Trailhead Direct is Back: Take the Bus from Seattle to the Issy Alps
By Sijie Cheng
King County’s Trailhead Direct bus service from Seattle to some of King County's most popular hiking trails kicked off Saturday, May 25. Shuttles to various trailheads across the Issaquah Alps (Cougar, Tiger, and Squak) and Mt. Si, will run every weekend through Sunday, Sept. 15. As an Issaquah resident who loves trail running on my local mountains, I am extremely excited that Seattlites can access trails of Issaquah Alps more easily and experience the beauty like I do.
Trailhead Direct bus, photo by the Seattle Times
Before I enthusiastically start introducing the different routes in Issaquah Alps, I would like to share three tips to enjoy the outdoors safely before you head out the door. For more tips on adventure planning, you can refer to the Resources section of Trailhead Direct website or Trail Smarts section of Washington Trails Association.
First of all, research your route ahead of time and have a GPS device (a phone works!) that will show your location on the route. I enjoy using Gaia and Caltopo, both of which have a free app version that are easy to use. You can map out the route on the websites and download the GPS to your phone to track on the app. This is especially important for exploring the Issaquah Alps, as there are many trail branch-offs and offshots. When I go trail running in the area, I occasionally encounter hikers who were not familiar with their route and accidentally ended up somewhere far away from the trailhead where they parked their cars.
Second, pack the Ten Essentials. As you recreate on the mountains, you never know what natural hazards you will experience. Make sure you are properly hydrated, have enough layers, food, etc to last your entire adventure.
Third, share your route and travel plan with a loved one so that they know when to expect you to return from the trip. If you don’t return on time, your plan and itinerary will be useful to your friends, family members, or search and rescue agencies to find you quickly and easily.
Now that we've gone over the preparation tips, let's explore some of my favorite routes at each bus stop along the Trailhead Direct route. I’ve referenced AllTrails to give some sample routes. However, you can craft your own adventure routes using Gaia and Caltopo as mentioned earlier.
East Sunset Way
This trailhead allows you to access Grand Ridge trail via Issaquah-Preston trail. When you are on the Grand Ridge trail, watch out for mountain bikers, as they often use this trail to access to travel to Duthie Hill Mountain Bike park north of Grand Ridge.
Apart from traveling north, you can start from this trailhead to explore Tradition Plateau. You can go to visit “the bus” (read more about the history here), see a huge, centuries-old tree – Big Tree, and check out Round Lake and Tradition Lake. In addition, if your legs are feeling great and you want to stand on top of a mountain, you can use this trailhead to access West Tiger 3, 2, 1.
The bus on the Tradition Plateau of Tiger Mountain, photo by Sijie Cheng
High School
This trailhead gets its name because it is next to Issaquah Middle School and Issaquah High School. Here you can take the longer way to Poo Poo Point to see paragliders launching.
Paragliders with Mt Rainier in the background, taken from Poo Poo Point trail, photo by Sijie Cheng)
What’s more, if you are curious about Thomas Dambo’s troll that advocates for environmental sustainability, we have one right in Issaquah that can be accessed via the Rainier Trail, which is a paved trail that is family friendly and wheelchair accessible.
Chirico Trail - Poo Poo Point
In comparison to the longer way to Poo Poo Point from the High School trail, the Chirico Trail reduces the distance by half to access Poo Poo Point. Note that the vertical climb will remain the same. Thus, Chirico trail to Poo Poo Point is a steeper climb compared to High School trail.
View from Poo Poo Point with paragliders launch pad in front, photo by Sijie Cheng
Issaquah
From this shuttle bus stop, you can walk over to the Big Tree Ridge trailhead to take the namesake Big Tree Ridge trail and visit the Million Dollar View Pergola. You can even extend further to visit other vista points such as Coal Creek Falls and Doughty Falls. However, I highly recommend creating a GPS track first, as Cougar mountain has the most trail intersections among the Issaquah Alps.
Coal Creek Falls on Cougar Mountain, photo by Sijie Cheng
Margaret’s Way
This route will take you to Debbie’s View, where you have a good vista point to see Mt Rainier in the distance. Did you know that Debbie’s View is named after a dedicated stalwart of the Issaquah Alps Trails Club? You can read a bit about the history here.
View of Mt Rainier from Debbie’s View, photo by Sijie Cheng)
Squak Mountain
If you are seeking solitude on the mountains, I highly recommend May Valley trail, as this trailhead sees less traffic compared to other Squak mountain trailheads. It also is more well-maintained with less rocks to negotiate with. Moreover, you will visit an old relic on the mountain - the Bullitt Fireplace, which belongs to the family who donated the land as a public park.
The remains of The Bullitt Cabin - the Bullitt Fireplace, photo by Sijie Cheng
Once you finish exploring the Issaquah Alps, you might be looking for some post-hike relaxation. Fear not that there is plenty to do in downtown Issaquah on Front Street, which is ~10 minute walk from the East Sunset Way trailhead stop. There are lots of shops, restaurants, and bars on Front Street. Moreover, if you would like to stay out later than Trailhead Direct’s schedule, you can take 271 and ST 554 back to Seattle.
I am thrilled that thanks to this shuttle access, more Seattle residents have an affordable way to venture out into the Issaquah Alps to spend time in nature. In addition, they will have more opportunities to appreciate all the conservation and advocacy initiatives that Issaquah Alps Trails Club (IATC) has been leading for present and future generations. For more information on the advocacy work, you can visit IATC’s webpage and get involved by signing up for a hike or volunteering.