Penny the dog and I arrived at the trail head about 8:15 am on Monday morning. The gravel road leading to the parking lot has a ton of pretty bad pot holes, but nothing my Subaru couldn't handle. There were only 4-5 other cars there and we saw no one as we got out and geared up. The biggest challenge on this trip was figuring out which of the many trails leading off from the main area were the right one! Tradition Lake Loop is a very flat and easy trail that heads down towards Tradition Lake, then back up through a more open area with many moss covered trees and undergrowth. The trail is wide, flat, level, and covered in crushed rock that signage says is there to accommodate wheelchair access, which is great! That said, there were two trees down over the trail that would definitely not allow a person in a wheelchair to pass. We took the side trip down the Around The Lake Trail which is more of a traditional trail - no crushed gravel, uneven with rocks and roots and such. The lookout to Small Lake is very pretty. Back up Around The Lake we connected in with Bus Trail which takes you back through the mossy area and back to the car park. Overall time was about an hour and a half, including time to try to corral Penny into taking a picture with me (I failed. She will look where she wants to look, and it is not at the camera). The downed trees: The first was before the Tradition Lake overlook, a very large tree is down, with just enough space to get under if you crouch, and no way to go over. The second is on the segment of the trail coming back, I believe it is part of Bus Trail, there is a smaller tree down that you could step over, but not get a wheelchair around.

Few good sized pot holes on the road leading to the High Point Way TH. Good amount of parking, esp when you go on Super Bowl Sunday!! If the lot is full there is a trail that leads from outside the gate to the trail head (approx 0.4m). Myself and my 3 explorers aged 1,7 & 9 walked the loop in a clockwise direction. The West Tiger 3 trail has a good steady incline for just over a mile. You then turn right onto Talus Rock Trail where it gets a lot more scenic and 'fun' as my boys called it! Shortly along this trail you come to a waterfall where the path has washed out but it is still passable but do not expect to have clean and dry shoes after all the recent rain. After the waterfall you will soon see the caves on your left. Make sure you explore all around this area as there is quite a big cave with a small entrance that is not fenced off, where you go in and explore around and even stand up inside (take torches!). We then headed down the Nook trail which is a packed dirt trail and weaves it's way down over little streams and between trees and was a lot more 'fun' than the trail up the mountain. The trail dead ends at the Bus Trail and in order to see the old abandoned school bus you will need to go left for approx 0.3m and it is on your right. You can then continue on this trail around past the lake or turn back along the Bus Trail to the TH. If i were to do the hike again with children I would go anti clockwise to enjoy a slightly more scenic view on the way up. Total 4.2 miles Elevation approx 900ft

What a fun day in the woods with my husband and youngest daughter. This was her first hike and it was perfect. There were a few large potholes on the road up to the trailhead, but we parked before the gates and walked in, so it wasn't an issue. The trails were quiet for the amount of cars parked on the side of the road, and was well maintained. There were also a few muddy spots on the trail itself but nothing outrageous and the lake was beautiful. The weather held out and didn't rain on us, so overall it was a great first hike for our daughter!

This is a very pleasant, easy hike. There is a lot of tree cover so hiking can be done in the rain too. The lake is very calm and relaxing, and there are little areas to take pictures. I highly recommend if you're looking for something short to clear your mind. 1/18/16

A lowland hike in the Tiger Mt. forest on a sunny, frosty day. Temperatures were below freezing for most of the hike between 28 and 30 F. if my thermometer was accurate. No mud but lots of frost on the trails and plants. The upper parking lot was full when we arrived but cleared out by our return (Seahawks game?). We started on the Around the Lake Trail then to the Bus Trail and then off to Round Lake and returned via the Wetlands and Swamp trails, 3.3 miles approximately but no real elevation gain. Don't know where most people were but we saw only a few other hikers on our loop.