Nearly ran into a black bear ambling away on de leo wall trail near far country falls. Trails in great shape otherwise!

Hiked with 3 adults and a small dog. Weather conditions good, not too warm, spotty sun, no rain or wind. Parking lot 3/4 full, sani-cans stinky but supplied. Kiosk had a large map but none to take along. The trails may all have a number (W1) but the number is not always on the trail directional signs, so have a name reference available. Trails in good condition, recent work evident by new wood mini bridges. Abundant foliage including miner's lettuce, geranium species, lush sword ferns, and honeysuckle vine. We met a few other hikers and all were courteous.

Today I went on a mid-afternoon hike from Redtown Trailhead on Cougar Mountain looking for spring wildflowers. I was here a couple weeks ago and most were just starting.  Today I hit the jackpot. My 5 mile loop followed Wildside Trail with a side spur to the Meadow Restoration, DeLeo Wall Tr, DeLeo Wall Viewpoint Tr, Marshall Hill and back on Wildside.  The parking area was 3/4 full when I pulled in at 3:10.  The Porta Potties were open with supplies.  The was my first spring hike in a T-shirt and shorts.  Every trail I took was hard packed and well drained with no muddy areas.  It looks like new foot bridges are planned for Wildside Trail as stacks of wood braces were stationed along the trail.  All the hillsides were alive with amazing spring wildflowers.  I saw - Bleeding Heart, Trillium, Miner’s Lettuce, Yellow Violets, Red Currant, Oregon Grape, Salmon Berry, Elderberry, Fawn Lilies, Chocolate Lilies, Indian Paint Brush, Vanilla Leaf and Purple Vetch.  This is definitely the time to be here for wildflower bloom.

Trail traffic was relatively light as Cougar Mtn has so many trails to disperse all users.  On my return I sensed that the after work running and hiking crowd was starting to arrive. Many cars were pulling and leaving when I got back to Redtown at 5:15. Another fantastic day out in nature. 

This is a delightful trail for classic PNW hiking and a go-to for local hiking in all conditions. There is lots of tree canopy, which means shielding from sun or as typical of the area like today, rain. It is also reliably snow free, as it was today, while Tiger Mountain can often experience much more snow and ice. This area is a network of trails that often connect to residential neighborhoods, which means lots of neighbors are out walking their pups.In general, it is not too populous of a trail given that this traverses further away from the main parking lot. Since this is not a trail right next to any main roads, there is not too much traffic or car noise.  

The trail itself is well maintained, no large tree falls. The place to be particularly careful is the trail along the cliff edge. While it has great peek a boo views, it is a very narrow trail that is eroded in parts. 

A variety of fungi to enjoy, mainly shelf mushrooms and some smaller ones that keen eyes might pick out nestled between the fallen leaves. Bird enthusiasts will enjoy the wrens here who are singing their hearts out, while the Douglas tree squirrels sound almost bird-like with their chirping. There is also such a wonderful variety of moss to enjoy here. All around, this is a beautiful place to adventure and appreciate nature!

#LoveLocalTrails

Rating:  4 of 5 stars (for an off-season hike), less for a summer hike
Snow:  None.
Time: This trail took us (two 65-years-olds) 4 hours for the loop, including trips to Far Country Falls & Coal Creek Falls (both recommended!).
Views:  De Leo Wall Lookout is not worth it.  However, if you do the Viewpoint Trail (which runs parallel to the De Leo Wall Trail), the views are worth it.
Parking & Road Conditions:  No problem getting to the parking lot with any type of car.  No snow on the road.  Many parking spaces left around 10:30 on a Thursday at the Red Town parking lot. 
My opinions:  This was a fun “first of the season” hike. 
There are nice forest paths and nice small waterfalls.  Today there was snow and hail alongside the path.  Very beautiful!  Not a problem to hike on.
Trail conditions:  Great overall.  There were some muddy areas and the coal creek bridge was icy, but nothing bad.

Specifics on the hike (different from the WTA directions):  The hike from the Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park’s Red Town Trailhead to the De Leo Wall Peak is pretty straightforward: 
Follow the signs for Wildside Trail (W1) to the Marshall Hill Trail (W6) which becomes the De Leo Wall Trail (W9) after crossing a paved road. 
Also, after crossing the paved road, there is a sign that says,
DE LEO WALL TRAIL (up or “straight ahead” arrow)
CROSS TOWN TRAIL (right arrow)
VIEWPOINT TRAIL
Go right (and downhill).  Stay on the VIEWPOINT TRAIL.  There are a few places that the trail is pretty narrow.  Keep vigilant and you should be fine. 
The views along this trail are nice, much better than the De Leo Viewpoint. 
When you get to the Viewpoint, it is a disappointing view; however, the trail to the viewpoint is nice.
When you get to the sign for the Viewpoint Trail (0.2 miles) and De Leo Trail, go right. 
Next, connecting the De Leo Wall Trail (W9) to the different waterfalls is where the hike got really interesting. 
Continue down W9, pass W1 (Wildside Trail) on the left.  This trail will go back to the Red Town Trailhead.
W9 (De Leo Wall Trail) dead-ends on Indian Trail (W7), at a T intersection.  You can get to two waterfalls from here.
The first waterfall is a quick trip.  Go right on Indian Trial (W7) to Far Country Falls.
Go down W7 about 0.2 miles.  The top of Far Country Falls will be on your right.  There is an un-signed path to the top of the falls.  Nice place to look.    Continue on W7 for another 0.1 mile and there is a signed turn-off to Far Country Falls.  There is a great place for selfies with the water falls behind you.  Worth the trip!
For the second waterfall (Coal Creek Falls), go back to Indian Trail (W7) and turn left, back-tracking where you originally came from. 
Pass the De Leo Wall Trail (W9) and go about 0.6 miles to the Quarry Trail (C6) on your right. 
Climb up Quarry Trail (C6).  You will pass interesting boulders, going uphill for about a ½ of a mile and turn left on to Coal Creek Falls Trail (C4). 
After passing Coal Creek Falls, continue on C4 until you come to Cave Hole Trail (C3) and turn left. 
When there is a sharp left to stay on C3, go straight on C2, to see an old dam (Red Town Dam Site). 
When you get to Military Road (N2), turn left and follow the signs to the Parking Lot (.2 miles).
I printed these directions out when I hiked and they helped a lot!
About a 6 mile loop!
It’s worth studying the map on line before you go.
https://aqua.kingcounty.gov/gis/web/VMC/recreation/BCT_CougarMtn_brochure.pdf