China Creek

Name: China Creek
Rating: 3.4

Issaquah Alps > Cougar Mountain

47.5348, -122.1287 Map & Directions

Length: 0.9 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 92 feet
Highest Point: 750 feet
Calculated Difficulty About Calculated Difficulty: Easy

Trail near junction with Rainbow Town Trail. Photo by Z.K. Full-size image

Dogs allowed on leash
Good for kids

Parking Pass/Entry Fee

None

Saved to My Backpack

This is a short connector trail in the Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park and adjoining lands in the City of Newcastle. Continue reading

Rating

3.40 out of 5

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9 trip reports for this trail

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Hiking China Creek

This trail connects Red Town trailhead with Rainbow Town Trail. It also continues on to the park boundary where it becomes part of Newcastle trail system for a short distance before connecting Wildside Trail just inside the park boundary. The part of the trail in the park is mostly former road, while it turns it rougher, less maintained path in the Newcastle sections.

Starting from Red Town trailhead, the junction with Rainbow Town trail occurs just 0.15 miles in, where most people will want to go. Continuing on, in about another 0.1 miles, you cross into Newcastle. You can access the trail here, from what looks like a driveway off 155th Ave SE — however, there is official signage for the trail here on a short post. The lack of any parking makes this more of just a neighborhood access.

Another 0.15 miles connects you to the Wildside Trail, after passing through a fence at the boundary back into Cougar Mountain Park. There aren’t any highlights to this trail, other than the fact it provides convenient access to the part for the residents nearby.

Note: There is an outdoor pre-school near the intersection of China Creek Trail and Rainbow Town Trail. Please be aware and respectful if you are passing by when class is in session.

Toilet Information

Toilet at trailhead

More information about toilets

Wheelchair Accessibility

This trail is a wide former gravel road, starting from Red Town trailhead all the way to the junction of Rainbow Town Trail. There is a vehicle gate across it, but there is plenty of space to get around the side. It has a pretty good uphill grade, but the only cross slope is what is needed to keep water from pooling. It’s probably a little steeper than ADA, but it's such a short distance that it's likely be doable for a fit manual chair user, and will be no problem for most power chairs.

The section beyond the junction may be accessible for some wheelchair users, but it doesn’t really go anywhere interesting. Where the trail reenters the park, the trail passes through a narrow section of chain link fence that will likely be inaccessible to most. Instead, it's recommended to take the Rainbow Town Trail to the Ford Slope mine exhibit, as this is the most accessible path to it.

The parking lot at the trailhead is gravel, and while there are two signs for accessible parking spots, there are no lines nor marked access aisles in the lot.

There is usually an ADA-style port-a-potty at the trailhead.

Hike Description Written by
Z. K., WTA Correspondent

China Creek

Map & Directions

Trailhead

Co-ordinates: 47.5348, -122.1287 Open in Google Maps