Hiker Headlines: Trailhead Direct, new light rail station connects to trails, print North Cascades permits at home

It’s May 15. Trailhead Direct is back for 2025! King County Parks has opened two new connector trails at one of the new Sound Transit Light Rail stations. North Cascades National Park is allowing most advance backcountry permits to be obtained through email this season. And the U.S. Forest Service will be offering a Scan and Pay option at many of its recreation sites. Here’s some news you may have missed while out on trail this week.

The Trailhead Direct service is back for the 2025 summer season. Photo courtesy of King County Parks.

Trailhead Direct is back! The shuttle system will run every weekend between May 24 and Sept. 1 this year, as well as on May 26 (Memorial Day), July 4, and Sept. 1 (Labor Day). There will be a Mount Si line and an Issaquah Alps line. The Mount Si line will start in Seattle — with stops at Capitol Hill and downtown in Seattle, as well as the Bellevue and North Bend park and rides — and stop at the Little Si, Mount Si and Mount Teneriffe trailheads. The Issaquah Alps line will start in Seattle at the Mount Baker Light Rail Station — with stops at the Bellevue Park and Ride and Issaquah Transit Center — and stop at various trailheads at Tiger and Squak mountains. 

Take light rail to trails: The new Marymoor Village Station along the Sound Transit Link Light Rail drops riders right next to Marymoor Park in Renton, along Lake Sammamish. King County Parks also opened up two new trails that connect the station to allow safe and easy access to the park and the East Lake Sammamish and Redmond Central Connector trails. 

North Cascades backcountry permits: Starting this season, North Cascades National Park will allow most folks with advance backcountry camping reservations from Recreation.gov to print their permits at home, rather than collecting them in person before their trip. Those with reservations must watch a video about park rules, then email the park to request a permit. Permits for walk-up sites and areas accessed via Cascade River Road — Eldorado, Boston Basin and Cascade Pass — must still be picked up in person. 

Scan and Pay: The Forest Service is offering Scan and Pay as an option to pay for many recreation sites this year through the Recreation.gov mobile app. The option will work with or without a cellular or an internet connection, as long as the app is downloaded while still within service. Olympic National Forest and the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest have used Scan and Pay in the past, but it's now coming to the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie and Gifford Pinchot National Forests. The rollout is gradual, so you may not see these everywhere right away. Scan and Pay is a good option for hikers who arrive at a trailhead and realize a day pass is required to park there. Note that Scan and Pay is not in addition to the Northwest Forest Pass, it is simply another purchase method if you don't already have a pass. 

Road closure: Forest Road 1401 in the Oak Creek area in the Naches Ranger District is closed at mile 1.6 due to a collapsed culvert. Additionally, expect delays due to road repair work on other roads if traveling in the area.

BE IN THE KNOW

• Keep up to date with Trail News, our monthly email newsletter.
• Search our Hiking Guide to find your next adventure.
• Check trip reports for latest conditions on trails. And if you go for a hike, file your own trip report.
• Sign up for Families Go Hiking, our email newsletter for families with plenty of tips on keeping kids busy.
• Sign up for Trail Action Network to stay up to date on issues impacting trails and ways to get involved.