King County has officially announced the start of the 2026 Trailhead Direct season, with shuttle service between Sound Transit light rail stations and East King County trailheads starting this Saturday. The two routes, to Mount Si and the Issaquah Alps, operate every 30 minutes on weekends and select weekday holidays through August 30, including service on Monday, May 25 and Friday, July 3.
Trailhead Direct has been a popular service since launching in 2017. Last year, the two-route service was used by 12,263 riders. Metro says that amounted to a 35% year-over-year increase in ridership. Despite that bullish growth, this season won't see the restoration of two routes that previously operated in 2019.
Instead, Trailhead Direct service will be relatively similar to what King County operated in 2025, though there are some changes. The Issaquah Alps route will no longer include stops at the Poo Poo Point, High School, or East Sunset trailheads. That will streamline the route and provide direct return pick up to the remaining trails instead of forcing a circuit back to Issaquah. But, it also means that some of the most popular trails in the Issaquah Alps won't be served this season.
In Seattle, the Mount Si route will have stops near the Kaiser Permanente Capitol Hill Campus, Capitol Hill light rail station, and Symphony light rail station whereas the Issaquah Alps route will have stops at the Mount Baker light rail station and brand new Judkins Park light rail station served by the Link 2 Line. Both shuttles will also serve the South Bellevue light rail station, offering a common transfer point between the shuttles in addition to light rail, local bus, and express bus services.
These special shuttles are operated by Metro's contractor Hopelink Trailhead Direct and will have variable seating for 22 to 27 seated passengers. Each vehicle will also be wheelchair-accessible and equipped with a bike rack capable of carrying two bikes. Riders, however, should be aware that none of the trailheads served by Trailhead Direct permit mountain biking.
“Trailhead Direct shows transit connects our residents to more of the places they want to go—including our region’s incredible outdoor spaces,” Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson said in announcing the seasonal service. “Through the voter-approved Seattle Transit Measure, we’re investing in services that give people irresistibly good options to driving, that are less polluting and creating a world-class transit system.”
The City of Seattle contributes the lion's share of sponsorship funding for Trailhead Direct, providing 50% of total sponsorship revenues. King County Metro, King County Parks, and Amazon kick in the other half.
Fares on the shuttles mirror regular Metro bus fares:
- $3.00 fares for adults;
- $1.00 fares for ORCA Lift and Regional Reduced Fare Permit passholders; and
- Free fares for youth (18 years old and under).
Riders can pay fares onboard using their ORCA cards, credit and debit cards, cash, or activated mobile tickets through Transit GO app.
While service is generally every 30 minutes on the shuttles, riders should pay close attention to schedules for both the last trips to and from the trailheads and earliest trips back from the trailheads. Not all trips complete a full circuit of the route, so understanding the schedule can help riders have a more successful outing to the trails.
Kimberly Huntress-Inskeep
