Description

With a maze of perfectly built trails, the area around Cougar Mountain is one of the best hiking spots near Seattle.

All of the trails are excellent, but the Red Town Trail is arguably the most famous of the lot, and hiking it is a great way to start exploring the area. There is a designated parking lot for the trail and it's only a short drive from Bellevue, Seattle and Mercer Island, so there are no logistical issues to solve.

Make a short drive, park up and set off to explore peaceful, forested trails - couldn't be much simpler! Once you've hiked the Red Town Trail it's possible to return the same way, but dropping onto the Wildside Trail and following this back to the parking lot is a great way of turning the hike into a loop.