Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park

Big Tree Ridge Trail–Fred's Railroad Trail, 11 sights

15.7 mi · ▲ 1,735 ft · 6 hr 6 min

Big Tree Ridge Trail–Fred's Railroad Trail, 11 sights is a 15.7-mile out-and-back in Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park near Issaquah, WA. The route reaches Cougar Pass. It climbs 1,735 ft, with sections as steep as 22% grade. It scores 14/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi46 – 1,348 ft · steepest grade: 22%18.0 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Rainier Trail 47.51935, -122.02976
Nearest town Issaquah, WA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Big Tree Ridge Trail–Fred's Railroad Trail, 11 sights

15.7 mi · ▲ 1,735 ft · 6 hr 6 min

Elevation 47–1,348 ft

Out & Back · Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park

Trailhead: Rainier Trail · 47.51935, -122.02976

Weather Sep 21: sunrise 6:54 AM · sunset 7:10 PM

Transit-accessible: 2nd Ave SE & SE Nyberg Ln stop 19 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Rainier Greenway Trail, heading NW.
  2. 0.3 miTurn left, heading NW.
  3. 100 ftTurn right, heading N.
  4. 0.8 miTurn left, heading N.
  5. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  6. 50 ftSharp right, heading N.
  7. 0.2 miContinue straight onto East Lake Sammamish Trail, heading NE.
  8. 0.3 miTurn left, heading N.
  9. 0.2 miTurn left, heading N.
  10. 200 ftTurn right onto Pickering Multiple Use Trail, heading W.
  11. 0.5 miTurn right, heading NE.
  12. 50 ftTurn right onto Sammamish Multiple Use Trail, heading NE.
  13. 0.4 miBear left, heading W.
  14. 0.7 miTurn right onto Newport Way Trail, heading SW.
  15. 0.5 miTurn left, heading S.
  16. 0.5 miTurn left onto Big Tree Trail Old Steep Ridge Route, heading SW.
  17. 0.2 miTurn left onto Big Tree Ridge Trail, heading S.
  18. 400 ftTurn right onto Red Cedars Trail, heading SE.
  19. 0.3 miTurn right onto Surprise Creek Trail, heading SW.
  20. 200 ftTurn left onto No Name Trail, heading NW.
  21. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Shangri La Trail, heading S.
  22. 0.3 miTurn left onto Protector Trail, heading S.
  23. 0.3 miBear left onto Tibbetts Marsh Trail, heading SW.
  24. 0.1 miPass Cougar Pass.
  25. 0.2 miTurn right onto Cougar Pass Trail, heading W.
  26. 0.2 miTurn left onto Klondike Swamp Trail, heading S.
  27. 0.2 miTurn left onto Fred's Railroad Trail, heading SW.
  28. 0.5 miBear left onto Shy Bear Trail, heading W.
  29. 50 ftBear right onto Fred's Railroad Trail, heading W.
  30. 50 ftContinue straight onto Shy Bear Trail, heading W.
  31. 0.3 miBear right onto Whittaker Wilderness Peak Trail, heading SE.
  32. 50 ftSharp right onto Long View Peak Trail, heading S.
  33. 0.1 miBear left onto Ring Road Trail, heading S.
  34. 0.4 miReach Rainier Greenway Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  35. 0.4 miBear right onto Long View Peak Trail, heading S.
  36. 0.1 miSharp left onto Whittaker Wilderness Peak Trail, heading SW.
  37. 50 ftBear left onto Shy Bear Trail, heading SW.
  38. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Fred's Railroad Trail, heading NW.
  39. 50 ftBear left onto Shy Bear Trail, heading W.
  40. 50 ftBear right onto Fred's Railroad Trail, heading NW.
  41. 0.5 miTurn right onto Klondike Swamp Trail, heading NW.
  42. 0.2 miTurn right onto Cougar Pass Trail, heading W.
  43. 0.3 miTurn left onto Tibbetts Marsh Trail, heading N.
  44. 0.3 miBear right onto Protector Trail, heading NW.
  45. 0.3 miTurn right onto Shangri La Trail, heading N.
  46. 0.3 miContinue straight onto No Name Trail, heading E.
  47. 0.2 miTurn right onto Surprise Creek Trail, heading NE.
  48. 200 ftTurn left onto Red Cedars Trail, heading NE.
  49. 0.3 miTurn left onto Big Tree Ridge Trail, heading E.
  50. 400 ftTurn right onto Big Tree Trail Old Steep Ridge Route, heading NE.
  51. 0.2 miTurn right onto Big Tree Ridge Trail, heading SE.
  52. 0.5 miTurn right onto Newport Way Trail, heading N.
  53. 0.5 miTurn left, heading NE.
  54. 0.7 miBear right, heading SE.
  55. 50 ftContinue straight onto Sammamish Multiple Use Trail, heading SE.
  56. 0.4 miTurn left, heading SE.
  57. 0.5 miTurn left, heading NE.
  58. 150 ftTurn right, heading NE.
  59. 0.2 miTurn right onto East Lake Sammamish Trail, heading N.
  60. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Rainier Greenway Trail, heading E.
  61. 0.2 miTurn right, heading E.
  62. 250 ftSharp left, heading SE.
  63. 50 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  64. 0.8 miTurn left, heading SE.
  65. 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail surface

42% paved19% dirt4% boardwalk1% gravel34% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:54 AMSunset 7:10 PM

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: 2nd Ave SE & SE Nyberg Ln stop 19 m from the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from Rainier Trail Trailhead