As well as being one of the most heavily used trail areas in the state, Tiger Mountain is also a jewel of the Mountains to Sound Greenway and one of Issaquah’s most famous natural treasures.
Its trails bring visitors through the remains of old growth forests left over from Tiger Mountain’s logging past. Tiger Mountain has 65 miles of trails and 29 miles of gravel roads and the constant usage of these trails and roads causes them to erode over time.
Like the rest of the Issaquah Alps, Tiger Mountain is also a living testimony to Issaquah’s heralded pioneers of conservation, the spirited determination to protect the wondrous surroundings of the I-90 corridor, an ethos which spawned important groups like the Issaquah Alps Trails Club, the Mountaineers, and secured a stretch of land as public open space from the Seattle waterfront to the Snoqualmie Pass and beyond, known as the Mountains to Sound Greenway.
The Greenway Trust partners with cities such as Issaquah and all government and community stakeholders to not only keep areas like Rattlesnake Lake, Tiger Mountain and the Snoqualmie River free from development, but to also make them safe and accessible to the public. To do this, they need your help, and so stage a regular program of trails and parks restoration events, giving the people that love the outdoors the chance to contribute to its preservation.
Sept. 25 is a special day – National Public Lands Day. The Greenway is urging all residents to celebrate the incredible beauty of areas like Tiger Mountain by getting out and amongst it, helping to repair some of the damage caused to trails by such heavy use.
Volunteers at Tiger Mountain will work together to help repair overused trails by resurfacing, brushing, and fixing drainage issues. They will keep the trails in good shape so people can continue to come back each year to enjoy the mountain’s beauty.
The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust will provide tools and project supplies. No experience is required. Participants must wear long pants, work/hiking boots, and bring a lunch and water. Volunteers must be 14 years or older to participate.
For more information, or to register for half- and full-day shifts, visit www.mtsgreenway.org, or contact Mountains to Sound Greenway Volunteer Coordinator Margaret Ullman at 206-812-0122, or margaret.ullman@mtsgreenway.org.
For more information about National Public Lands Day, contact Kelly Heintz of the Department of Natural Resources at 425-466-6145, or e-mail kelly.heintz@dnr.wa.gov.
