Issaquah Alps: Knowing Seattle's Wild Backyard

By Svet Semov, IATC Board Vice President

In the midst of our busy, digital-era lives, it’s easy to lose sight of the physical world we’re rooted in. But there’s no better way to connect with time and place than by getting to know the bioregion we call home.

Just outside Seattle lies one of the largest conserved wildland areas adjacent to a major metro area in the U.S.—the Issaquah Alps—a remarkable legacy made possible by decades of advocacy from the Issaquah Alps Trails Club and others.

In this article, we explore how these natural spaces came to be and the complex web of agencies that manage them today—from city, county, and state authorities to conservation programs and partnerships.

We also highlight the crucial advocacy efforts of local groups like the Issaquah Alps Trails Club, whose work has been instrumental in conserving these lands. We acknowledge that the Issaquah Alps lie within the ancestral lands of the Coast Salish people, who continue to steward and shape these landscapes today.

Below, we highlight four key land managers in the Issaquah Alps and some of their major areas of stewardship:

  • Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR): Tiger Mountain and Rattlesnake Mountain

  • Washington State Parks: Squak Mountain

  • King County: Cougar Mountain, Grand Ridge, Taylor Mountain, Rattlesnake Mountain, and parts of Squak Mountain (Cougar/Squak Corridor Park)

  • City of Issaquah: Tradition Plateau, Park Pointe, Talus Natural Growth Protection Area, and parts of Squak Mountain

 

Graphic courtesy of Svet Semov.

 

Cougar Mountain

Cougar Mountain is the closest section of the Issaquah Alps to Seattle. A large portion is conserved within Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park (CMRWP), which is managed by King County. The park was created in 1983 following advocacy from the Issaquah Alps Trails Club and the Newcastle Citizens Committee.

Parts of Cougar Mountain outside the CMRWP are managed separately by the City of Bellevue (north), the City of Issaquah (east/Talus), and the City of Newcastle (west).

Squak Mountain

On June 17, 1972, the Bullitt family—heirs to a prominent Pacific Northwest timber fortune—donated 590 acres on Squak Mountain to the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, designating the land “as a wilderness park.” Today, part of Squak Mountain is also included in the Talus Natural Growth Protection Area, managed by the City of Issaquah. King County also manages portions of the mountain (e.g., Margaret’s Way Trailhead, a.k.a. Cougar/Squak Corridor Park). Some trailheads begin on city land, continue onto county land, and finish on state park land (e.g., Squak Access Trail).

A Discover Pass ($30 annually) is required to visit all Washington State Parks by motor vehicle, including Squak Mountain State Park.

Tiger Mountain

Tiger Mountain is primarily managed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and includes two distinct areas: Tiger Mountain State Forest and the West Tiger Mountain Natural Resources Conservation (NRCA).

Tiger Mountain State Forest is a working forest, which is managed to generate sustainable revenue for public services. The adjacent NRCA serves a different purpose. Natural Resources Conservation Areas (NRCAs) are designated to "protect outstanding examples of native ecosystems and habitat for endangered, threatened, and sensitive plants and animals." 

A Discover Pass is required to visit Tiger Mountain. Learn more through the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

Grand Ridge Park

Grand Ridge Park is managed by King County and was created in 1996 through an agreement between the County, the City of Issaquah, and Port Blakely (developer of the Issaquah Highlands). The agreement stipulated that the Highlands would consist of 20% high-density urban zoning and 80% protected parklands, following hard-fought advocacy efforts led by IATC’s Ken Konigsmark.

Taylor Mountain

Taylor Mountain is managed by King County as a working forest, balancing environmentally responsible timber practices with habitat restoration and public recreation.

Rattlesnake MOUNTAIN

King County co-manages Rattlesnake Mountain Scenic Area in partnership with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Rattlesnake Ledge is one of the most popular hikes in the state.

A Discover Pass is required for parking at the Exit 27 entrance, not for the Rattesnake Ledge trailhead.

 

Photo courtesy of Chris Pribberry.

 

Learn more about IATC’s history of advocacy and current initiatives.

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