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Hiking the Pratt Valley Trail

      The Pratt Valley trail starts near the Middle Fork River and extends up the Pratt Valley. After about 1.5 miles it meets the old North Bend Timber Company Railroad grade at the top of the switch backs just past the Big Trees sign. Generally the trail is easy to follow once you pass the Big Trees sign with some minor route finding difficulties prior to that. You should plan on being very isolated and prepared to deal with any emergency with the resources you carry with you.

      The following mileages are estimates and based on some very undefined start and end points. Use them as guidelines only. The primary purpose of this page is to point out the historical sights in the Pratt Valley.

      Middle Fork Trailhead to "Start": Approx. 3 miles
      "Start" to Big Trees sign: Approx. 1.5 miles
      "Start" to approximate crossing place to the Pratt Lake Connector Trail: Approx. 8 miles

Coordinates for Big Trees Sign (measured by other)

N47deg 31.056' W121deg 34.244'

Link to the Pratt Lake Connector Trail

Many of the historical relics in Dreams in the Wilderness: Stories from the Middle Fork were actually filmed in the Pratt Valley. Walking the railroad grade will bring you to some, but not all of the relics you might have seen in the film. Please treat these relics with care and leave them for others to enjoy.

click on link above to learn more about the film

Link to details about the Pratt Grove of old growth trees and the Pratt Giant.

The Pratt Valley was logged between 1936 and 1941 by the North Bend Timber Company. You can learn more about the history of the NBTC by clicking the link to the left.

Logging in the Pratt Valley during the 1930's

This photo was taken just below the Pratt Big Tree.

(Photo from Dreams in the Wilderness: Stories from the Middle Fork and provided by the Snoqualmie Valley Historical Society. All rights reserved, contact the SVHS in North Bend, link below, for use)

A Typical Logging Flatbed Car

Note the hardware carefully on this typical North Bend Timber Company flatbed car. At least three and possibly four such cars were flipped over, their running gear stripped off, and left in the Pratt Valley. You can see, from this photo, how those parts were used..

(Photo from Dreams in the Wilderness: Stories from the Middle Fork and provided by the Snoqualmie Valley Historical Society. All rights reserved, contact the SVHS in North Bend, link below, for use)

Logging in the Pratt Valley during the 1930's

NBTC Shay #2 was used extensively in the Pratt Valley. Mr. Weeks, one of the original partners is standing on the right. This photo was taken 20-25 years before the Pratt was logged since Mr. Weeks did not participate in the NBTC after WWI.

      Enjoy the history in the Pratt Valley while respecting the relics that still remain there. They are here for all to enjoy and should not be disturbed and left in place. I have intentionally not given exact locations for the relics since the search is half the fun. I will give you the following hints:

      You will encounter railcar relics if you just hike the Pratt Valley trail

      The trestle is the last standing trestle crossbar we have found in the Middle Fork and is part of the Thompson Creek trestle.

      The old smoke stack is extremely hard to find and is not anywhere near the trail.

      The actual rails were pulled in 1941 and salvaged but we have found three sections of rail in the Pratt Valley.

      Have fun!!!

Overall Map of the Pratt Valley.

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