A Visit to a Lonely Rock on a Lonely Stretch of Trail
Whether you are a fan of glacial erratics or hiking in solitude, you might enjoy the middle stretch of the Tiger Mountain Trail. The TMT stretches 16 miles across the mountain, and almost smack in the middle is the glacial erratic boulder known as the “Lone Rock”. A fairly modest, diminutive name compared to the “Fantastic Erratic” of Cougar Mountain fame. I wonder if rocks get jealous.
I don’t know how the name came to be. It’s an unfortunate choice since there are at least two other features known as “Lone Rock” in Washington state alone. One in Hood Canal, and one in Chelan County along the Columbia River. To better compete with the Fantastic Erratic, maybe we should re-dub it the “Stupendous Stone” or “Bodacious Boulder.” Or, more modestly, align with the nearby Fifteenmile Creek and call it the “Fifteenmile Rock.” But no one is asking for my opinion on that, anyway.
The “Lone Rock” as seen from the Tiger Mountain Trail.
To reach the rock, it’s an 8 mile hike from the north end of the TMT at the High Point trailhead, or an 8 mile hike from the south end of the TMT at the Tiger Mountain Road trailhead. But here is a trick: bicycle the West Side Road to the Middle Tiger Mountain trailhead, and hike from there. Ascend the Middle Tiger trail to the intersection with the Hobart-Middle Tiger RR Grade and turn left. Here is the sign to watch for:
Signpost at the start of the Hobart Middle Tiger RR trail, where it intersects the Middle Tiger Trail.
Time has taken its toll, but old logging relics can still be seen along the old railroad grade. The most notable is a 2 inch steel cable used as an elevated “skyline” to skid logs out of the forest to a landing where they would be loaded on a railroad car. The cable is intact for at least a half mile, showing itself in several places along the trail. Watch for it.
Continue on the RR Grade for 1.6 miles and watch for a small “TMT 1/4” sign on the right. Take the turn and ascend (steeply) to the TMT. Turn left onto the TMT and continue for .7 miles to Custer’s Bridge. From the bridge, it’s about .5 miles to the Lone Rock, which you can’t miss as it is right beside the trail.
Enjoy the rock in solitude (probably), and then return the way you came. Or, for a variation, return via the TMT all the way to the intersection with the Middle Tiger trail (instead of the Hobart-Middle Tiger RR Grade), and descend from there. It’s about a half mile farther, and can be a bit brushy, but you get to enjoy more of the ambiance of the awesome TMT.