Mountains to Sound Greenway - I-90
Mountains to Sound Greenway - I-90 Overview

As you drive the Mountains to Sound Greenway, you sample three dramatically different landscapes of Washington State. Begin the 100-mile route in the bustling city of Seattle on Puget Sound and follow the Interstate through the lush rural farm and forestlands of Western Washington. Travel over the rugged Cascade Mountains and finally to the edge of the desert in central Washington. Along the way visit historic logging and mining towns and countless scenic spots for outdoor recreation.

Beginning in Seattle, stroll along the historic district, learn about unique sea life at the Seattle Aquarium, or have it tossed at you at the famous Pike Place Farmers' Market. Shop the attractions of an international city on the Pacific Rim, and enjoy the towering Space Needle and the Experience Music Museum with your family.

Leave Seattle and head east along the byway, passing by the enclosed mountains and lakes for which the area is famous. Cross Lake Washington on a floating bridge and discover places to picnic and swim on Mercer Island. Rent a canoe at Bellevue's Enetai Park and paddle the 400-acre Mercer Slough Nature Reserve in the heart of a thriving city. Enjoy swimming or a shady picnic spot at the Lake Sammamish State Park, only a few miles east in Issaquah.

As you continue east, enter the Cascade Mountains where you can take almost any highway exit to a variety of mountain trails. From an easy stroll through old growth forests at Asahel Curtis Nature Trail, to the high country rewards of more strenuous hikes in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness near the Snoqualmie Summit, you'll have hours of outdoor recreation opportunities awaiting you. Join bicyclists from around the U.S. in the cross-state John Wayne Pioneer Trail, which follows a former railroad corridor that leads through an abandoned 2-mile railroad tunnel. At the eastern end of the Mountains to Sound Greenway, a side trip to the tiny town of Thorp leads you to a fully-restored pioneer grist mill museum and ends with a loop back west along the dramatic canyon of the Yakima River.

Twisting around mountains and skirting lakes, introducing you to time-honored traditions, the Mountains to Sound Greenway holds something new for each visit.

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