Information about this hike provided in partnership with
Mountaineers Books.
Copyright © Dan A. Nelson/The Mountaineers Books Tradition Lake Loop
When the pressures of the office get too much, this Tiger Mountain trail is just close enough to hike after business hours, and just wild enough to make you forget those urban cares for a few hours. The plethora of trails around the Tradition Lake plateau make for an array of loop options, this one being the longest of the short loops possible. You'll find yourself wandering deep green woods. You'll smell the rich foliage bursting from the damp earth of woodland swamps. You'll hear the song of countless birds. And you'll see a spectrum of native flora and fauna, all within a few moments' walk of the busy interstate corridor.
This route makes use of several trails. Start on the Bus Trail as it climbs south before sweeping west along the long slope of West Tiger Mountain. The path crosses several small creeks (some running year-round, some seasonal freshets) before reaching the Bonneville powerlines at 0.8 mile. Cross under them and slant west onto the Wetlands Trail. In another 0.1 mile, you'll find a small spur path that drops a short hop down to the small basin of Round Lake. Look for songbirds around this pond any time of year, and in the winter you might see migratory waterfowl resting here. Continue along the trail as it runs northwest, descending slightly before reaching a junction at 1.8 miles. Go right (to the second trail on the right--the first is Big Tree Trail) to follow Brink Trail as it swings around at about the 400-foot-elevation level for another short mile to yet another junction. Stay left to continue along the Swamp Trail as it stays near the same elevation for another mile. This path pierces some thick foliage, utilizing raised boardwalks for a good portion of the route. Volunteers from the Issaquah Alps Trail Club chopped this route out of the swamp vegetation below Tradition Lake--so it can be hot and buggy during the midday heat of summer. But come evening, it can be a cool escape from the hot urban jungle. The trail ends at the powerline access road just west of the trailhead. Hike the last few hundred yards back to the trailhead on this road.
Driving Directions:
From I-90 take exit 20 and then turn right onto the frontage road paralleling the interstate. In just under 0.5 mile the road ends at a gate. The gate opens daily, though it is closed and locked at 7:00 pm. Park outside the gate if you'll be returning late in the day. Otherwise, continue another 0.4 mile to the Tradition Plateau trailhead. Recent Trip Reports
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With a promise of a full moon, mostly clear skies, the weather being warmer and the days getting lon...
With a promise of a full moon, mostly clear skies, the weather being warmer and the days getting longer we decided to try this hike. it was a beutiful evening for a mid week evening hike. The trail is in excellent condition. We got some views of the lake along the trail. There were geese playing in the water. It was sooo pretty. We went along the bus road and took some pics. We found solitude and enjoyed the sounds of nature. It was a great little hike.
Tradition Plateau, Tradition Lake Loop
— Nov 25, 2012
— cinetic
Day hike
Issues:
Water on trail
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Did a quick loop around from the Tradition Plateau trailhead, around the south side of the lake, the...
Did a quick loop around from the Tradition Plateau trailhead, around the south side of the lake, then up to Section Line trail which had a little 600' gain. Very soggy leaves, crisp air, one blowdown, lake is kinda ho-hum and the freeway noise is a bit loud for a while. Bring waterproof shoes if you plan on coming out after a rain.
I want to go back and explore above Section Line trail for more gains. Definitely a quick hike considering its so close to the city and not many people on the trail really. Had a nice little waterfall on Talus Rock trail that we went on enroute back to the parking lot.
Tradition Lake Loop
— Feb 04, 2012
— panentheist
Day hike
Issues:
Mudholes
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We decided to take advantage of the rare sun and low 60s in February and try an easy warm-up trail. ...
We decided to take advantage of the rare sun and low 60s in February and try an easy warm-up trail. The lot was fairly full, but parking was easy in the early afternoon. A huge shout out to whatever volunteers and staff cleared the trails after the windstorm -- some of the more remote points had some small branches down, but everything was very easily navigable.
The one challenge -- from the directions noted on this page -- was that we did take a wrong turn near Round Lake where a trail marker was (we think) missing. The network of loops isn't overwhelming, but without a map and with relatively sporadic signage, not everyone would be comfortable figuring out the loop. Additionally, it's worth noting that a portion of the Swamp Trail is seasonally closed, but there's a work-around that with a bit of creativity allowed us to cover the basic path outlined above. Overall, this is a nice hike, with decent trail condition, a few muddy spots, and -- outside of the areas closest to the parking lot -- a remarkable amount of privacy for a trail so close to the city. If only I-90 were a bit further away... Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
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Our family of four hiked the 1.5 mile Round-the-Lake trail at Tiger Mountain. As usual, the High Poi...
Our family of four hiked the 1.5 mile Round-the-Lake trail at Tiger Mountain. As usual, the High Point parking lot was mobbed. Many people were out with their kids, and I thought we'd have lots of company at Tradition Lake, but it was refreshingly uncrowded.
The kids (2 and 5 years old) were fascinated by the bugs, caterpillars and flowers they saw along the trail, and the barrier-free tread and lack of elevation gain made it easy going. Even though it was our constant companion, we'd only get a restricted view of Tradition Lake every so often - so as a "lake" hike, it failed to produce. One of several interpretive signs explained that this was deliberate, an effort to reduce the impact to wildlife in and around the lake. We took a counter-clockwise route, hugging the south side of the lake from High Point and returning along the Power Line Trail, which is really just a gated gravel road. I was surprised by how much my kids enjoyed this part of the journey. They joyfully jumped in every pothole, and I can just imagine how much fun they would have had if those potholes had been filled with water. Now I know where to go after the next storm! Day hike
Features:
Fall foliage
Issues:
Mudholes | Water on trail
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Linda and I decided to hike the 'lowlands' off of High Point trailhead, including Bus Trail, Gas Lin...
Linda and I decided to hike the 'lowlands' off of High Point trailhead, including Bus Trail, Gas Line Trail, Adventure Trail, Big Tree Trail and Swamp Trail. The look, just over 3 miles with minor ups and downs was pleasant in the rain. We enjoyed both the forest and the open area on Pipeline Trail. Our walk was in slight drizzle which, in addition to the preceding 24 hour rains brought the moss alive and prompted mushrooms to pop up through the moist soil. The deciduous trees are well into shedding their brightly colored Autumn leaves which blanketed the trail adding to the woodsy environment.
We were looking for a woods experience without all the effort and were rewarded handsomely! A great place for a nature diversion. |
 One of the viewpoints for Tradition Lake. Photo by Susan Elderkin.
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