Rattlesnake Lake photo by Atomic Taco
Issaquah Alps Trail Club (IATC) mission is to be a voice for protection of the open spaces, trails, and quality of life and to act as custodian of the trails and the lush, open, tree-covered mountaintops known as the Issaquah Alps.
About Issaquah Trail Club
The Issaquah Alps Trails Club (IATC) has always been more than a hiking club. Founded in May, 1979, they are advocates for the lush mountains, valleys, rivers, and streams in the Issaquah Alps region. IATC is dedicated to the protection of Wild Lands and quality of life. To educate and involve the public, they build trails and offer multiple free guided hikes every week of the year.
From its earliest days, the club has been a voice for the protection of not only trails but the open spaces through which they run. The club achieved massive victories with the creation of Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park and Tiger Mountain State Forest and the many fold expansion of Squak Mountain State Park. The club has official appointed advocates for each region in and around the Issaquah Alps.
The advocacy work of the club is ongoing, and takes many forms: Protecting public open space and parks from improper use and the impacts of nearby development, negotiating and working with developers to secure trails and open space within their projects, and working with public agencies and private landowners to secure more acreage for the parklands in and around the Issaquah Alps. IATC always seeks more help and more voices. The more people who speak up for the protection of trails and open space, the stronger and more effective our collective voice will be.
Free hikes with IATC
Coal Creek Falls foot bridge with falls in background photo by Walter Siegmund (CC2.5)
IATC offers free guided hikes to Cougar Mountain, Grand Ridge, Issaquah, Middle Fork (Snoqualmie River), Preston, Raging River Basin, South Fork (Snoqualmie River), Squak Mountain, Rattlesnake Ridge, Taylor Mountain, and Tiger Mountain.
Each hike has a number and letter designation to indicate hiking time and elevation gain. More difficult hikes or hikes in wilderness areas can be found in the IATC digital newsletter which is sent to all those with IATC membership.
Always bring or wear the following hike equipment: Water, Food (lunch + snack), Rain-Gear (even if the forecast is sunny), Warm Clothes (even if the weather is warm), Hiking Footwear.
In addition, consider packing the “ten essentials”, which make it possible for you to respond positively to an accident or emergency and for you to safely spend a night (or more) out in the wilderness. You will never fully appreciate the Ten Essentials–until you really need one of them: http://issaquahalps.org/HikesEvents/10Essentials
Check the hike schedule on their website for upcoming hikes: http://issaquahalps.org/HikesEvents/Schedule.
But wait, there’s more!
- See our list of free apps and online maps for walking tours of Seattle.
- For something different, try Walking labyrinths in Washington State.
- Here’s a list of 101+ always free things to do for fun.
- Find free and cheap things to do every day on the Greater Seattle on the Cheap event calendar.
- Visit the Greater Seattle on the Cheap home page and choose from a menu of free and cheap activities in the Puget Sound region.
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admin says
We have no idea, you will have to check the schedule at Issaqush Trails Club: http://www.issaquahalps.org. They seem to post their hike schedule about 1 month ahead, so you should be able to check in December.
Anne London says
I am coming to Seattle at the end of January and would love to hike with a group while my husband is working. Will your group offer hikes that time of the year? If not, is there another contact? Thanks so much!