperstone closes on Mondays instead. A weekday walk followed by lunch works best Wednesday through Monday. A walk followed by dinner works best any day except Monday.

If you're driving in and want coffee before you park, the passport lists two drive-through stands on Railroad Avenue. Dark Horse Brew at 7936 Railroad Ave serves locally roasted coffee. Huxdotter Coffee at 9024 Railroad Ave adds pastries and breakfast and lunch options. Neither listing gives hours.

October weekends run on the depot's timetable

This month, the trail's location ties a downtown walk to the Northwest Railway Museum's Halloween Train. The train boards at Snoqualmie Depot, 38625 SE King Street, on these dates:

• October 10 and 11
• October 17 and 18
• October 24 and 25
• October 31 and November 1

The round trip takes about two hours. The train heads west to the top of Snoqualmie Falls and pauses at the crest for a view down the lower valley. Then it heads east to the Railway History Campus for a 30-minute stop with seasonal activities and a visit to the Train Shed Exhibit Hall. It continues to North Bend Depot to pick up passengers and returns to Snoqualmie. Tickets cost $16 to $32, and everyone age 2 and up needs one. Costumes are encouraged for all ages, and every child gets a small gift.

A few rules affect how you plan the day. No food or drink is allowed on the train. The ticket page lists a capacity of 100, and the train runs rain or shine. The museum's policy is no refunds or exchanges unless the train doesn't run. Since you can't bring snacks on board, eat at one of the stops in the table before or after the ride. A walk along the river fills the time between parking and boarding.

Two other October dates use the same blocks:

Saturday, October 24, 1:30 to 4 p.m. The city's free "Spook"Tacular Halloween in Snoqualmie starts on Snoqualmie Ridge at Center Boulevard, continues to the YMCA Trunk or Treat at 35018 SE Ridge St., and finishes in Historic Downtown.

Friday, October 30, 5 p.m. The Northwest Railway Museum's Wine Train Excursion leaves Snoqualmie Depot after a 4:30 p.m. check-in. It's for ages 21 and up, tickets are $99, and the October wineries were still listed as "TBA."

October 24 is the busiest overlap. Halloween Train departures, the Spook"Tacular finish downtown and the river trail all fall on the same Saturday afternoon on the same few blocks.

The details the city hasn't published yet

Some practical questions don't have official answers yet. The city's materials don't spell out dog rules or accessibility features for the new section. The only parking guidance so far is the opening-day instruction to use the west side of Railroad Avenue. The city's River Walk project page, at snoqualmiewa.gov/891, is where updates on future phases and trail rules are likely to appear first.

Sandy Cove Park, which gives the first phase its name, has its own parking, picnic areas, open lawn and river access. City materials don't confirm a direct trail entrance from the park. For now, the reliable way onto the new mile is still the entrance just south of Kimball Creek.

If you live downtown or near Railroad Avenue, you may be wondering how this river frontage and the planned loop factor into your home's value. realtor-keren.com can walk you through it with a local, no-pressure look at your address. Get Your Home Value, and let's talk about what the River Walk means on your block.