Even a simple place like Cougar Mountain can become a winter wonderland! We started at the Wilderness Peak Trailhead with the trail being pretty slick in the first half mile because of how well used the trail was, making it icy. On our way down the ice melted into slush. But if it refreezes at night, be careful. We and hiked up the Wilderness Cliffs Trail up Wilderness Peak. As we got away from the well-used parts of trail, the fresh powdery snow was pretty nice on the trail. Then from Shy Bear Pass we hiked Fred's RR and East Fork Trails to the big mine shaft and the clay pit. We hiked Cougar Pass and Anti-Aircraft Ridge Trails up to the viewpoint of Lake Sammamish at the Harvey Manning TH. We then followed the road from the parking lot up to the top of Anti-Aircraft Peak and hiked down the Lost Beagle and Coyote Creek Trails, then down the Cave Hole Trail and then to Coal Creek Falls. The waterfall and creek were amazing in the snow. We hiked back up Quarry Trail back up to Shy Bear Pass, and down Wilderness Creek to the TH. The more traveled sections of trail are icy of slushy and microspikes could be helpful. But the lesser used sections were great and easy to hike on.

Our group of senior hikers in their 60's, 70's and 80' did a hike at Cougar Mtn. Regional Wildland Park. We started the hike from the Sky Country Trailhead and walked through the former US Army Nike missile base. The base was used back in the 1960's with anti-aircraft missiles in case the USSR was coming into to Seattle with Bear bombers. After the base closed, the property went to the Issaquah School District. They brought in portables in the late 1960's for an elementary school, but was only used for one school year, then the property was sold to King County Parks. We hiked out the Old Man's Trail, then up the Coyote Creek Trail, then over to the Lost Beagle Trail. From Anti-Aircraft Peak we went south on the Anti-Aircraft Ridge Trail to Cougar Pass. We hiked down to the Klondike Swamp Trail and out to the Clay Pit Road. There is a sign board with photos telling the history of logging on Cougar Mtn. After crossing the road we went south on Fred's RR Trail to the junction with the Quarry Trail. This trail heads downhill to meet the Coal Creek Falls Trail. We stopped at the "falls" for lunch with no water running. There is a bridge across the now dry creek while the trail continues out to the Cave Hole Trail. Following this trail down hill we then took the connector trail passed the Red Town dam site. Not to much left of the old dam on an unnamed creek. As you walk across the foot bridge the water would have been above your head. We then hiked up hill on the Military Road Trail/Sky County Trail back to the parking lot to complete our loop of 7 miles with 950' of elevation gain.

We met a few other hikers and trail runners. No big crowds on this hike. The trails we hiked were in good shape.

This was a 6 mile loop (approximately) with maybe 800 feet of elevation gain/loss.  The trails are all in good shape with no mud holes or standing water.

There are no views other than trees and flowing creeks but some nice fall foliage is coming out in places. 

The main things to the hike (in my opinion) are getting out to enjoy the early fall and getting away from the city noise.

Happy to have a nice wild space so close to Seattle.

Our group of senior hikers from the SVTC began our hike at the Wilderness Peak Trailhead off Highway 900 going up the Jim Whittaker Wilderness Trail (formerly the Wilderness Creek and Peak Trails) to the first junction. We then took the Nawang Gombu Trail (formerly the Wilderness Cliffs Trail) to get up to the summit of Wilderness Peak. Parts of these trails are steep. We hiked the 0.1 mile over to Wilderness Peak that has no view. There is a register (the book was filled up) and a memorial bench. After some snacks we headed down the trail to Shy Bear Pass and took the Shy Bear Trail. At the next junction we took Fred's Railroad Trail to get to the East Fork Trail. This trail heads up hill and passes by the "Green Lagoon" before going back down hill to reach the old "Mine Shaft" which was an air shaft for miners 1,400' below ground during the Cougar Mtn. coal mining days. This was our lunch stop which has a bench, and a kiosk with info and photos of the old coal mines.

After eating it was a short distance down to the Clay Pit Road. King Country Parks has replanted the former clay pit with Douglas Fir trees. There is a kiosk by the pit with photos and info about the former brick works in Newcastle. Clay from the pit was used in the production of the bricks where 25 million per year were made. During the lifetime of the brick works they made over 900 million of them. We then took the West Tibbetts Trail past Tibbetts Marsh to get to the Bear Ridge Trail. Going down this trail (steep in some sections), we passed the "Fantastic Erratic Glacial Boulder." This big rock has been sitting on Cougar Mtn. for the past 15,000 years when it was left after the Cordilleran Ice Sheet melted back north during the Fraser glaciation. The Bear Ridge Trail switchbacks down the hillside, then follows the ridge line before coming to an old road bed, now just the trail. The Bear Ridge Trail trailhead parking lot along highway 900 only has room for about three vehicles.

Only met a few other hikers up by Wilderness Peak and one near the Clay Pit, otherwise we had the trails to ourselves today. Some of the trails do need some brushing out. The only animal we saw on the hike was the tail of a Douglas Squirrel, the rest of it was missing. Our one way hike was 7.1 miles with about 1,470' gain. George

Put together this little eight mile loop on Cougar Mountain.  All the trails have dried out in the warm weather and there are no major obstacles to be found.  Just a couple of blowdowns to hop over.