Cougar Mountain: Red Town Trailhead

Hike in Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park. It's close to the city and in the Snoqualmie foothills with terrain varying from gravel to single track trails, all in second growth forest. The Coal Creek Falls loop is a popular, short, easy day hike. There are also many options for longer out-and-back and loop trips to explore further into the park from this trailhead. Dogs on a leash are welcome.

Temporary Closure

The road in front of the Cougar Mountain Red Town trailhead (Lakemont Boulevard SE/Newcastle Golf Club Rd) will be closed from October 24, 2023 until June 2024.  There may be delays entering and exiting the Red Town Trailhead during peak construction activity. Access may also be restricted for short periods to allow for the safe delivery of equipment and material. Access to the Coal Creek Trail from Lakemont Boulevard may also be limited during construction. For more information about the closure, including a detour route, please visit the Lakemont Boulevard Culvert project page.

getting there

From I-90 Eastbound, take Exit 13, the Lakemont Boulevard SE exit and turn right. Drive south for 3 miles. Just before the road curves, turn into the Red Town Trailhead (650 ft).

From I-405, take Exit 10 and follow Coal Creek Parkway east for 2.4 miles to the shopping center. Turn left at the light onto SE 72nd Place. At the stop sign, turn left onto Newcastle Road, which turns into Lakemont Boulevard SE. Continue on Lakemont to the Red Town Trailhead (650 ft). 

on the trail

Hike to Coal Creek Falls  from the Red Town Trailhead or make it a loop. This popular loop is 4 miles with 200 feet of elevation gain. There are plenty of options to extend this hike to other destinations from this trailhead including Doughty Falls, Long View Peak, and Far Country Falls.

  • Difficulty: *Varies*
Map
  • Green Trails Cougar Mtn No. 203S
Activities

Upcoming Activities

Intro to Trail Running: Frontcountry - Uphill and Downhill Running - Coal Creek Falls Loop

Trail Running Field trip: Introduction to Trail Running: Frontcountry
We will be running favorite route of mine that I call the Cougar Tour de
Difficulty: *Varies*
Thu, May 9, 2024
No Prerequisites
4 participants 1 instructor
Registration opens Apr 1; Instructor registration open now
Foothills Branch
Rich Leggett
Trip Reports
Titles

This is a list of titles that represent the variations of trips you can take at this route/place. This includes side trips, extensions and peak combinations. Not seeing a title that fits your trip? Log in and send us updates, images, or resources.

  • Coal Creek
  • Coal Creek Falls
  • Coal Creek Falls Loop
  • Doughty Falls
  • Long View Peak
  • Far Country Falls
  • De Leo Wall
  • Wildside Trail—De Leo Wall
  • Cougar Mountain Loop
Resources

There are no resources for this route/place. Log in and send us updates, images, or resources.