The Long Way
Kittitas County
A wooden arch bridge crosses a river surrounded by a lush forest.
Plate I. Pedestrian bridge, Mountains to Sound Greenway. From mtsgreenway.org
A person kayaking on a calm river with autumn trees and mountains in the background.
Plate II. Mount Si along the Mountains to Sound Greenway. From stateofwatourism.com
A multilane highway winds through a mountain landscape under a clear blue sky.
Plate III. Interstate 90, Mountains to Sound Greenway. From mtsgreenway.org
People planting trees in a forest.
Plate IV. Tree planting volunteers, Mountains to Sound Greenway. From mtsgreenway.org

Mountains to Sound Greenway

Seattle, Kittitas County, Washington. National Scenic Byway; Generally accessible year-round.

Details

Map. Seattle, Kittitas County, Washington. Larger map
Where
2701 First Avenue, Suite 240, Seattle, WA 98121. Directions
Getting there
Drive Interstate 90 east from Seattle to Snoqualmie Pass; leave the freeway at milepost 47 and drive the Denny Creek Road.
Access
Generally accessible year-round; Snoqualmie Pass can sometimes close during winter because of heavy snowfall, so check pass conditions.
Phone
206.382.5565
Website
mtsgreenway.org
Managed by
Snoqualmie Ranger District.
Established
1998.

A picturesque section of Interstate 90 spanning the Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area from Seattle to Thorp.

Notable Events

  1. 1990Hundreds of local residents marched five days from Snoqualmie Pass to Seattle, ending July 8 with speeches at what is now Waterfront Park; the march marked the birth of the Greenway as a concept. mtsgreenway.org
  2. 1998The Mountains to Sound Greenway on Interstate 90 became the first interstate highway in the United States designated as a National Scenic Byway. mtsgreenway.org
  3. 2001Jim Ellis stepped down as board president and was succeeded by Sally Jewell, REI's chief executive officer, who later served as Secretary of Interior. historylink.org
  4. 2019The Mountains to Sound Greenway was designated a National Heritage Area, stretching nearly 100 miles along the I-90 corridor from Seattle to Ellensburg. nps.gov

People

  • Brian Boyle, State Commissioner of Public Lands (b.1941).
  • Donna McBain, First executive director, loaned by the Trust for Public Land.
  • Harvey Manning, Hiking book writer instrumental in founding the Issaquah Alps Trail Club; his 'Boots on the Ground' concept shaped the Greenway idea (1925-2006).
  • Jack Hornung, Former city planner and Issaquah Alps Trails Club member who wrote the 1989 greenway proposal 'Wilderness on the Metro' (1932-2005).
  • Jim Ellis, Greenway Trust founding board president (1921-2019).
  • Sally Jewell, Board president after Ellis; REI chief executive officer who later served as Secretary of Interior.
  • Ted Thomsen, Issaquah Alps Trail Club member who incorporated the Greenway Trust with Ellis and Boyle.
  • Gary Locke, Washington Governor who served two terms (1997-2005).
  • Chief Patkanim, Named by the NPS among the heritage area's Notable People.
  • Frederick Weyerhaeuser, Named by the NPS among the heritage area's Notable People.
  • William Craven, Named by the NPS among the heritage area's Notable People.

Sources

  1. stateofwatourism.com/scenic-byways/mountains-to-sound-greenway
  2. mtsgreenway.org/mountains-to-sound-greenway-national-scenic-byway
  3. fs.usda.gov/r06/mbs/recreation/interstate-90-mountains-sound-greenway
  4. nps.gov/places/mountains-to-sound-greenway-national-heritage-area.htm
  5. mtsgreenway.org
  6. mtsgreenway.org/about/history-of-the-mountains-to-sound-greenway-trust
  7. nps.gov/places/mountains-to-sound-greenway-national-heritage-area.htm
  8. historylink.org/File/21231
  9. council.seattle.gov/2011/11/30/celebrating-20-years-mountains-to-sound-greenway