Cougar Mountain: Explore Ancient Mountains
Explore ancient mountains on the East Side. Cougar Mountain Wildland Regional Park, which is located near cities like Bellevue, Issaquah, Kirkland, Newcastle, and Redmond, is part of the "Issaquah Alps," a mountain range even older than the neighboring Cascades.
The park's 36 miles of trails occupy around 3,100 acres of second-growth forest and wetlands, and when they're combined with Squak Mountain State Park via the Cougar-Squak Corridor, the visitor has access to over five thousand acres of forest area. The trails are well-marked and maintained. The park is popular, and you will encounter dog walkers, joggers and trail runners, although bicycles are not allowed on the trails. Twelve miles of trails are dedicated to equestrian use.
Most of the park lies between 1,000 and 1,600 feet above sea level, providing sweeping vistas of much of the Seattle area. Check out the parking lot to the northeast for the park's "Million Dollar View." The Park also holds a waterfall and the Cougar Mountain Zoo. To see the clay mine, take the Shangri La Trail till you hit the fork where the right leads to Tibbets Marsh Trail. Take Tibbets Marsh Trail to Clay Pit Road, then take a left to see the mine. Radar Park was the site of a military installation intended to protect the Puget Sound area from air attack.
In the summer the park hosts the Cougar Mountain trail Running Series. Bird watchers may glimpse red-eyed vireos and pileated woodpeckers, or great blue herons along the edges of Coal Creek. Tree enthusiasts will enjoy the big leaf maple, Douglas fir, red alder, Sitka spruce, weatern hemlock, and western red cedar.
The mountain was originally occupied by Duwamish Indians, then coal miners, loggers, and even two Nike missile sites. The land has been a public park since the late 1960s.
HelloSeattle Tip: Schedule a weekend hike with the Issaquah Alps club by calling (206) 328-0480.
Posted by Cat Rambo
