- Issaquah Alps (summitpost.org)
The region known as the Issaquah Alps is a mountainous area of Washington State located east of the Seattle suburbs. The name “Issaquah Alps” is credited as being coined by Harvey Manning in 1976, and includes low-elevation mountains that face I-90 between Bellevue and North Bend. The major mountains of this area are Cougar Mountain on the western side, Squak Mountain and the various Tiger Mountain peaks (West Tiger, Middle Tiger, East Tiger, South Tiger) in the center of the area, and Rattlesnake Mountain on the eastern side of the area. Rattlesnake Mountain connects the Issaquah Alps to a section of the Cascade Mountains along I-90. Other major highpoints within the Issaquah Alps include Taylor Mountain, Grand Ridge, and Mitchell Hill.
Washington Trails Association
- Rattlesnake Ledge (wta.org)
This is a fine hike on a well maintained, albeit busy trail through the forest with views of the Cedar River watershed, Mount Si, Mount Washington, Rattlesnake Lake and Chester Morse Lake.
- Rattlesnake Mountain (wta.org)
If you’ve hiked to Rattlesnake Ledges and beyond from Rattlesnake Lake, this is a delightful alternative. Thanks to the handiwork of various groups in the outdoor community, hikers can now reach Rattlesnake Mountain from the west, starting from a trailhead at Snoqualmie Point.
- Squak Mountain’s East Side Loop (wta.org)
This 8 mile loop begins and ends in the heart of Issaquah. In the language of the native tribes, Ishquowh means “sound of water birds.” The raspy name of this mountain comes from the calls of the herons that migrate through this area in the spring and fall.
- Issaquah Alps (Wikipedia)
The Issaquah Alps is the unofficial name for the highlands near Issaquah, Washington, a suburb of Seattle, including Cougar Mountain, Squak Mountain, Tiger Mountain, Taylor Mountain, Rattlesnake Ridge, Rattlesnake Mountain, and Grand Ridge. The term was invented in 1977 by noted nature author Harvey Manning within the pages of his trail guidebook Footsore 1, elevating their status from foothills to “Alps” to advocate preservation. Manning himself lived on a developed section of Cougar Mountain in his “200 meter hut”.
