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Hikers hit the trails with King County's Trailhead Direct bus service

By
Published  May 14, 2023 11:57am PDT
King County
FOX 13 Seattle
Weekend heat not slowing down hikers

Weekend heat not slowing down hikers

Some folks might be staying indoors to beat the out-of-season heat, but others are using this opportunity to get out and enjoy the weather at local trailheads.

KING COUNTY, Wash. - A lot of folks are looking for reprieve in the mountains, and those folks are in luck, as King County's Trailhead Direct program is back.

This weekend’s heat wave is not stopping people from getting outdoors, but parking for the hiking trails has been limited.

"Parking lots are pretty full," said one hiker, Bridget Zuckerman, "and maybe have a backup plan in case, like, where you're going is to full."

The weekend kicked off with record-breaking temperatures. The National Weather Service is warning people to stay hydrated, and hikers took to the mountains with extra bottles. The real issue at Mount Si was the rush of people hitting the trail all at once.

"When people wait for parking spaces and stuff it can clog it up pretty bad," said Jeffrey Davis Field with Hopelink Transportation.

Hopelink is working this weekend to ensure people can avoid parking issues with Trailhead Direct buses, a service that drops you off at popular hiking spots.

Davis says parking has been hard to come by.

"Cars tend to illegally park on the side of [the road], which makes the driveway very narrow," said Davis. "[Trailhead Direct] gets people a chance to get out of their cars; they don’t have to worry about this—with the parking—they don’t have to worry about leaving their belongings in their cars."

The bus service is great for hikers who don’t want to drive, worry about parking or simply don’t have a car.

"I think Trailhead Direct was a great service," said hiker Darren Hung. "I mean, I don’t have a car myself, so I think services like these are fantastic."

RELATED: Seattle weather: Sweltering temperatures for Mother's Day

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Trailhead Direct with King County Metro runs only on weekends and holidays. The bus transportation started Saturday and runs through Sept. 4.

King CountyNews