Wander Wisely builds wilderness knowledge to protect tourists

Published 7:30 am Thursday, May 14, 2026

If a tourist looked at social media, they’d think Snoqualmie Valley hikes were an easy walk. The stats say otherwise.

In 2018, a teen died in a fall off Rattlesnake Ledge. King County Search and Rescue assisted 5 hikers at Mailbox Peak in a single week in the summer of 2025. A paddleboarder drowned in the river in 2023.

Snoqualmie Valley welcomed millions of visitors this past year, said Kelly Coughlin, CEO of SnoValley’s Chamber of Commerce, and while social media displays these locations as family-friendly and approachable for the beginner recreationist, those images can be deceiving.

“The important part,” Coughlin said, “is just to get people’s attention.”

To keep people safe, Snoqualmie Valley’s Chamber of Commerce introduced Wander Wisely, an informational initiative to keep visitors responsible and knowledgeable.

Wander Wisely draws materials from organizations such as Conservation Northwest, Valley Pool Together, King County Sheriff’s Office, King County Search and Rescue and the Snoqualmie Tribe. When Seattle’s 2026 FIFA World Cup arrives in June, this information becomes especially important as tourism ticks up.

The initiative is shared as a website highlighting tips and rules for recreationists. Local businesses will display visual information in their window fronts, and ambassadors will be accessible on trailheads during the summer of 2026, according to Coughlin. Wander Wisely aims to incorporate the information into local AirBnBs and hotels to educate tourists, she said.

Carrie Lee Gagnon, executive director of the King County Search and Rescue Association, also known as SAR, emphasized the importance of awareness and safety in Wander Wisely.

“SAR volunteers are very passionate outdoor recreationists themselves, and having that enjoyable, safe experience is something we all want to promote,” Gagnon said. “Preventative SAR has the goal of preventing us from having to go out and do the mission.”

One needs 10 essential items when entering the wilderness: navigation tools, a flashlight, sun protection, a first aid kit, a multitool, firestarter, emergency shelter, extra food, extra water, and extra clothing, according to Gagnon. All these materials keep people safe in case of emergency, she said.

No one knows the importance of outdoor knowledge as much as Brad Hefta-Gaub.

Hefta-Gaub, now the president of the King County Ski Patrol and a search and rescue volunteer, was injured on the slopes years ago before search and rescue took him off the mountain. He joined ski patrol years later to help those who once helped him, he said. He knows the importance of experienced and skilled rescuers.

“In our conditions, in our environment, especially in the winter, even in the summer, actually, hypothermia is one of the most high risk things that can happen,” said Hefta-Gaub. “When we go to rescue somebody, we’re saving lives.”

Alongside King County Search and Rescue’s focus on general wilderness safety, Conservation Northwest highlights wildlife interactions as one of the organizations that partners with Wander Wisely. Alycia Scheidel, community outreach coordinator for Conservation Northwest, wants visitors to stay on trails, secure their food, and manage their waste.

“There’s this tagline of ‘recreate respectfully’ or ‘recreate with respect,’” said Scheidel. “And that was coined by the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe and Conservation Northwest, in partnership.”

Scheidel recalls a popular campground in the SnoValley, Middle Fork Campground, shutting down due to increased bear-human interaction with campers leaving food and trash accessible. The campground has since opened back up to visitors, under the condition that campers enjoy the area responsibly. Situations such as the one at Middle Fork informed Conservation Northwest’s hand in Wander Wisely.

“People go off of trails. We’ve had people leaving trash everywhere,” said Coughlin. “We’ve been noticing an uptick in people going up to our animals, and we’ve been really going along on this journey trying to figure out how to get people’s attention.”

Coughlin said she is planning to get posters with Wander Wisely information up around the Valley before summer.

“We are like the playground of Seattle,” Coughlin said. “Everybody’s been very positive. All our sister communities have been very positive about it.”

Coughlin hopes the initiative will show an increase in responsible recreation, and a potential decrease in search and rescue missions.

“If this would save one life,” Coughlin said, “it would be worth it, right?”

–

University of Washington’s News Lab operates as a local news bureau staffed by advanced journalism and public interest communication students.