Soaring Eagle Park

Soaring Eagle Park is 1 square mile of twisty, intersecting trails that all look alike. Fortunately for the directionally-challenged, there are maps posted at almost every intersection, so it's hard to get lost for very long.

Because it's relatively small in total area, Soaring Eagle Park is a great place to get a quick ride after work and it's fabulous for night rides. The trails are twisty, rooty and bumpy, but not overly difficult. The combination of size and technical difficulty make it a great place for both new and experienced mountain bikers to work on their singletrack skills.

How to Find It

1. From I-90 take the Issaquah Front Street exit.
2. Head North under the freeway onto E Lake Samamish.
3. At the second stop light, turn right onto Issaquah-Fall City Rd and head up the hill.
4. At the second stop light, turn left onto Issaquah-Pine Lake Rd.
5. Follow Issaquah-Pine Lake Rd to its end and turn right onto 228th Ave SE.
6. Continue on 228th Ave until you reach SE 8th St. Take a right on SE 8th St and follow it back (it dips down and curves north where the road turns into 244th Ave SE) until you come to E Main Drive.
7. Turn right on Main Dr and follow it to its end at the parking lot. (Road becomes E Plateau Dr along the way.)

To get to the alternative, southern entrance, follow the steps above up through #3.  Instead of turning left on Issaquah-Pine Lake Rd, continue onto Duthie Hill Road and turn left onto Trossachs Boulevard.  Go all the way to the end and park on the street.

Note that Soaring Eagle is almost directly north of Duthie Hill and Grand Ridge, making it possible to combine all three for a great suburban epic.

Typical Conditions

Nettles abound in mid to late summer. Bring long sleeves and tights! Can be quite muddy and technical in the wet months. Best in late fall, before the mud and after the nettles die back. No sustained climbing or decending, but you can get a great workout.

Turn by Turn

This park is used by trail runners, equestrians and mountain bikers alike, and all trails are open to all users (follow standard rules of right-of-way).

Refer to the King County trail map. Also, trail maps are posted at intersections--you can mix & match as you like.

The section between post 11 and post 3 on the north ("Iron Gate") is on private property and is poorly maintained.

You can reach Beaver Lake Park from Soaring Eagle Park if you head west from post 28.

Teddy's Trail heads off the plateau onto private property.