Wilderness Creek (Cougar Mountain)
pnwhikes > Central Cascades > Issaquah
The route to Wilderness Peak on Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park follows Wilderness Creek and circles Shy Bear Marsh. This hike, along with others on Cougar Mountain, is a network of hikes with many possible routes. The route we have outlined for you begins with 1.5 miles on Wilderness Creek Trail (E6.) The trail is narrow and fairly steep at times. It then follows Long View Peak Trail (S4) for 0.4 miles and then Deceiver Trail (S3) for 0.9 miles where it descends Long View Peak and crosses a valley before ascending again up a lower peak. The trail then heads east on Shy Bear Trail (S2) for 0.8 miles where it passes Shy Bear Marsh on the right. At Shy Bear Trails terminal, the route follows Wilderness Peak Trail (E4) for 0.4 miles to the top of Wilderness Peak. There is nothing to see from here, so dont expect any grand views. At this point, you retrace your steps for a bit to get to Wilderness Cliffs Trail (E5) which you follow for 1.3 miles. The end of this section is fairly steep as you head down Wilderness Peaks cliffs. The path then rejoins Wilderness Creek Trail heading south back to the trailhead. The trail switches from light alder forest to heavy coniferous forest and back again as it switches from steep uphill hiking to steep downhill hiking. Many wooden bridges and pathways make crossing streams or marshy areas easy. This is the perfect workout hike as it takes you up and over several sub-peaks of Cougar Mountain. For a shorter hike skip the Long View Peak and Shy Bear Marsh and go straight to Wilderness Peak Trail from Wilderness Creek. Make sure and print out a map from the link below to take with you on your hike.
| Type | Length | Difficulty | Rating | Gain |
| Forest | 6.2 mi | 2 / 5 | 7.8 / 10 | 1750 ft |
|
User Groups
Hikers, Dogs Accessibility Year round Permits No permits needed, parking is free |
|
Driving Directions:
From Seattle, east on I-90 to exit 15. Right (south) onto Highway 900 for 3.1 miles to trailhead on the right.
Contact Information:
King County Parks and RecreationParks and Recreation Division
Tel: 206.296.8687
http://www.kingcounty.gov/parks
Books
Beyond Mount Si
Maps
Green Trails #203S Cougar Mountain
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