I've lived here over 10 years and have yet to write a review for Soaring Eagle! Sad. (Same goes for…read moreEvans Creek but I rectified that just now). Soaring Eagle is a very convenient spot for us to go hiking. Close to home. It is now connected to multiple parks and preserves, so if you want to make it an extended and quite a long hike, you can. We normally just go for a 2 to 3 mile quick run or hike when we are looking for a little extra exercise. Although not super hilly, this area is quite forested and the tree roots are quite the tripping hazard. Just something to be aware of when going on a trail run.

Nice trails here. Wide open middle trail. Signage at beginning tells of recent bear sightings. A…read moremomma and cubs currently lives here. We didn't see anything. Thank goodness. The main trail has various other side trails which venture more into the forest area. Not too overgrown but nice and shady. You share this trail with bikers too. No bathroom. So only 4 stars. Fairly decent sized parking lot. Pretty trail. On that note...peace out and SYOY.

Great hike! 11 miles RT if you go to both the front and back sides of Otter Falls. Elevation gain…read moreis completely minimal and dogs are allowed - it says they must be on leash but all except two dogs I saw were actually on leash. The trail is so flat a wheelchair could make it except for the numerous creek crossings that were a little dicey depending on your footwear. Note that there is some washout leading up to the trailhead so unless you have a tall truck you will need to Park about a 1/2 mile away and climb over the rubble. Most of the road leading up to the trailhead has already been patched so our little car made it without issue. I wore my trainers since this hike was rated as easy. My feet were definitely sore later in the evening. Anytime you plan to walk 11 miles there will likely be some pain somewhere in your foot so don't be deterred! Had I worn my hiking boots I probably wouldn't have the soreness in my ankles but hiking boots are definitely not required for this hike. I have the kind of knees that will sometimes hurt on the way down from hikes with large elevation gains but because this one is so minimal I was able to jog from the trailhead back to the car after the entire hike. This trail was not heavily trafficked and provided a wonderful excursion for the day. We started the hike at 11:15am and arrived at Otter Falls around 1pm for lunch and relaxation. There's not much to sit on unless you want to sit where the falls are on steep granite. Again my trainers were not grippy enough to hang up there for long. Hike boots would be great for this part. We lounged around at the falls, continued on to the backside to see the view from the footbridge, and got down about 4:30pm. Note that this hike was a little buggy (annoying flies and other buzzes in your ears but I didn't need mosquito spray.)

This is a pretty easy trail for beginning hikers or ones that want to hike, but have to give…read morecertain parts of their body time to heal and / or not be too strenuous on. Another great point about this trail is that it is dog friendly. Throughout the trail there are small inclines, but no switch backs and the inclines are no more than walking up hills in Seattle. Close to the beginning of the trail there is a choice to go towards Quartz Creek (to the left) or Snoqualmie Lake. You want to go straight ahead to Snoqualmie Lake. There are certain parts of the trail that you can stop at and turn back with still feeling that you have had a sufficient hike. The first point would be Marten Creek, which has a wooden bridge over it and a waterfall to your left. At this point, you have hiked in about 3 miles. Another couple miles up is where you will encounter Big Creek Falls. Which is amazing. The trail does continue on, but Big Creek Falls is usually where most people stop. One point, a little after Marten Creek, it looks like the trail ends. If you go to the right, you can tell that it will lead you right back to the trail. To the left is a pile of rocks. You will want to climb up (not much of a climb or hard to do) through those rocks to continue on. After you reach the top of them, you will see the trail again. Throughout the trail there are a few smaller creeks that you will have to walk over, but no more than a foot wide. Round trip is about 10 miles, if you go to Big Creek Falls, and definitely worth all the miles you walk. Elevation gain is about 700 feet. Directions: Head out I-90, to North Bend take exit 34 Edgewick Road, turn left under I-90, go past the Texaco gas station and turn right on Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Road (FR 56), drive the gravel road 12+ miles, just after crossing the Taylor River bridge there is a fork in the road stay left on the Taylor River Road (FR 5630), continue to the gate and park in the lot.

What a beautiful and popular hike! Parking can be a beast so go early or later in the day if you…read moredon't want to have to hike from a remote spot far away from the start of the actual hike. I took my teen with me and we conquered it in about 7 hours round trip. We used the "new" trail up and back because I didn't want to hear my kid complaining about the brutal elevation gains on the old trail. We lucked out and had a clear, beautiful, sunny view. This won't always be the case and depending on the time of year you may not see much of anything at the top so plan accordingly and be mindful of the weather. We left a sticker and a heart shaped rock we found along the way in the mailbox before we hiked back. It's a fairly challenging hike if you are t in excellent shape- but it's doable if you use the new trail. Pack plenty of water and snacks and something to leave in the mailbox.

Mailbox is a niche hike that's pretty well known around here but not for the views. One of the…read morehardest single day hikes in Washington, it's usually foggy up there but even when it's not, the view isn't all too exciting compared to other trails, well except for the mailbox. As a moderate hiker (once a month or so) in 2018, I was able to push through in 5 hours round trip. Four years later, I tackled Mailbox with only one hike beforehand in the previous 6 months and it took about 5 hours and 40 minutes. Went through the old trail and it's steep to the point where you'll likely feel your calves burning the whole way due to the flexion of your foot. As you enter the trailhead, the first Mailbox sign will be the new trail which is longer but overall easier because it's not a full incline hike. Go further and you'll find the old trail. Once you clear the forest, you'll see tons of boulders and rocks. Hopeful it's the end, you also won't see much in yet and you've still got a chunk of rock climbing left. Completing the hike will probably net you nearly a days worth of calories so you can feast afterwards. Pack some electrolytes, they're saviors. Our party of three hiked this on a collective 4 hours of sleep and some Gatorade was super helpful alongside caffeine. My quads started cramping near the boulders and it made this hike one of the worst I've experienced, but we managed to push through. With my experience, I highly recommend electrolytes because I had some Gatorade and a banana already yet was still dying. Push through to brag to your friends.

If you want a magnificent view or a short hike this place is a must in summer. I brought my baby…read morehere and now she's a grown up we need to visit again. But choose a day that is not crowded and early morning is the best time

Easy hike that ends with the most beautiful view! Might be tricky on the weekend with parking but…read morewe came on a Friday morning and the entire lot was empty. I recommend hiking boots especially on a gloomy day because it does tend to be a little slippery especially going downhill. Everyone was extremely friendly and just let people pass if you feel like you can't match their pace!

Poo Poo point is an amazingly beautiful trail in the West Tiger Mountains Trails. The view from the…read moretop is outstanding and can be chilly depending on the day and time of year. The trail is fairly wide and varies in terrain. Taking the long way up to Poo Poo point, which is a small trailhead by Issaquah High School, and you have a much quieter route. Approximately 3 miles to the top, across a couple bridges and a few switch backs. Also, possible bear sightings on this route. Wear a bear or carry pepper spray, which I do. Once at the top you bc an either go down the front or back the way you came. I took the trail downhill and dang. It was super steep. Like ridiculously steep. If you decide to take the popular crowded way be prepared for crowds on a single lane trail covered in boulders. Also, very steep and plenty of switchbacks. Stay hydrated and happy trails. SYOY.

Hike is about 4 miles long. Ideal hike should be when there is sun outside and clean sky - most…read morelikely you'll be able to spot people who fly on parachutes on top of the mountain. Great view. 10/10

This hike will forever be known in our family as "That one where you accidentally took us up and…read moredown a mountain." A friend and I HIKE with our kids. She had chosen this one because it was said to be "good for kids." So we packed off with our (collectively) 8 kids - ranging in age from 2.5 to 10 years. To be fair - the kids did fine. There was some whining of course, but given they were with friends, they kept the meltdowns to a minimum..... so I guess the "good for kids" label wasn't completely inaccurate. We had heard that the 2.5 mile hike had 400 ft inclination - this was not entirely true.... the 400ft inclination began at the 1.5 mile loop.... with 400ft inclination ADDITIONALLY to get to the loop....for anyone not interested in math.... THAT'S STEEP! So we basically packed 8 kids up and down a mountain. The 2.5 year old desperately wanted to walk..... she made it about 1/4 of a mile and then ended up in a carrier. The 4 year old trooped on with the incentive of lollipops. The rest of the kids (aged 6-10) were fine. The bottom line - it was a sweet and memorable hike. We were so proud of all the kids. It maxed us out and we might as well have done the Little Si hike to get the view at the end. I'd recommend it as an add on for someone wanting a bit more of the Little Si hike. Hiking poles are not a bad idea. But for someone looking for a "good for kids" hike - there are other options in the area that might be less intense.

Came here on Memorial Day Monday, didn't quite see the fork off of Iron Horse Trail so ended up…read moredoing Olallie and came on Cedar Butte on the way back. Got to the parking lot around 7AM, not many cars but saw many people on the way down from Cedar Butte. The view at the top of Cedar Butte was just okay, there was a small clearing between trees to see the view but otherwise can't really see anything.

Such a hidden gem! I agree with the previous reviews, it was quite hard to find/navigate. There is…read moreabsolutely no signage for "Cedar Butte" but we were able to figure it out by asking people where they were coming from. That is the only reason for 4 stars, plus the bugs. I was surprised it was so buggy for a hot summer day in the 70's. It's in the middle of the forest though. The hike took us only 2 hours to complete, with a few stops and a small pup who hates to walk. It was very easy up until the trail leading into the forest. That was a bit more moderate, except it was easy since it was only for about 30-40 minutes of incline. The viewpoint is small, and only one group can have an optimal view with social distancing. However the trail is definitely a hidden gem and has less traffic. Overall I think it was a beautiful, easy and quick hike! I wanted to share some helpful directions to help navigate: Parking - The Rattlesnake ledge lot leading up to it is packed, but luckily this has a bit more space. Plug "47.43246, -121.76654" into your GPS and it'll take you directly to the Cedar Butte lot. When I had input "Cedar Butte Trailhead" into my GPS originally it took me elsewhere. After you park and head to the trailhead you'll see a sign for Iron horse trail. Head that way by taking that first right. You'll come to a clearing with a dirt road, look straight and you'll see a narrow path to follow. It'll bring you to another clearing of a dirty road then make a left. Walk until you see a waterfall/river and cross that bridge. Quickly after make your first right up the narrow path. Eventually you'll come to a fork, take a left. Then you'll eventually see signage for the summit. Follow that and you'll be there in the next 10 minutes!

Fantastic area to walk/hike (mild) near Bellevue/Issaquah/and Renton. This is just one of more than…read moreone trailhead and/or entrance to the Coal Creak area. There is also some entry to the Tiger Mountain area. If you take the Red Town trail, then you can view parts of the old coal mine (I mean, really, "parts," like very minimal parts - but still very cool - one thing not minimal is the giant maw that signals an air shaft); and there is a lovely waterfall - particularly if you consider it's about five minutes from the road - that's pretty awesome. The trail is well maintained, and the parking lot does get full, yet we did not find it "crowded" on the trail, per se. Highly recommend.

Very busy trail specially during the weekends. This is where most people park when going on a hike…read morefor Coal Creek Falls or North Folk Falls. So, this hike area is for all types of hikers: novis and advanced. Small children are ok with this hike. Lots of early morning runners too. And of course feel free to bring your furry friends We got here before 8am to find a parking spot, at 10am it was fully packed. So consider that. Oh! And also don't leave valuables in your car, sadly this area is famous for car break ins. Other than that the views are pretty!!! Coal Creek Falls are pretty (but crowded) and the Cougar Mt Lookout is small but worth it. Enjoy!!!