Hiking the crown jewel of Tiger Mountain State Forest is a rite of passage for serious Issaquah Alps explorers. The trip isn't to be taken lightly, however. It requires a long day and good conditioning. It also requires some planning, as you'll need to arrange for a car at the trail's end. The 16-mile route weaves around or over most of the primary peaks on Tiger, and since it crosses scores of other trails and not all the intersections are well-marked, good routefinding skills are essential.

The Tiger Mountain Trail (TMT) was first conceived of in 1972, with construction getting underway in 1977. The first official hike on the new trail was in 1979. The route can be hiked north to south, but most Tiger Mountain aficionados agree it is best traveled south to north, as described here.

The trail begins climbing steadily right from the start, heading north onto the wooded slopes of South Tiger Mountain. At 1.5 miles, after passing under a band of cliffs, the trail pops out on an old railroad grade turned road at Hobart Gap, the first trail junction you'll encounter. Stay right on the railroad grade--occasionally, you'll see railroad ties still embedded in the trail tread.

At 2.2 miles, the TMT rolls under the high-tension powerlines. The long clearing under the powerlines reveals views of the East Tiger summit. Head straight across this clearing, keeping a sharp eye out for trail signs, to find the trail heading off into the woods on the far side.

The path continues to make use of the old railroad grade to a junction with Road 1400 at 2.9 miles. Follow this road about 0.5 mile to Holder Creek and the West Side Road. Turn left onto the West Side Road and in just 0.2 mile you'll encounter the old TMT trailhead (used when the West Side Road was still open to public traffic).

Turn right onto the TMT as it rolls north on the old Holder Creek Railroad Grade. At 5 miles out, you'll cross Karls Gap. An optional 0.5-mile side trail leads to the (treed) summit of Middle Tiger (elev. 2607 ft). Continue on the main trail and you'll enjoy broken views of Mount Rainier and the country between you and that big peak.

Around the halfway point, the trail runs through the woods alongside Fifteenmile Creek. An interesting bit of human history can be found here--a massive steel cable lies across the trail. This 2-inch braided bit of steel was suspended overhead and used to drag huge logs out of the forest to a landing where they could be loaded on rail cars.

The TMT crosses Fifteenmile Gap at 9.3 miles, and 1 mile later the trail bursts out onto the sun-drenched viewpoint of Ricks Rock (elev. 2250 ft). Outstanding views are found here and continue on as you hike north to West Tiger 2. At 10.5 miles, you'll stride through Mannings Reach--named for guidebook author and legendary wildland protector Harvey Manning--which marks the high point of the TMT (elev. 2600 ft).

From Mannings Reach, you'll descend past junctions with the West Tiger Railroad Grade, West Tiger 3 Trail, and the West Tiger 2 Trail. Grand views can be found at West Tiger 2.

The rest of the TMT is a rolling descent to the Tradition Plateau Trailhead.