Squak Mountain State Park

My Wife, Dogs and I love this place! Love the views from each mountain but really like this one and the trails are maintained well!

Oh my god, such a waste of my time… I guess I’ll start with the benefits, because the park did have some. The parking lot was pretty big, and I didn’t have any trouble finding a spot. Even for free hiking weekend, this trail was relatively empty — which is what I was hoping for. The trails and the park itself is in very good condition. No trash, no felled trees that are too hard to get over. There is some horse crap along the way that obviously doesn’t smell the best, but, you get over it. That covers the positives. The Central Peak «viewpoint» is a JOKE. I’m so mad I wasted my day here! You go through all of this incline and time to get to a small obscure spot, with blocked views and… RADIO TOWERS. Like… What?! This place was weird. About 20 mins from the «viewpoint» is this weird clearing where there’s a picnic bench and HUGE fireplace. But the fireplace has a sign in front of it indicating you’re not supposed to have fires at this spot. What’s the point of the fireplace then?! I came across another couple along the way that said the incline was «totally worth it,» so I’m thinking they probably picked one of the two other trails instead of Central Peak. My advice is to spend your day somewhere else, or make sure you don’t choose Central Peak.

Really nice place for hiking away from the crowds. We passed a huge group of cars and people over by Tiger Mountain and decided to come in here instead. We didn’t go up to the top so we didn’t get to see the disappointing tower. The tree cover was lush and the trail was mildly challenging. Some people mentioned it was confusing and easy to get lost, but we just followed the same trail and had no issues. Also, don’t ever leave belongings in your car anywhere.

Squak Mountain is the middle child between Tiger and Cougar — not as mature and developed as the big sib, not as fun-​for-​everyone as the little sib, just kind of… there. I think it’s great though. Check out the Double Peak Loop on the Washington Trail Association website. Steep but fun, and you get to see an old decaying homestead at the top!
For geology nerds: Cougar, Tiger and Squak mountains are not REALLY foothills of the Cascades; they are a distinct and much much older range of their own. The rounded tops give them away as coming from a different time than their craggy Cascade neighbors.

I love riding my horses on Squak Mountain! The trails can get a little crowded on the weekends so if you are riding, it’s good to find a time Monday through Friday when you can go, or try going early in the morning before the hikers come out in full force. The trails are well maintained and safe for horses with low to moderate rockiness on most parts of the trails. Squak Mountain is a good workout for your horse as it’s a fairly steep climb up using the switchback trails. A ride up the mountain and then back down again takes me and my horse 1.5 to 2 hours. If I am bareback, sometimes I walk my horse down. Multiple wooden bridge crossings over small creeks so make sure your horse is okay with that. Lots of dogs too, but people are pretty good about keep them on the leash and also giving horses the right of way. The parking lot at the trailhead is not very big, so if you can go when it’s not too busy, it will be easier to park your horse trailer. You need a DISCOVER pass ($ 30 for an annual pass – just buy one, it supports our parks system) or pay $ 10 for the day – there is a little box to put payment in at the trailhead.

Probably a lot prettier if you hike the trails but I wanted the most direct route to the summit and just hiked up the service road. Another summit for my daughter in the baby backpack was cool but it is a disappointing summit with no views. Three stars just because I love mountains in general and it is a nice place to get some fresh air and exercise.

A weak (easy) and pointless hike with all the loops built into the trail that doesn’t lead to anything cool to look at. There’s a service road we walked down from the «microwave» at the top that bypasses the entire trail system and back onto the main road. The only cool thing might be this old paved picnic area with a stone fireplace.

As far as day hikes go, my trek at Squak Mountain today was the most enjoyable yet.
Here’s how you get there:

There’s a small lot and street parking at the trail head on Mountainside Drive. While I can’t speak for the other trail heads, there were not public bathrooms or garbage cans at the start.
If you’re looking for an easy hike, follow Bullitt Trail. The majority of this trail is even, patted down dirt wide enough for three people to walk shoulder to shoulder. About midpoint on this trail you’ll come across an old chimney from the Bullitt homestead, which serves as a good lunch stop (1 picnic table, no garbage cans). Squak Mtn. as a whole is FAR less crowded than Cougar Mtn or Tiger Mtn, but if you encounter any other people on your hike it is likely they’re following Bullitt Trail, too.
Bullitt Trail will lead you to the central summit, which is frankly not that impressive. You won’t have any breathtaking views from the top of the mountain, but there are several large radio towers to mark the
this point, you can return the way you came OR choose to follow one of the many parameter trails to increase the difficulty.
Today we chose to follow Piper’s Creek Trail and the East Ridge Trail to return to the trail head. These trails are more narrow, at times uneven and definitely more rocky, which combined make a moderately difficult hike. While the views out over Issaquah and to the neighboring mountains are mostly obscured by trees, the scenery on either side of the trail is really pretty. Tipped over trees, moss covered boulders and rippling creeks make for a very picturesque walk. The parameter trails are marked with signs, but it can get a bit confusing, so I highly recommend bringing a trail map (which I did not have today, doh). We easily hiked for over three hours by following these various trails.
Overall, there are some switchbacks that will make your thighs scream, but for a quiet hike it is well worth it.

I would say the lower hike is great for children, but the grid amp for the trail system was horrible. The park ranger said a new map is in the process. The group I was with got lost and we circled the mountain for hours and then only to end up on the opposite side where we called the local police to pick us up, and they graciously did so we could get back to our cars 5 miles away. Thank you local Law enforcement for saving us!
My suggestion go out the way you came in!