Hiking Guide
WTA's hiking guide is the most comprehensive database of hikes in Washington, and comprises content written by local hiking experts and user submitted information. All data is vetted by WTA staff. This resource is made possible by the donations of WTA members.
We respectfully acknowledge the lands we are visiting are the homelands of Indigenous tribes of the Pacific Northwest, some of whom have reserved treaty rights on these lands. Tribes continue to rely on and share in the management of these lands today. Please tread gently and treat these places with respect.
Results List
174 Hikes
Lewis Creek Park
Issaquah Alps -- Cougar Mountain
2.3 miles of trails
Gain: 200 ft.
Highest Point: 907.0 ft.
Rating:
This 55-acre park has grassland, forest and wetland habitats to explore via soft-surface trail and boardwalks. The Lewis Creek Park also has a visitor center, playground, a basketball court, picnic shelter, restrooms and more.
Poo Poo Point - Chirico Trail
Issaquah Alps -- Tiger Mountain
3.8 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1760 ft.
Highest Point: 1850.0 ft.
Rating:
Hike a short but steep trail with many stone steps. Pause at a viewpoint offering a fine view of Mount Rainier, then continue on to Poo Poo Point itself, only 1.9 miles from the trailhead. Enjoy views to the northwest, and perhaps watch paragliders sailing off into the sky.
Wildside Connector
Issaquah Alps -- Cougar Mountain
1.4 miles, one-way
Gain: 200 ft.
Highest Point: 800.0 ft.
Rating:
The Wildside Trail runs through the northwest corner of Cougar Mountain Park and offers many connections to other trails.
Military Ridge
Issaquah Alps -- Cougar Mountain
0.4 miles, one-way
Gain: 400 ft.
Highest Point: 760.0 ft.
Rating:
The Military Ridge Trail is part of the vast Cougar Mountain trail network. The trail is a connector trail, so it can only be reached via other trails in the area and does not have its own trailhead.
East Ridge Trail
Issaquah Alps -- Squak Mountain
2.8 miles, roundtrip
Rating:
A 1.5 mile connector trail winding up the East Ridge of Squak Mountain. Accesses the Summit Trail and the East Side Trail.
Poo Poo Point
Issaquah Alps -- Tiger Mountain
7.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1858 ft.
Highest Point: 2021.0 ft.
Rating:
Hike railroad grades dating from the logging era. Cross many small creeks, some of them seasonal. Pass tall trees draped with moss. Enjoy ferns and, in season, forest wildflowers and a few wild berries. Reach a fine viewpoint that's also a favorite launching spot for paragliders.
Coal Creek Trail
Issaquah Alps -- Cougar Mountain
6.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 550 ft.
Highest Point: 600.0 ft.
Rating:
Rich in historical artifacts, lush foliage, wooden bridges, and waterfalls, the well-groomed and well-traveled Coal Creek Trail is a satisfying hike for families, trail runners, history buffs, and avid hikers.
Bullitt Fireplace Trail
Issaquah Alps -- Squak Mountain
4.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1100 ft.
Highest Point: 1830.0 ft.
Rating:
Hike a two-mile forest trail on the north side of Squak Mountain to reach the site of a former cabin owned by the Bullitt family. Only the massive fireplace and the foundation remain today. Optionally, extend your hike to Central Peak, the highest point on Squak Mountain (no view,) and make it an interesting loop by returning via the Old Griz and East Side Trails.
Northwest Timber Trail
Issaquah Alps -- Tiger Mountain
4.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 150 ft.
Highest Point: 1500.0 ft.
Rating:
The Northwest Timber Trail can be an easy first hike for young hikers, or it can be a pleasant stroll for experienced hikers when they have limited time. For many, this trail is a gateway to other routes that lead to more distant goals, such as the Silent Swamp Loop or the Preston Railroad Grade, or to forest roads that lead to the summit of East Tiger.
Margaret's Way
Issaquah Alps -- Squak Mountain
6.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1500 ft.
Highest Point: 1730.0 ft.
Rating:
If nature excites you, there's plenty here to be excited about. Cool forest, trickling creeks in deep ravines, and a beautiful new trail built by WTA volunteers await you here.
Taylor Mountain - Elk Ridge Trail
Issaquah Alps -- Taylor Mountain
1.6 miles, one-way
Gain: 500 ft.
Highest Point: 1200.0 ft.
Rating:
Enjoy a short hike through lush greenery on this newly renovated trail.
Grand Ridge Park - Water Tower Loop
Issaquah Alps
3.3 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 283 ft.
Highest Point: 1175.0 ft.
Rating:
Perched high on a hill in the Issaquah Highlands, Grand Ridge Park offers hiking opportunities for both residents of the neighborhood and visitors.
Chybinski Loop
Issaquah Alps -- Squak Mountain
7.7 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2100 ft.
Highest Point: 1800.0 ft.
Rating:
The Chybinski Loop is located in the Cougar/Squak Mountain Corridor, and has many connecting trails and loop options.
Anti-Aircraft Peak Loop
Issaquah Alps -- Cougar Mountain
4.75 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 450 ft.
Highest Point: 1380.0 ft.
Rating:
Hike a loop around Anti-Aircraft Peak in the Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park. Hike past sites associated with coal and clay mining, and a former 1950s-era anti-aircraft missile installation. Enjoy good forest trails, some seasonal wildflowers, and a million-dollar view.
Grand Ridge Park
Issaquah Alps
7.0 miles of trails
Gain: 1100 ft.
Rating:
Grand Ridge Park includes 7 miles of WTA-built trail through western red cedar trees, sword ferns, nettles, berries and, at times, slugs. This trail is a little piece of the backcountry close to Seattle and is open to hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians.
Whittaker Wilderness Peak
Issaquah Alps -- Cougar Mountain
3.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1228 ft.
Highest Point: 1598.0 ft.
Rating:
A trail named for local mountaineer Jim Whittaker, this hike begins at the road and ascends to the summit of Cougar Mountain.
Wilderness Peak Loop
Issaquah Alps -- Cougar Mountain
4.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1200 ft.
Highest Point: 1598.0 ft.
Rating:
Hike trails named in honor of mountaineers Jim Whittaker and Nawang Gombu, of 1963 Mount Everest ascent fame. Wilderness Peak may not be Everest, but it is the highest point in King County's Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park and it does have some wonderful old-growth conifers. This loop offers a diversity of steep forested hillsides, huge mossy boulders, and a low swampy area traversed via a narrow boardwalk.
Tiger Mountain Trail
Issaquah Alps -- Tiger Mountain
15.2 miles, one-way
Gain: 2360 ft.
Highest Point: 2500.0 ft.
Rating:
Closure notice: Until Fall 2021, a 1.6-mile section of the Tiger Mountain Trail (TMT) from the Middle Tiger Trail intersection to the 1000 Road will be temporarily closed for a timber sale
Do a thru-hike on the main Tiger Mountain Trail, also known as the TMT. Arrange a car shuttle and start at the southern end. Hike north more than fifteen miles over varied terrain and through different types of forest vegetation. Pass a large glacial erratic boulder, and visit some of the most remote places in the Tigers.
Tiger Mountain Trail North
Issaquah Alps -- Tiger Mountain
15.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2400 ft.
Highest Point: 2500.0 ft.
Rating:
Hike along the northern half of the main Tiger Mountain Trail, the TMT. If you like, make it a shorter hike and turn around at any of a number of pleasant stopping spots, or perhaps hike on as far as Custer's Bridge, one of the most remote places in the Tigers.
Beaver Lake Preserve
Issaquah Alps
1.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 50 ft.
Highest Point: 460.0 ft.
Rating:
Hike a 1.2 mile loop trail through this forest preserve. Appreciate the exceptionally tall trees, both deciduous and coniferous. Pass some swampy areas with standing water, and note the exuberant growth of ferns and hanging moss.
West Tiger 3
Issaquah Alps -- Tiger Mountain
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2100 ft.
Highest Point: 2525.0 ft.
Rating:
Don't expect solitude here- this is perhaps the most heavily used trail on Tiger Mountain, and for good reason. Fortunately, there is plenty of room to share. This close-to-the-city wild land trail provides stunning views, great forestlands, and ample opportunities to see birds and critters. West Tiger- one of the sprawling mountain's four primary peaks (West, Middle, South and East)- is itself a tri-crowned peak. Numbered 1 through 3, the third of the West Tiger peaks offers the best views, despite being the lowest of the triplets.
West Tiger No. 1 via Fred's Corner
Issaquah Alps -- Tiger Mountain
7.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2450 ft.
Highest Point: 2948.0 ft.
Rating:
Hike through some great second-growth forest to reach the second highest summit in the Tigers. Then enjoy a superb viewpoint a short distance west of the summit.
Paw Print Connector
Issaquah Alps -- Tiger Mountain
1.1 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 100 ft.
Highest Point: 2200.0 ft.
Rating:
A connector trail on Tiger Mountain. Access from Tiger Mountain Trail, 15 Mile Railroad Grade, East Tiger, and Upper and Middle Bootleg Trail.
Squak Mountain's East Side Loop
Issaquah Alps -- Squak Mountain
8.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1700 ft.
Highest Point: 2025.0 ft.
Rating:
It's appropriate that this hike begins in the heart of Issaquah. In the language of the native tribes, Ishquowh means "sound of water birds." The raspy name of this mountain destination, meanwhile, comes from the raucous calls of the herons that migrate through this area in the spring and fall--their mighty squak, squak, squak! echoes off the forested slopes of Squak Mountain.
May Valley Trail
Issaquah Alps -- Squak Mountain
6.0 miles, roundtrip
Rating:
This quiet, little-used trail wanders through a lowland forest and up the South side of Squak Mountain along Bullitt Creek.
West Tiger Four-Summit Loop
Issaquah Alps -- Tiger Mountain
9.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2830 ft.
Highest Point: 2948.0 ft.
Rating:
If you are bored at the thought of another hike up West Tiger #3, here is an option for a more ambitious hike. First, the route will take you to Poo Poo Point, a knoll on a shoulder of West Tiger Mountain, for the view and perhaps to see paragliders launching into the sky. Then, you'll continue via a sequence of short trails to reach and traverse all three numbered summits of West Tiger Mountain before returning to your trailhead.
Middle Tiger
Issaquah Alps -- Tiger Mountain
9.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1127 ft.
Highest Point: 2607.0 ft.
Rating:
Closure notice: Until Fall 2021, a 1.6-mile section of the Tiger Mountain Trail (TMT) from the Middle Tiger Trail intersection to the 1000 Road will be temporarily closed for a timber sale
A short trail on Tiger Mountain that makes up some of the Tiger Mountain Trail thru-hike.
Iverson Railroad Trail
Issaquah Alps -- Tiger Mountain
3.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 850 ft.
Highest Point: 1750.0 ft.
Rating:
Trail Closed: The Iverson Railroad Grade Trail is closed until Fall 2021 for timber sale activity
Take a hike on the east side of Tiger Mountain along an old railroad grade.
Gombu Wilderness Cliffs
Issaquah Alps -- Cougar Mountain
2.6 miles, roundtrip
Rating:
A hike named after Nawang Gombu, Jim Whittaker's partner in his first ascent of Everest. Connect it with the Whittaker Wilderness Peak trail for a long loop with historical significance.
Waterline Trail
Issaquah Alps
1.4 miles, one-way
Highest Point: 400.0 ft.
Rating:
The Waterline Trail is part of the extensive trail network in the city of Newcastle. It connects to the May Valley Trail, passes by Lake Boren Park and ends at Newcastle Way with connections on to various other trails.