Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park
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Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park
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 The bridge at the base of Coal Creek Falls with the waterfall in the background |
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| location | King County , Washington , USA | |
| surface | 12.61 km² | |
| Geographical location | 47 ° 31 ' N , 122 ° 5' W | |
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| Setup date | January 1985 | |
| administration | King County Parks and Recreation Division | |
The Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park is a sanctuary administered by King County , Washington state near the small towns of Bellevue and Issaquah . The closest major city is Seattle . The park was established in June 1983 to protect the center of Cougar Mountain . It covers 3,115 acres (13 km²) and is criss-crossed by 38 mi (61 km) of hiking trails and 12 mi (19 km) of bridle paths.
Access
There are four main entrances ( English trailhead ) to the hiking trails in the park . There are overview maps at these entrances and signposts at the crossings of the paths. Riders can enter the park at any of these entrances except the first. Cycling is not allowed on any of the trails:
- Jim Whittaker Wilderness Peak Trailhead (State Route 900 / Renton-Issaquah Road SE, 3.3 mi (5.3 km) south of Interstate 90 ): This small parking lot provides access to the trail system on the east side of the park where the Whittaker Wilderness Peak Trail begins. It was formerly known as Wilderness Creek Trailhead, but was renamed on September 26, 2013 at a ceremony attended by Jim Whittaker and King County's representative Dow Constantine. At the same time, the connecting routes were named after Whittaker and his Sherpa Nawang Gombu.
- Harvey Manning Trailhead (SE Cougar Mountain Drive): This area is near the summit of Cougar Mountain and has wonderful views to the north (occasional glimpses of Mount Baker can be seen ). Many of the Wildland Park's trails start at this entrance.
- Sky Country Trailhead (166th Way SE) is near the former Nike missile station.
- Red Town Trailhead (Lakemont Boulevard SE / Newcastle Coal Creek Road) provides quick access to many historic mining sites in the northwest of the park, as well as access to the neighboring Coal Creek Trail.
Other small access points with roadside parking and direct access to the park via small connecting paths include the following:
- Newcastle Crosstown Trail Trailhead on SE 85th Street near 146th Place SE in Newcastle
- The cul-de-sac at the end of 161st Avenue SE south of SE Cougar Mountain Way in Bellevue
- Indian Trail / Licorice Fern Trail at the crossing of SE Licorice Way above 169th Avenue SE on the south side of the park
- Ring Road Trailhead on private property above Wilderness Creek Trail
- Bear Ridge Trailhead on State Route 900, one mile south of Newport Way with reserve parking just south of the creek culvert
- Big Tree Ridge Trailhead on Newport Way NW, 0.5 mi (0.8 km) northwest of State Route 900 (Renton-Issaquah Road SE) (roadside parking).
- Talus Neighborhood: In The Bridges district to the southwest (to the Talus Bridge Trail) and on Shangri-la Way in the central west (to the Surprise Creek Trail)
- Harvey Manning Park in the Talus area with toilets, fountains and playgrounds
geography
Surroundings
The park is bounded to the north by the Lakemont district of the city of Bellevue and to the northeast by the city of Issaquah. To the east is the 260 acres (105.2 ha) Talus Open Space. State Route 900 forms the southeastern border. The neighboring Squak Mountain rises to the southeast and the farms of May Creek Valley are to the south. In the southwest is the city of Renton . The city of Newcastle , which extends beyond the Newport Hills, occupies the west of Cougar Mountain, where several smaller parcels of the China Creek Open Space border the park in the west, which also house the Newcastle Golf Club immediately west of the park. Northwest of the Red Town Trailhead is the deep gully of Coal Creek , which is designated as a separate park area (Coal Creek Natural Area), administered by the City of Bellevue and separates Newcastle from Bellevue. A 4.5 mi (7.2 km) hiking trail there continues to Interstate 405. The park is entirely within the Mountains to Sound Greenway , a green belt in the suburbs of Seattle.
summit
- AA Peak - 1,480 ft (451 m). This peak overlooks Radar Park, a Cold War military object; excellent views north to Lake Sammamish and Mt. Baker; the only peak that can be reached by car.
- Claypit Peak - 1,560 ft (475 m). Separated from Wilderness Peak by a saddle, Claypit Peak rises above a 150 acres (0.6 km²) pit, the former source of clay for bricks, which was leased from the Mutual Materials in Newcastle. It is not marked on the maps and is shown in the wilderness area of the park as a Habitat Conservation Area without access, almost a total reserve .
- Deceiver Ridge - 1,220 ft (372 m). A wide plateau that is bursting with young fir trees.
- Long View Peak - 1,386 ft (422 m). This summit has a frame for tying up the horses, a bench and a view to the south.
- Marshall's Hill - 1,120 ft (341 m). The hill dominates the side of Cougar Mountain that is towards Renton and can be reached via serpentines from De Leo Wall.
- Reichert's Hill - 1,420 ft (433 m). Also known as Radio Hill or Goat Hill, there are many radio and television masts here.
- Ring Road Peak - 1,245 ft (379 m). The hill sits on the shoulder of Long View Peak outside the park on private grounds.
- Wilderness Peak - 1,602 ft (488 m). Because of the tall old trees there is no view. Wilderness Peak is the highest point in the park with a summit book.
Hydrography
Streams
The hilltops on Cougar Mountain form - roughly speaking - a horseshoe around the Klondike Marsh springs of Coal Creek, which flows northwest to Lake Washington through Coal Creek Park. Long Marsh Creek, Far Country Creek, Cabbage Creek, and Wilderness Creek are tributaries of May Creek that drain the south side of Cougar Mountain to Lake Washington. The deeply carved sandstone gullies of Lewis Creek, Kline Creek, AA Creek, West Tibbets Creek and Claypit Creek on the north and east sides lead their water to Lake Sammamish .
Wetlands
- Blackwater Pond - in the highlands between Wilderness Peak and Claypit Peak, drains eastward to Tibbets Creek
- Jerry's Duck Pond - a quiet wooded man-made pool near the top of Claypit Peak
- Klondike Marsh - a former storage basin for steam-powered coal production
- Long Marsh - a large swamp between the Wildside Trail and Indian Trail
- Shy Bear Marsh - the source of Cabbage Creek in the most remote part of the park
- Tibbett's Marsh - the source of West Tibbett's Creek, crossed by a fallen cedar trunk ( Thuja plicata )
- Trough Swamp - Wetland on the Far Country Trail
- Lake Boren - Located outside in a different park in Newcastle, but the largest body of water on Cougar Mountain
water falls
There are five named waterfalls within or near the Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park.
- Coal Creek Falls 25 ft (7.6 m), temporary fall on Coal Creek near the Quarry Trail
- Doughty Falls - on Cabbage Creek on Deceiver Trail
- Far Country Falls - on Far Country Creek on the Indian Trail
- Sandstone Falls - on the Primrose Trail in Coal Creek Park
- North Fork Falls - 20 ft (6.1 m) permanent fall en route through Coal Creek Natural Area in Bellevue, accessible across the street from the Red Town Trailhead
Official ways
A note on the official map of the Cougar Mountain Regional Wildlands Park warns that "due to hazards arising from historical mining, the trails marked on this map must be used for safety". Copies of the card are available at the main entrances.
North side
- N1: Coal Creek Trail - The trail previously known as N1 on the maps is currently more in the Bellevue open space system than in the county park. It begins where the Coal Creek Parkway begins the creek crossing. The picturesque Brickyard Creek flows in from the south over a steep slope. At a fork, the Primrose Trail branches off to follow the creek on its most beautiful section in a canyon, which includes the Sandstone Falls. The main path passes the relics of an old farm and later joins the Primrose Trail again. Strange elevations in this area testify to the spoil heaps from the time of coal mining about 100 years ago. A steep road branches off the path and leads to the location of the Cinder Mine. The final 0.75 mi (1.2 km) of the trail climbs gently to the Red Town Trailhead with the North Fork Falls; Many witnesses of coal mining can be found along the way.
- N2: Military Road Trail - The trail begins at the Red Town Trailhead and follows the old US Army route (which originally went to Issaquah) to the gate that marks the beginning of Clay Pit Road. This is the only part of Military Road that is officially accessible. The old road runs over Radio Hill and through private property to re-enter the park above the Precipice Bottom Trail in a section informally known as Harvey's Magic Quarter Mile.
- N3: Radio Peak Trail - The path branches off from the Coyote Creek Trail along the western border of the Klondike Marsh and climbs steeply up a rather narrow ridge, which is populated by a splendid Douglas fir. At the summit, the trail reaches a large cluster of broadcast antennas as well as an entertainment trail that can take one down to Cougar Mountain Drive, even if the trail officially ends at the summit.
- N4: Coyote Creek Trail - The trail begins at the point where the Cougar Mountain Drive changes the surface from asphalt to gravel. It is also known as "Bill's Trail" (because Bill Culbert used it to cross the area during heavy rain); the path meanders along the western boundary of the Klondike Swamp, crosses a clearing and joins Claypit Road directly opposite the end of the Cave Hole Trail.
- N5: Klondike Swamp Trail - The trail branches off the Coyote Creek Trail and passes the base of Anti-Aircraft Peak, where it meets the Klondike Swamp. As an old stick dam, the path is relatively flat and straight and offers quick access to the center of Cougar Mountain. It passes a large grapevine maple that forms a roof over the end of the Cougar Pass Trail.
- N6: Lost Beagle Trail - The path climbs up from the Klondike Swamp Trail through cool forest, which leads eastwards back to the summit area of Anti-Aircraft Peak. Notice boards are set up at the Radar Park and the long-abandoned concrete foundations of the military facility can be seen. In the Second World War , this was the position of anti-aircraft guns, which should repel possible Japanese air attacks. Nike missiles were later stationed nearby and operated by the staff stationed here.
- N7: Harvey Manning Trail - The trail begins near the summit of Anti-Aircraft Peak and runs south along the gentle ridge of the hill down through mixed forest; he reaches Cougar Pass on the watershed between Coal Creek and West Tibbetts Creek.
- N8: Cougar Pass Trail - The trail connects the Klondike Swamp Trail with the Tibbetts Marsh Trail and meets the AA Ridge Trail at its highest point. It offers an alternative to the Clay Pit Road, which runs parallel to it in the south.
- N9: Tibbett's Marsh Trail - The trail starts at Radar Park; it offers the most direct access to the area of the former clay pit and crosses the mile-wide saddle between AA and Claypit Peak. He crosses the wetland on a gigantic fallen tree of life, which was made into a natural bridge with the help of many ax blows.
- N10: Primrose Overlook Trail - The trail descends from the Little Creek Trail to a circular path above a tributary to the North Fork Coal Creek.
- N11: Little Creek Trail - The trail starts at a small access near the south end of 161st Avenue SE and crosses several small rivulets to meet the Military Road Trail.
East Side
- E1: Shangri-La Trail - The trail begins at the Radar Park Trailhead and descends the eastern flanks of Cougar Mountain to the Talus District. The old lumberjack road runs parallel to the Surprise Creek Trail, wide and gently sloping. The forest has not yet grown back to allow the path to lose its street character.
- E2: Surprise Creek Trail - The trail begins on the Shangri-La Trail and offers a nicer route down to Issaquah Reservoir. It offers two access points to the now impassable Powerline Trail.
- E3: Bear Ridge Trail - Trail begins at the end of State Route 900 sidewalk and a small parking lot 0.9 mi (1.4 km) south of Newport Way and branches off to the left. It follows the gentle ascent of a former road through an alder forest, crosses the Talus Bridge Trail and a section marker before reaching the Fantastic Erratic , a fern-covered rock the size of a double garage that was deposited here by the Canadian Glacier during the Ice Age. In the further course it climbs in serpentines to a pathless plateau with knee-high ferns, in which groups of oaks, maples, alders and young firs grow. After crossing two sections of West Tibbetts Creek, it turns north in a loop to the junction with the Shangri-La Trail.
- E4: Whittaker Wilderness Peak Trail (formerly Wilderness Creek Trail and E-6 Wilderness Peak Trail) - The trail begins at the access point on State Route 900, approximately 1 mi (1.6 km) north of May Valley Road. In many serpentines he climbs up the stream to Boulders Junction, makes one last hairpin and climbs a ridge on the right bank. A look back at the tiny people on the bridge below surprises hikers again and again with the height they have overcome. The trail passes the Cougar Mountain Cave, formed by boulders fallen from the steep cliffs, and reaches Shy Bear Pass. From the pass, the path continues to the highest point on Cougar Mountain, where the trees rise at least 100 ft (approx. 30 m) high and block any view. This is the highest stand of a large forest of virgin Douglas fir that covers the east ridge of the mountain all the way down to the highway. Signs on the bridge at its beginning point to his name and the dedication of the E5 to the first American to climb the summit of Mount Everest with his Nepalese Sherpa Nawang Gombu.
- E5: Gombu Wilderness Cliffs Trail - The trail begins at the Boulder Junction on Whittaker Wilderness Peak and climbs up to the lookout point on the cliff of Squak Mountain and shortly afterwards to another point with a view of Mount Rainier . The Wilderness Creek is far, far below. The path leads up to a beautiful secondary forest of Douglas fir with an undergrowth of pseudo berries on the rounded south side of Wilderness Peak, passes a pond (the Wilderness "Lake") and finally reaches the summit with a bench, where you can find a message in a "Summit book “Can leave behind.
- E7: Powerline Trail - The trail begins on the Surprise Creek Trail, reached a power line with a public right of way ( English right-of-way ) and falls directly to Goode's Corner from where there is only one loop through a forest, which has a zone steep rock returns. From this trail it is possible to step outside the park's boundaries and explore the northern rocky slopes. Between 2006 and 2014 the path was not maintained and was therefore impassable. Occasional maintenance by the utility company should then keep it as a hiking trail with minimal standards.
- E8: No Name Trail - The path is relatively short, without any special features and connects the Shangri-La Trail with the Surprise Creek Trail. It connects the northern and southern halves of the Precipice Trail.
- E9: Protector Trail - The trail begins on Tibbett's Marsh Trail and leads to an indistinct gully of AA Peak that forms a wall and contains the wetland. Originally this ridge did not belong to the park, so Harvey Manning feared it could be built on. Today it lies deep inside the park and continues to the Shangri-La Trail.
- E10: West Tibbetts Creek Trail - The trail begins in a loop of the Tibbetts Marsh Trail. It gently descends a shallow gorge of the creek until it meets the Bear Ridge Trail. A lower, unofficial section used to lead to the Bear Ridge Trailhead on State Route 900, but has become impassable due to lack of use and route changes on the West Tibbetts Creek Trail.
- E11: Squak Mountain Connector Trail (formerly: Old Ford Trail) - The path crosses the area from a low-lying section of the Gombu Wilderness Cliffs Trail over the space formerly occupied by a car wreck to an alternative parking lot on State Route 900. Who Crossing the road at this point has access to the West Access Trail of the trail system in Squak Mountain State Park.
- E12: Red Cedars Trail - The trail descends from the Surprise Creek Trail to the top of Big Tree Ridge.
- E13: Precipice Top Trail - The trail crosses the area from the Surprise Creek Trail to the Military Ridge Trail, just before its junction with the Big Tree Ridge Trail. It was reconstructed and redrawn in 2014.
- E14: Military Ridge Trail - Originally a section of the Military Road, the path descends from the Big Tree Ridge Trail, soon afterwards passes the Precipice Top Trail, crosses two streams and shortly afterwards leaves the public areas to then reach an old road, where it becomes the Telephone Trail and descends to Harvey Manning Park in Issaquah.
- E15: Big Tree Ridge Trail - From a gated access point with an alternate parking lot on Newport Way (0.5 mi (0.8 km) from Issaquah Park & Ride), the trail follows an old road incline through an alder swamp, before ascending to Big Tree Ridge above AA Creek, from where Lake Sammamish and the Olympic Mountains can be seen in winter . At a southern hairpin, 0.4 mi (0.6 km) from the access point, a short inconspicuous stretch (unofficial) connects to the Precipice Bottom Trail. Just above the final point, he comes to the Military Ridge Trail (which descends to the trails in Issaquah) just before the Red Cedars Trail (which leads up to the trails in the county). A short circular route of the historical course at the lower summit was closed when the route over public property was re-routed.
South side
- S1: Far Country Trail - The path begins on the Indian Trail and leads in gentle serpentines upwards through a beautiful clearing to an open area, the Far Country Lookout, which offers views of Renton and Tukwila. Harvey Manning, author of hiking and climbing guides from Bellevue, this Far Country area called ( German vast land ) because glacial glacier left a eroded drainage area where he had expected on his first exploration to encounter a rich comb and some sources. He felt transported to a wonderland far from home.
- S2: Shy Bear Trail - The path begins at the Far Country Lookout (in fact, it is more of a continuation of the Far Country Trail), crosses a shoulder of Deceiver Ridge and drops to Shy Bear Marsh, which it crosses over a series of billet dams. At this point, a hiker is the farthest possible from any access point to the park; it is the most remote area on Cougar Mountain. From the swamp, the path climbs up to Shy Bear Pass, where a number of paths meet in a small area.
- S3: Deceiver Trail - The path branches off from the Shy Bear Trail at a steel remnant of the lumberjack era. It climbs to the broad summit of Deceiver Ridge and slopes down to Cabbage Creek, just above Doughty Falls. Then he turns back to the summit of Long View Peak, whose trees show a gap with a view to the south.
- S4: Long View Peak Trail - The trail begins at the summit of Long View Peak and slopes down to Shy Bear Pass. Actually it is a continuation of the Deceiver Trail.
- S5: Ring Road Trail - The trail begins on Long View Peak Trail and crosses a saddle to reach a dirt road near the summit of Ring Road Peak (which is currently outside the park). Soon afterwards, with a view of Mount Rainier, private property is reached, which marks the end of the trail.
- S6: Licorice Fern Trail: - The trail begins near the Indian Trail Trailhead and branches off to the left behind a row of houses, from where it follows a gorge of Far Country Creek to the Licorice Fern Way. The path continues on the other side of the road and soon passes Trough Swamp and Surprise Wall. It is similar to the Coal Creek Trail in that it crosses a centuries-old forest, at times along the creek, at times high on the dam; it runs to the lower access point on Licorice Fern Way, where a homeowner has granted permanent right of way and planted fruit trees and tulips.
Central basin
Red alder forest ( Alnus rubra ) near the Sky Country Trailhead
- C1: Clay Pit Road - As an extension of 166th Avenue, this gravel road extends 1.3 mi (2 km) from the gate near the Sky Country trailhead to the former Clay Pit ( German clay pit ). It provides access to a meadow at Nike Park, an area where Nike surface-to-air missiles were deployed to repel Soviet bombers during the Cold War , and to other hiking trails in the northeast and southeast regions of the park. There is ample parking and the usual facilities at access points at the Sky Country Trailhead. The clay pit at the end of the street had once been leased by Mutual Materials to extract raw material for bricks. The Newcastle brick factory was closed and re-used, and the pit itself was recultivated in 2015; a large meadow was created with a view of Tiger Mountain in the east.
- C2: Red Town Creek Trail - The trail connects the Cave Hole Trail with the Military Road Trail and provides access to Red Town Creek Dam. The water of the lake, which once existed here before the dam silted up, was used to generate steam for the coal hoists.
- C3: Cave Hole Trail - The path begins on the Red Town Trail and is the main route from the Red Town Area to the higher elevations on Cougar Mountain. The former wagon route to the Klondike Dam passes some rather large depressions that are caused by collapses in the earth's surface after the abandonment of the Coal mining originated.
- C4: Coal Creek Falls Trail - The trail branches off the Cave Hole Trail and runs more or less flat south to a 25 ft (7.6 m) high cataract on Coal Creek, one of the most popular destinations in the park, especially during periods of heavy traffic Drain. Then the path climbs up to the Quarry Trail.
- C6: Quarry Trail - The trail begins on the Indian Trail near a quarry and climbs up the Shy Bear Creek gorge (the old route led to the ridge between it and Coal Creek). It interrupts Fred's Railroad Trail very close to its encounter with the Shy Bear Trail.
- C7: Fred's Railroad Trail - The trail begins on Clay Pit Road across the road at the end of the Cougar Pass Trail. It runs along a former railway line and therefore has neither sharp turns nor steep climbs. Many lumberjack-era structures are on both sides of the path that leads south to the Shy Bear Trail.
- C8: East Fork Trail - The trail begins on Fred's Railroad Trail and runs upstream on the eastern branch of Coal Creek to its source. It passes the clear Jerry's Duckpond before reaching a bulge of the Clay Pit on one shoulder of Clay Pit Peak.
- C9: Bypass Trail - The trail begins at the intersection of Fred's Railroad Trail and Clay Pit Road and slopes down to the Cave Hole Trail. In this way it is possible to cross the area without using a road.
- C10: Mine Shaft Trail - The trail starts at Jerry's Duckpond and leads to a large, deep mining shaft covered by a steel mesh; you can safely stand in the middle of this grid over the middle of the shaft. The shaft slopes gently to below sea level. Behind the shaft the path reaches the road.
- C11: Old Man's Trail - The path connects the area around the former Nike rocket position with the Cave Hole Trail and the network of trails in the north and east.
- C12: Nike Horse Trail - The trail connects the Cave Hole Trail with Fred's Railroad Trail for access to the trails to the north and east.
- C13: Sky Country Trail - The trail connects the Sky Country Trailhead to the Military Road Trail so that the access road can be bypassed.
West side
American heart flower ( Dicentra formosa ) on the Wildside Trail
- W1: Wildside Trail - The trail begins on the Rainbow Town Trail and runs along the west side of the Coal Creek Valley. Ironically, urban development has moved close to the trail in some places, diminishing its wilderness. After crossing the Marshall's Hill Trail, it leads past the Long Marsh to a junction with the Deleo Wall Trail.
- W2: Red Town Trail - The trail begins at the Red Town Trailhead and runs along the east side of the Coal Creek Valley to the Ballpark Meadow renaturation project.
- W3: Rainbow Town Trail - The path begins together with the Red Town Trail and passes the Ford Slope mining exhibition, in which images of the Red Town area at the height of the mining era can be seen. The visitor can experience impressively how thoroughly nature has recaptured the area.
- W4: Steam Hoist Trail - The web begins together with the Wildside Trail and leads back to the Rainbow Town Trail after crossing the creek; In doing so, it leads past many remnants of the mining era, including an intact concrete dam and the massive concrete foundations of the former steam conveyor system, which would be more natural objects if it weren't for the many right angles.
- W5: China Creek Trail - The trail begins at the Red Town Trailhead and runs to the park boundary, providing access to the Rainbow Town Trail. Before the embankment was turned into a golf course, it also provided access to the network of trails at the saddle between Marshall's Hill and Mt. Trashmore.
- W6: Marshall's Hill Trail - The trail begins on the Wildside Trail and climbs to a lookout over the Coal Creek Basin, behind which Cougar Mountain rises. It continues to the Deleo Wall Trail and an access road to a water tower, which descends in a cul-de-sac of a residential area that can serve as an access point to the path system in the west of the area.
- W7: Indian Trail - The trail begins at the cul-de-sac on 171st Avenue, where King County has two vacant lots to secure access. It is believed that this is where the traditional Duwamish route ran between Coal Creek and May Creek. The trail provides access to Far Country Falls and ends at Ballfield.
- W9: Deleo Wall Trail - The trail begins along with the Indian Trail and passes an unnamed wetland before rising steadily to the highest point of the Deleo Wall, a 600 ft (approx. 180 m) high cliff with views over the May Valley to Mount Rainier. From the lookout point, a series of well-maintained switchbacks climbs to the top of Marshall's Hill, where the Picture Buttress looks down on a forest clearing. The trail crosses the access road to a water tower and the Marshall's Hill Trail, where there are remarkable views of downtown Seattle.
- W10: Bagley Seam Trail - The trail begins at the Red Town Trailhead and descends a gully that was dug into a former coal-bearing crevice before joining the Red Town Trail.
Unofficial ways
There are a couple of trails that go from the urban area to the official ones in the park. Some of these trails are across public, non-county land, while others are across private properties that vary in terms of wetness or access.
- Precipice Bottom Trail - The trail leaves Harvey Manning Park in the Talus District at the junction with Telephone Trail northwards, traverses Stagecoach and Military Creek before turning onto the route of the Historic Big Tree Ridge Trail and onto the King County Big Tree Ridge Trail reached an undeveloped and unmarked intersection.
- Precipice Trail - More an inkling of the Harvey Manning's Trail than a trail itself, it was originally a route between a branch of a hairpin turn on Kline Hill Road (SE 54th), which runs southeast and crosses AA Creek, to then meet the Big Unite Tree Ridge Trail. From there, paths like the Precipice Bottom, the Telephone, the No Name, parts of the Bear Ridge and the (unpaved) South Precipice formed a barrier to deter further urbanization. Presently, Bob's Condo Trail (beginning behind Spyglass Condos on Newport Way) reaches a remainder of the original Precipice Trail, which passes the descending, crowded Summerhill Ridge Trail, and climbs a short, steep, rope-secured climbing path over AA Creek and its gorge where it comes to a steep junction with the King County Big Tree Ridge Trail, just before its previous junction with the Historic Big Tree Ridge Trail.
- Skid Row Trail (formerly: Shruburban Trail) - After beginning as a blocked road, the trail climbs gently above AA Creek a few yards south of the Big Tree Ridge Trailhead on Newport Way to the eastern end of the Telephone Trail just below Harvey Manning Cross Park at Talus Quarter; he passes a fenced-in water reservoir to reach the top of James Bush Road, with access to the talus and State Route 900 on Newport Way. Its name comes from the neighboring slide along the central section of the path, the former name of the "bush dwellers " ( English shruburbanites ) who used its north end to connect their isolated campsites with the Park & Ride half a mile away.
- Telephone Trail - The path is an overgrown entertainment route for the east-west running energy route at the north end of the Talus district. A disused eastern section reaches James Bush Road behind a fenced-off water reservoir and continues to a junction with the Skid Row Trail just before reaching Harvey Manning Park in the Talus district and the Precipice Bottom Trail. It continues west up the hill and runs northwards somewhat in an old road, crosses AA Creek and then becomes the Military Ridge Trail, which connects to the paths of King County Park above.
- Talus Bridge Trail - The short path is maintained by the City of Issaquah and connects the "The Bridges" area in the Talus district to the south with the Bear Ridge Trail 1 mi (1.6 km) above its trailhead on State Route 900 and just below the Fantastic Erratic. The bridge crosses West Tibbetts Creek, and benches at the end of the path offer views of the interior of the park; the Talus Trailhead (with parking on the street) used to be equipped with a kiosk and an (imprecise) map.
- Wilderness Corridor - With the aim of leaving part of the park in a completely natural state for pumas, bears, elk and other wild animals, a large part of the east in the park has been designated as a Habitat Conservation Area (German roughly equivalent to a nature reserve). This is the area between the Bear Ridge Trail in the north, the East Fork Trail in the west and the Shy Bear / Whittaker Wilderness Peak / Gombu Wilderness Cliffs as well as the connecting paths at Squak Mountain in the south and the adjacent Talus Open Space in the east. By not developing this large section of the park, its value as “urban wilderness” has increased. The park's map contains the following warning: “Park expansion and paths have been excluded in order to protect endangered species. Please help the natural regeneration by not entering this park area. ”King County Parks and the Issaquah Alps Trails Club no longer maintain the old trails in this section of the park, they are no longer included in new editions of the park guides. Since 2014 the hidden paths have been overgrown more and more like the eastern access to the Clay Pit.
- Lewis Creek Connector - The trail runs from a white fence with an alternate parking lot on Newport Way and its intersection with Lakemont Boulevard and Exit 13 of Interstate 90 to Peggy's Loop in Lakemont Park in the City of Bellevue. An uneven bridge over Lewis Creek can be impassable in winter.
history
Nike missile position in the Cold War
During the Cold War, the now open field near the Sky Country Trailhead was a site of Nike surface-to-air missiles designed to protect the region from the nuclear attack of long-range strategic bombers by the Soviet Union. All that remains from this time are some concrete plinths, landscape elements, a shabby chain link fence and a notice board. Today's facilities include toilets, picnic tables, a playing field, notice boards about the animal species found in the area, and access to the great system of trails. The radar station in support of the missile base was on Anti-Aircraft Peak, 1 mi (1.6 km) northeast, where another plaque tells more about the history of the place.
Individual evidence
- ↑ park trails . In: myparksandrecreation.com . Retrieved March 11, 2019.
- ↑ Deceiver Ridge, Washington . PeakBagger.com. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
- ^ Cougar Mountain-Long View Peak, Washington . PeakBagger.com. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
- ^ Marshalls Hill, Washington . PeakBagger.com. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
- ^ Ring Road Peak, Washington . PeakBagger.com. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
- ^ Cougar Mountain, Washington . PeakBagger.com. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
- ↑ Edward Thelen: Locations of Former NIKE MISSILE SITES . 1999. Retrieved June 10, 2007.
- ↑ Radar Park & Former Nike Missile Site On Cougar Mountain . Issaquah Historical Museums. Archived from the original on October 30, 2013. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
swell
- Manning, Harvey & Owen, Ralph. Hiking and Strolling the Trails of Cougar Mountain , Issaquah Alps Trails Club, Issaquah, 1991.
- McCrone, Charles. The Authoritative Guide to the Hiking Trails of Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park and Surrounds , Issaquah Alps Trails Club, Issaquah, 2000.
Web links
- Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park - Official Website
- Cougar Mountain Trails - Notes on the hiking trails
- Detailed colored map of the Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park