Welcome to Tiger Mountain, a popular multi-use recreation area that's seen an explosion of new trails and two-wheeled visitors. This loop details some the favorite trails, but there's even more to see. There are some sections of road climbs, but the continued addition of singletrack means the riding only gets better year-to-year. Get ready for some long pedaling to access tons of exhilarating descents!
1.) From the upper lot, start on the
Tiger Mountain Connector. You'll quickly link to the
Northwest Timber Trail on the other side of the road. If you parked in the lower lot, pedal up the road behind the yellow gate.
2.) Head up the
Northwest Timber Trail to reach the start of
Master Link on the left. This will take you for 2.5 miles of smooth and steady climbing that winds about through the trees. When you come to the road, cross over onto
Quick Link for an additional 0.5 miles of singletrack that ends on
Tiger Crossover Road 5500.
3.) Follow the crossover road for 0.3 miles past the entrance of
Predator until you come to a split. Take the right onto
Tiger Mountain Road 5570 then a quick left to climb on
Power Link. This is the steepest part of the road climb, but fortunately it isn't long. In roughly half a mile you're at the top.
4.) At the summit, take a breather and enjoy the views. Then charge into the
Summit Trail for 1.5 miles of pumps, flow, and fun. After the initial road crossing, you could cut right to
Off The Grid, but the rest of the
Summit Trail is worth keeping to the left.
5.) The end of the
Summit Trail feeds onto the
Preston Railroad Trail, but for this ride, turn left and connect back to Road 5500 instead. Keep straight at the next two intersections (unless you'd prefer to go back up and ride all of
Off The Grid). As mapped, climb to
Drop In just across from
Predator to cut in partway on
Off The Grid.
6.) The remainder of
Off The Grid serves up over a mile of aggressive flow that requires and rewards deft bike handling. There's some climbing, but most of the trail is downhill. Be aware of several dropping/lunging turns and a fair share of roots. The trail ends with a chunky exit onto Tiger Crosover Road 5500 near some picnic tables. This is a great place to regroup and rest for a bit.
7.) Once you're ready, continue onto
Fully Rigid for a tight, twisty, and awkward passage that you'll either love or hate. Up next, continue onto
Joy Ride for high embankments, vigorous undulation, tight turns, and recurring tech. All of these obstacles will confront riders to find the flow on this rough coaster ride that ends on the
Northwest Timber Trail.
8.) Turn right for a casual pedal to reach the two-way
Easy, Tiger. A little rolling terrain quickly leads to the top of
The Legend. Climb south till you reach a natural clearing and drop-in.
The Legend has similar pump-ability to the
Summit Trail, but it features more tech and three rock-rolls, two of which are mandatory. It's a fast and fun trail that ends on a road across from
Megafauna. If riders struggled here, skip
Megafauna and turn left up the road to catch
Easy, Tiger back up.
9.)
Megafauna gets straight to the point with a steep and narrow roll-in. It backs off at a few points, but much of the trail is made up of steep, brake-dragging turns. Watch the signature rock roll/drop as you head down this pushy trail. At the bottom,
Megafauna feeds onto
Easy, Tiger for a smooth but steady climb out. At the top, turn left to follow the
Northwest Timber Trail. It too is fairly casual, but there is one rootball-roll to watch out for.
10.) Back at
Master Link, it's time to assess your party. If anyone was overly taxed so far or is feeling exhausted, they should continue out. Either follow the
Tiger Mountain Connector or pedal up the road to ride the just the bottom of
Predator, beneath the Dr. Rockso Roll. Otherwise, follow
Master Link and
Quick Link to the right and retrace your steps from earlier in the ride. At the top of the singletrack, take the road to the entrance of
Predator on your left.
11.)
Predator begins with a moderately steep climbing trail that tops off in a small clearing. From there, it's a raucous 1.8 miles with a bit of everything including steeps, roots, and berms. Plan on having a blast, but don't expect things to be easy. All of
Predator is challenging, but probably the most formidable feature is the Dr. Rockso roll. This steep rock-roll exit onto the road was designed as a qualifying feature and to keep hikers off. Follow
Predator across the road for the remaining thrills before it spits riders into the parking lot.
Tiger Mountain is a multi-use recreation area near Seattle. In recent years, new trails and the continued work of Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance and WA Department of Natural Resources have produced a surge in Tiger Mountain's popularity. Starting in 2014, trails on Tiger Mountain were no longer closed seasonally, although they will be closed as conditions dictate.
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