I prefer to hike with a destination. Knowing that I am moving toward something ... and the Talus Rocks on Tiger Mountain are definite crowd-pleasers when it comes to young hikers. You can climb on and walk between giant, moss-covered boulders. You can peer into caves and find trees growing right into and around the rocks.
The trail starts at the Tradition Plateau Trailhead on Tiger Mountain. Take I-90 to exit 20, turn right onto the frontage road paralleling the interstate. Travel less than a mile on a very bumpy road to get to the parking lot. Actually there are a lot of great family-friendly hikes starting from this trailhead. Be sure to check the map near the bathrooms to get your bearings.
The route to Talus Rocks starts on West Tiger Mountain #3 which starts out wide and flat but don't be fooled because the trail actually gains almost 600 feet over the course of a mile. With kids you'll need to take it slow and move aside for faster hikers because this is a popular trail. We played 20 questions and took several water breaks, which prevented any whining from our five year old. She did ask several times if we were there yet but never really complained.
The next leg of the trip takes you across the mountain on the Talus Rocks (Connector) Trail. This was trail is considerably narrower and less traveled. It meagers along and allows for some upclose foliage investigating. I've also hear reports of a waterfall on this trail, but we didn't see it. This trail takes you to a flat clearing just above the rocks. You'll take stairs down to the rocks, and there's another great level spot that's perfect for a picnic snack.
We spent a lot of time exploring the rocks - climbing up to look down and making our way down to walk in cracks between the giant rocks and to explore the caves.
After you've taken about 150 photos (what? am I the only one?) and seen all there is to see of the rocks, you'll head down the mountain along Nook Trail which leads to Bus Trail - both of which are clearly marked. This part of the hike was my daughter's favorite because it was downhill, and as a result, we made excellent time and arrived back at our car in very good spirits.
PARKING: You'll need a Discover Pass to park in the lot; you can park along the frontage road (and walk a little further) without the pass.
DISTANCE: about three miles
TIME: 2 hour hike (more or less depending on how much time you spend exploring the rocks)
FAMILY-FRIENDLY: Great trail for school aged kiddos; younger ones will need to be carried. My (almost) six year old walked the entire trail. We carried our three year old in a backpack.
Please add this to your list of family activities ... it's FREE, fun, and educational!
*We did this hike on Father's Day 2013 and found a large number of tent caterpillars along the trail - on the ground, leaves, tree stumps, our clothes, ... they were everywhere!
If you're looking for an easier, short hike that leaves from the same trailhead, check out Swamp Monster Trail which includes a series of story boards to read along the way!
