Total Ascent: 800ft
Highest Point: 1100ft
Total Distance: 5.5 miles
Location: N 47° 32.0760, W 122° 7.7220
Difficulty: Easy
Lingering holiday obligations kept us from venturing too far from home this week. Instead, we headed out to Cougar Mountain and the Red Town Trailhead to tour a different portion of the sprawling park. Cougar Mountain’s friendly greenery gives little indication of the industrial history of the area. The mountain has seen extensive mining and logging operations, with Coal Creek playing a leading role in the process. Today, with a little effort, one can still find the rusting artifacts, lingering cement foundations, and abandoned equipment of those bygone industries. More likely than not, a friendly interpretative sign will be nearby to put that decaying hunk of metal into its proper historical context.
With 36 miles of official trails and many more miles of “unofficial” or abandoned trails, there is a lot to see on Cougar Mountain. We mapped out a rough route taking us up to the De Leo Wall and past Coal Creek Falls, though it required hop-scotching between a surprising number of
trails. Fortunately, trails are coded and well signed, keeping confusion down to a minimum.We took the Wildside Trail towards De Leo Wall, a rocky outcropping that affords something of a view of the surrounding housing developments. Trails are well maintained by thousands of booted feet and an army of volunteers. Alders and hemlocks dominate the low forest riddled with streamlets and occasional bogs. On our way back down from the wall we hooked over to see the underwhelming Far Country Falls before pushing on to Coal Creek Falls. The Coal Creek Falls Trail is mild and contains few ups and downs, making it a perfect trail for the kids or trail running, both of which were in attendance on a rainy Sunday morning. The 25’ falls can make a good rest stop along the route or are a popular destination in and of themselves.
While not our usual high-adventure, Cougar Mountain does manage to have a little something t
o offer everyone – history, waterfalls, miles of trail, and accessibility for the whole family. Heck, there’s even a zoo. Proximity to the city means there will be a lot of folks to share the trail with, though it isn’t too difficult to head out to more remote parts of the park to find some peace and quiet. To get there, take I-90 to Exit 13. Head right up the hill on Lakemont Boulevard just over three miles. Look for the entrance to the Red Town Trailhead on the left side of the road. - Nathan
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3 Comments:
Beautiful waterfall...I look forward to seeing this in the spring or summer!
We did this hike yesterday with our two dogs. It had been years since I hiked this area...We had a wonderful time! Who would have thought that we'd be sitting on the ground in shirt sleeves and sun in Feb!
BUT, for a lady with girth and age issues this was not an easy hike. The hill up to the viewpoint and Quarry Trail up to the turn was a struggle for me. It was easy for my husband who bikes regularly. But...I did it and I'm stoked to do it again!
We are glad to hear you took a stab at this one - Cougar Mountain has a lot to offer, and not all of it is viewpoints and inclines. For instance, you can hit the Anti-Aircraft Trailhead and explore Coguar Mountain from top to bottom! Check it out here: http://www.hikingwithmybrother/2008/12/cougar-mountain-122108.html
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