Trailhead Direct Returns In 2019 With New Routes

SEATTLE, WA – King County's popular Trailhead Direct shuttle service starts up this year on April 20, and features new routes and stops serving more urban areas around Seattle.

The shuttle connects hikers to trails in the Issaquah Alps and beyond, including the extremely popular Mt. Si, and the extremely difficult Mailbox Peak. Since the shuttle began in 2017, it has moved hikers east from Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood and Bellevue.

But this year, King County is adding a new route that stops at the Tukwila International Boulevard light rail station, the downtown Renton Transit Center, and the Renton Highlands. That route will bring hikers to trails at Cougar Mountain, and will connect with a stop in Issaquah that riders can use to connect to the Mt. Si and Mailbox shuttle routes.

The Mailbox route will also change this year. When it debuted in 2018, the route shuttled hikers from Twin Falls Middle School to the trail head. That was a way to alleviate parking problems at the Mailbox lot. In 2019, the shuttle will begin at the Issaquah Transit Center, with a stop at the North Bend Park-and-Ride.

You can see all the route maps here. Trailhead Direct operates on weekends and costs $2.75 to ride, just like any Metro bus route. You can use an Orca card to board, and dogs are welcome at the discretion of the shuttle driver.