May Hikes: 3 to 5.5 miles, 300 to 1,250 feet gain - Wildside Trail—De Leo Wall

9:00 AM at the Red Town Trail Head

From I-90 to the Red Town Trailhead: take Exit 13 and drive south on Lakemont Blvd SE for 3.1 miles. Look for the entrance to the Red Town Trailhead on the left side of the road just before the road bends sharply to the right.  Parking Pass = none

There are porta potties and maps available at the trailhead

Maps of the area are available here :  BCT_CougarMtn_brochure.pdf (kingcounty.gov)

This is a dog-friendly hike with room for up to 2 dogs.  You must contact the hike leader for permission if you'd like to bring your dog. Dog owners must commit to strict "Leash and scoop" principles.  Please familiarize yourself with dog-hiking etiquette before the trip:  Hiking With Dogs - The Basics — The Mountaineers. 

This is a great beginner hike onCougar Mountain in what is often referred to as the "Issaquah Alps".  You can find information about the route we will travel here: Wildside Trail-De Leo Wall — Washington Trails Association (wta.org)

We will begin hiking along the Wildside trail (W1)  crossing the bridge over Coal Creek, then along the Marshall’s Hill Trail where there will be  several gentle switchbacks, through some beautiful forested areas.  Next is the De Leo Wall Trail (W9) which will take us  up to the top of the ridge to the De Leo Wall “viewpoint”.  We then travel down from the ridge to  rejoin the Wildside Trail (W1) which we will follow along the wetlands and back to the trailhead. Bring a snack/lunch and plenty of water and dress in layers.  Hiking poles and sturdy trail shoes or hiking boots are strongly recommended.

We will hike at an easy pace with frequent check-in's with participants along the way, allowing time to learn about some of the local plants/trees, who the De Leo's were, and have a chance to socialize as well.

This hike will follow the Mountaineers hiking guidelines for COVID-19 that apply on the date of this trip.

All participants will be required to have a face covering ready to pull up at the trailhead, and will be asked to be familiar with and follow the Mountaineers Covid-19 guidelines for trip.

For the group's safety, every participant is asked to commit to conservative covid behavior  prior to the trip