The Let's Go! Three Kid-friendly Hikes in Issaquah Guide is
sponsored by Three Moons Midwifery.
When it comes to hiking with kids, motivation is the key! With stories to read along the way, kids are sure to keep moving. And the chance to explore big rock formations and even some "caves" is a big enough pay off to make the distance worth every step!
PRETZEL TREE TRAIL
Hiking. While reading. In search of a tree named after a snack. Pretzel Tree Trail is a great family-friendly LOCAL hike! The trail is located at Squak Mountain State Park, and you will need a Discover Pass for parking. The trailhead is on the left side of the parking lot. The first part of the trail is shared with another trail; you'll cross over an access road and see the sign for Pretzel Tree Trail. This is a loop trail, so no back-tracking, and it's less than a half mile, a very manageable distance with little ones. The restrooms are located in the parking lot.
It's an easy hike, but be aware that some debris covers the trail after winter winds and snow. What makes this trail really special are the storyboards you'll find along the route. You can read all about the adventures of Field Mouse as he meets local forest creatures and discovers their importance in the ecosystem on his search for the Pretzel Tree ... which looks more like a braided pretzel rod than a twisted pretzel.
LOCATION: Exit 15 - Squak Mountain State Park; Eastbound on I-90. Take Exit 15 (17th Ave NW / WA 900). Turn right (South). After going through town, road is renamed Renton-Issaquah Road SE. At 4 miles from Interstate, turn left on SE May Valley Road. Drive 2.5 miles to the large entrance sign for Squak Mountain State Park on your left.
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 one mile
TIME: about a 1 hour hike at a leisurely pace
BONUS TIP: The parking lot area also provided plenty of entertainment for my two little hiking companions. There are picnic tables for snacking, and the landscaping lends itself to games of hide-and-seek or try-to-find! I would also suggest a stop in downtown Issaquah for lunch at Flying Pie Pizza or a treat from Small Cakes.
SWAMP MONSTER TRAIL
My husband loves to hike. My daughter loves to read. And, well, I like to do both! Fortunately - for all of us - there's the Swamp Monster Trail! What I would classify as the one of the best kid-friendly hikes in our area because it's easy and entertaining! 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. The Swamp Monster Trail is to the right and beneath the power lines heading downhill. There is a great wood-carved sign to mark the entrance (see photo). The hike is about a mile roundtrip.
Along the trail, you will find a series of seven storyboards which read very much like a children's book. That's probably because it was written and illustrated by middle school students. It's the story of Zoe the raccoon and a scary night she spends in the wetlands of Tiger Mountain. Zoe heads there on a dare to face her fear of a rumored swamp monster and ends up making new friends. (There's also a Parent Guide pamphlet at the start of the trail.)
The trail is clearly marked and well-maintained. The scenery is lush and green. We did encounter some wildlife ... mainly just slugs and birds, though. Looking for the next sign, the next page in the story, was very motivating to our young hiker! After the final story sign, this trail leads to another and matches up to a loop, if I remember correctly. However we stopped at the end to eat a snack on a fallen log and then turned around. On the way back to our car, oldest insisted we read the story backward. In all it took about 60 to 90 minutes, and we certainly were not in a hurry.
LOCATION: Exit 20 - Tradition Plateau Trailhead on Tiger Mountain
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 one mile with the possibility of extensions
TIME: 2 hour hike (more or less depending on how much time you spend exploring the rocks)
BONUS TIP: If you don't want to add distance to the hike, turn around
TALUS ROCKS ON TIGER MOUNTAIN
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. 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 up close 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. 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. This is a 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.
LOCATION: Exit 20 - Tradition Plateau Trailhead on Tiger Mountain
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: just about 1.5 miles roundtrip
TIME: 2 hour hike (more or less depending on how much time you spend exploring the rocks)
BONUS TIP: You'll take stairs down to the rocks, and there's another great level spot that's perfect for a picnic snack.
