Information about this hike provided in partnership with
Mountaineers Books.
Copyright © Dan A. Nelson/The Mountaineers Books West Tiger Railroad Grade
Featured In:
Day Hiking: Snoqualmie Region,
by Dan A. Nelson and Alan L. Bauer.
A portion of all book sales from the links above benefits WTA and helps protect and maintain our trails. Tiger Mountain's rich stands of timber and its close proximity to the booming city of Seattle proved too enticing for lumber barons to ignore. Trucking in the early 1900s wasn't efficient--to haul big loads you needed steam, and that meant railroads. As a result, short-line railroads were laid all over the mountain. Most wound through long series of switchbacks--the log trains would run forward up the first leg and out onto a long spur at the corner of the switchback turn. A lineman would switch the track so the train could back off the spur and continue backward up the next leg onto another corner spur. And so on until the log trains were at the top of the mountain. They'd then reverse the process to descend. Today, hikers enjoy those same switchbacks, though the rails are long gone and the remaining forest is mixed second and third growth, with a few remnant stands of old growth. From the trailhead, head south on the Bus Trail as it swings around the east side of Tradition Lake. The trail pierces the second-growth forests of the lower flank of West Tiger. You'll cross under the high-tension powerlines and turn left onto the Section Line Trail, following the lines for more than 0.5 mile. At 2.5 miles out, turn left onto the Poo Poo Point Trail, climbing steeply up the rocky slopes before climbing through the middle of Many Creeks Valley. At 5 miles out (elev. 1200 ft ), cross Gap Creek on a stout bridge. Enjoy the views of the creek as it tumbles over a series of steps. Beyond Gap Creek, the trail ascends steeply through a rare stand of old-growth Douglas-fir before crossing the West Tiger Railroad Grade at 5.6 miles. Turn left onto this trail to continue the loop (the right fork leads to Poo Poo Point). Stay on West Tiger Railroad Grade as it sweeps around the head of Many Creeks Valley, crossing as many as eight seasonal streams (and a couple year-round creeks). Stick to the main trail at all intersections and trail forks--there are many side trails leading away on both sides of the West Tiger Railroad Grade. At about 7 miles you'll cross the route's high point (2000 feet) on the ridge below West Tiger's summit. From here the trail descends gently for the next mile, before turning steep for the last 2 miles as it drops through a series of switchbacks, crosses Tradition Creek, and runs straight down to the trailhead.
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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Day hike
Issues:
Blowdowns | Overgrown | Mudholes
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On Saturday, I did a long 12 mile loop around West Tiger Mountain. The promised sunshine never showed up, but...
On Saturday, I did a long 12 mile loop around West Tiger Mountain. The promised sunshine never showed up, but otherwise it was a fun hike. Even on a weekend, many of the more remote trails were remarkably uncrowded.
My route followed the Tiger Mountain Trail from the Tradition Lake trailhead to the K3 Trail. Took that up to the West Tiger RR Grade, which I followed all the way to the Preston Trail. Climbed the Preston Trail to the top, then followed the Bootleg Trail down to Paw Print Rest Stop. A short stint on the 15 Mile RR Grade Trail took me to the Tiger Mountain Trail, which I followed west for 3 miles to the One View Trail. This is one of my favorite Tiger trails. Hiked the One View down to the Poo Poo Point Trail, which I followed back to the Tradition Lake Plateau and home. Trail Conditions: TMT from trailhead to K3: Good to fair condition, a number of blowdowns including one annoying one near the start. Beyond the Cable Line, there is a steep stretch with narrow collapsed tread that could use work. Also, some tread collapse on the steep slope between the second bridge and K3. K3: Good condition. A steep trail, a little rough at the start, but in otherwise in good condition. One of those officially "unmaintained" trails that nevertheless seems to be well-maintained. W Tiger RR Grade from K3 to Preston Tr: In good condition. Overgrown with ferns in places. Past the TMT junction, the trail gets a bit sketchy through the landslide. The portion of trail between Fred's corner and the Preston Trail was extensively reworked and is in very good shape. Preston Trail to top of Bootleg Trail: In good shape. I've tried to keep the drainage on this trail in top notch condition, which has kept the trail's tread in good shape. Just a trace of snow near the top. The oversteep top portion could use rerouting. Bootleg Trail from top to Fifteen Mile Saddle: In good condition. Funky, rooty, narrow tread initially...looks like Harvey Manning might have last worked on it. The final descent down to the saddle is steep. Poaching by mountain bikes is a problem. Looks like a logging operation is going to occur in this area, so the future of the trail is unknown. Tiger Mountain Trail from Paw Print to One View: Good condition. Actively being rebuilt by the Issaquah Alps club. Sections already worked are very nice. A beautiful trail on the sunny side of the mountain, a treat to hike on. One View Trail: Good condition. Upper section is a bit steep, muddy and funky. Beyond the nameless summit, the trail gets much better as it descends to the Poo Poo Pt. trail. One stretch, however, is a bit overgrown with brush. I'm still looking for the one view. Poo Poo Point Trail (not to be confused with the Chirico trail): Good condition. I was happy to see fresh drainage work! The portion of the trail that follows an old logging road is always trying to become a stream bed, so it is important to keep the drain dips maintained. The steep upper part could use some reroutes in a few spots to reduce the grade. Then there is that permanent mud hole...when is that ever going to be properly fixed?
High Point Creek, Preston Trail, West Tiger Railroad Grade, Lingering Trail
— Nov 01, 2011
— whitebark
Day hike
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The forests of Tiger Mountain are aglow with fall colors. It's a nice time of year to get reacquainted with...
The forests of Tiger Mountain are aglow with fall colors. It's a nice time of year to get reacquainted with our local mountain. Here are some trail conditions that I found on my latest ramble on Tiger:
High Point Creek: This trail has received a lot of work in recent years, and is in great shape. Upper High Point Creek, TMT junction to Fred's Corner: More of an old school Tiger trail, this path is narrower and steeper than the lower High Point Creek trail. Still, it is in good shape. One long climbing section just beyond the Lingering Trail junction could use some drainage work. West Tiger RR Grade, east section: In good shape. Preston Trail, uphill from W.T. RR Grade to upper Bootleg tr junction: In good shape, a bit overgrown where this are some patches of salmonberry. Preston Trail, downhill from W.T. RR Grade In good shape, a bit overgrown-- except for the part of the trail built in an old skid road. As the trail approaches the lower Bootleg Tr. junction, the skid road becomes very steep and washed out. Logs have tumbled down into the trench, creating an obstacle course. This part of the trail should be rerouted out of the skid road. A logical thing to do is to relocate the Preston Tr/ Bootleg trail junction farther uphill on the Bootleg tr about 150 yards, to where it reaches an old RR grade (the Bootleg Tr levels out here). Then, cut a short new section of Preston Trail over to the current Preston Trail. This avoids the worst of the skid road trench. A fun little project for some trail crew! Preston Trail, from Bootleg junction to Dwight's Way junction: In good shape, although the skid road gets a bit steep on the final decent. Dwight's Way: In good shape. Lingering Trail, from Dwight's way to lower end: In good shape, though rather overgrown. Needs a long session with a weed whacker.
Tiger Mountain Trail, Poo Top, Poo Poo Point , Hidden Forest, Preston Trail, West Tiger Railroad Grade, High Point Creek
— Aug 20, 2011
— whitebark
Day hike
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I didn't feeling like driving a long way to hike today, so I decided to take a nice long (9...
I didn't feeling like driving a long way to hike today, so I decided to take a nice long (9 mile) hike on Tiger. As usual, once I got away from the popular trails around Tradition Lake, I saw few other hikers. There was a mob of cars parked at the end of the paved access road (cable line hikers and adventure pass evaders), but the inner trailhead lot still had lots of space even at 10:30 am (adventure pass needed to park here).
In general, the Tiger trails were in good shape, although I was surprised to see a number of blowdowns that had not been cut. As one would expect, the trails have dried out and have even become a bit dusty. Well, here's the rundown on trail conditions that I found on my long ramble: TMT from Tradition Lake to High Point Creek: In good shape. Steep climb beyond the Cable Line junction has sections of slumped tread, and a number of step-over blowdowns. Beyond the K3 junction, the trail is closed due to the damaged bridge over High Point Creek. This part of the trail is still quite hikeable, however. K3 Trail: Hikers have reported a bee nest on the trail High Point Trail from TMT to Fred's Junction: In good shape. I always enjoy hiking through the well-aged second growth forest here. Big, well spaced trees have the flavor of an old growth forest. W Tiger RR Grade from Fred's Junction to Preston Trail: In good shape. There is quite a durable spring that flows across the trail a quarter mile before the Preston Trail junction. Wonder if the water is drinkable? Preston Trail from W Tiger RR grade junction to upper Bootleg junction: In good shape. With this steeply inclined trail, maintenance of the drain dips is important. Someone should dig them out before the rainy season hits. Poo Top Trail: In good shape. Steep, narrow, old-school trail that is lightly used. If usage increases, this trail will have to be rebuilt. Hidden Forest Trail above TMT: In good shape. The lower portion is overly steep, needs rerouting with a reduced grade. One View Trail: In good shape. East end of the trail has a rooty, rough tread, and is steep in places. The west part of the trail has been rebuilt to a high standard, but sections are overgrown by brush. Poo Poo Point Trail: In good shape. One of the more heavily used trails on Tiger. Sections of the trail above the Many Creeks Valley bridge are excessively steep given the heavy usage, and could use rerouting. Below the bridge, drain dips need repair. This part of the trail is prone to erosion damage and needs good drainage. About 3/4 of the way up to Many Creeks Valley, there is a 100 foot section that gets a lot of runoff from a seasonal spring, and needs extensive tread repair and drainage features to remove water.
West Tiger 1, Bus Road, Nook Trail, Section Line Trail, West Tiger Railroad Grade, Poo Top, Tiger Mountain Trail
— Aug 14, 2011
— Chuck Gustafson
Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Overgrown
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Tiger Mountain, Loop over Tiger 1: Bus Trail, Nook trail, Section Line Trail, West Tiger RR Grade, One View Trail,...
Tiger Mountain, Loop over Tiger 1: Bus Trail, Nook trail, Section Line Trail, West Tiger RR Grade, One View Trail, Poo Top Trail, West Tiger NO. 1 Trail, TMT Issaquah Alps
Scott, Betty and I did this as an alternative to the originally scheduled Mountaineer’s hike of Mt. Si and Mt. Teneriffe. Hiked Bus Trail to Nook to Talus Rocks. Then continued on upper Section Line to West Tiger RR Grade. Continued to One View Trail. RR Grade was very overgrown and we got scratched up a bit. Continued on One View to TMT to upper Hidden Forest to Poo Top (tracks of illegal mountain bike usage here) to summit of Tiger 1. Great views and no one up here. Returned via West Tiger No 1 Trail and the TMT. More overgrowth. Trails never crowded and we met most of the other users late in the day. Damaged bridge on the TMT was easy to cross. Stats were 3,460’ gross elev. and 11.2 miles. Many of the Tiger Mtn. trails are now very heavily overgrown with thorny bushes and thistles. Don't wear shorts like I did. In fact long sleaves are a good idea. Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming | Ripe berries
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Very lush greenery. Wild raspberries on the trail. The trail was overgrown with foliage to the point that you have...
Very lush greenery. Wild raspberries on the trail. The trail was overgrown with foliage to the point that you have to make sure you're still on the trail. It had been a wet night before so my jogging pants became soaked from all of the dew. No worries, it's always a nice hike.
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Mossy arches. Photo by Quantum Guru.
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