| Tiger Mountain | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 3,004 ft (916 m) NAVD 88[1] |
| Prominence | 1,644 ft (501 m)[2] |
| Coordinates | 47°29′17″N121°56′49″W / 47.488096836°N 121.946962119°W /47.488096836; -121.946962119[1] |
| Geography | |
  Tiger Mountain Location of Tiger Mountain in Washington | |
| Location | Issaquah,Washington, US |
| Parent range | Issaquah Alps |
| Topo map | USGS Hobart |
Tiger Mountain is a mountain in theU.S. state ofWashington. It is at the center of theIssaquah Alps, a small range in theEastside region ofKing County, Washington southeast ofSeattle. The mountain is largely encompassed by the Tiger Mountain State Forest and has several recreational areas used for hiking,mountain biking, andparagliding.
The mountain has six peaks in the center of theIssaquah Alps, forming a 13,500-acre (55 km2) triangle betweenInterstate 90 (I-90) on the north,Issaquah-Hobart Road on the southwest, andState Route 18 (SR 18) on the southeast. Immediately to the west isSquak Mountain followed byCougar Mountain, while to the southeast are McDonald and Taylor Mountains, andRattlesnake Ridge.
Tiger Mountain State Forest was established in 1981. In 1989, the entire Issaquah Plateau in the northwest corner was designated as aconservation area, the West Tiger Mountain Natural Resources Conservation Area, accessed by a large trailhead at Exit 20 on I-90. It is 13,745 acres.
A popular trail leads to the bald summit of West Tiger #3, with a panoramic view ofSeattle and points to the south and east. It is a 6.2-mile (10.0 km) hike, round-trip, with an elevation change of about 2,000 feet (610 m). The nearby peaks of West Tiger #2 and West Tiger #1 provide essentially the same view, but with fewer obstructions.
State Route 18 runs between Tiger and Taylor mountains, reaching an elevation of 1,375 feet (419 m). This stretch of the highway is commonly referred to as the "Tiger Mountain Summit" in local traffic reports. Another major trailhead is located at this summit. The trail provides access to South Tiger Mountain with limited views, Middle Tiger Mountain with a 45-degree window looking down on the Cedar Hills Landfill, and East Tiger Mountain with a panoramic view south towardMount Rainier.
Many trails on Tiger Mountain have wide beds and slope very gently because they are built on the remnants of 1920s logging railroads, long after the rails and crossties were salvaged in theGreat Depression. Near Middle Tiger Mountain is the site of a fatal 1924 train wreck where artifacts can still be seen.
In the most remote part of the forest, 15 Mile Creek (a tributary ofIssaquah Creek) arises in the pass between East and West Tiger. The creek carves a miniature "Grand Canyon" throughsandstone.Much of Tiger Mountain is owned or managed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.[3]
The popularTradition Lake loop trail is located on the northwest edge of the mountain. It is accessible via the High Point trailhead off ofInterstate 90 in Washington.
Poo Poo Point is a bare ridge on the west side of Tiger Mountain. The point is a popular launching point forparagliding andhang gliding.[4] The point is reached by the Chirico Trail, which starts at the landing zone for the hang gliders and paragliders in a field adjacent to the Issaquah-Hobart Road, or by taking the High School Trail which begins on 2nd Avenue just south ofIssaquah High School. Many people fly year-round (weather permitting) and have flown cross-country flights exceeding 75 miles (121 km).[5]
In the 1970s, the area was owned byWeyerhaeuser and used for logging. The name "Poo Poo" Point came from the sound of the logging steam whistles. In 1976, the clear-cut area started to be used byhang gliders as a launching spot. Gliders would be taken up the hill on the logging road.[6]
Poo Poo Point got its start as a paragliding destination in the 1990s.[7][8][9]
While there have been a significant number of paragliding incidents, there have not been any paragliding fatalities on Tiger Mountain. However, in 2008, Eric Jansen died of natural causes while paragliding from Tiger Mountain.[10] In 2011, Ken Blanchard died in a neighboring valley while on a cross-country flight.[11] Poo Poo Point is currently the most popular spot forparagliding inWashington.[citation needed]
Some Seattle-area radio station transmitters are on Tiger Mountain's west face. These include:
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
