Central Cascades: I-90 Corridor

McClellan Butte

The McClellan Butte trailhead is accessed off of I-90 via Exit 42 - Tinkham Rd. Exit. It is a steep lovely hike with several different kinds of berries in the summer and 360 views from the top of the Butte on sunny days. At the trailhead there is a 20+ car gravel parking lot and a composting toilet. As of Nov. 2020 the toilet is closed and has a broken window that has been covered over with a black plastic bag. Many people have been selecting a bio spot within a 20 ft diameter behind the toilet. This is unfortunately evidenced by shining white wads of toilet paper. I highly suggest waiting 10 minutes and hiking to where the trail forks. If you go straight (instead of right as the sign indicates for the McClellan Butte trail) onto short cut to the John Wayne trail, it will be worth the wait. The short cut is very short and you quickly reach the Palouse to Cascades trail. If you look right (west) there is a lovely, very well kept, clean, composting toilet in the midst of 3 trail side camp sites. It even had hand sanitizer. Thank you for choosing to hold off for a few minutes to keep the woods clean!

Granite Mountain

Granite Mountain is a difficult, steep hike, but well worth the views. In the summer, the woods on the lower portion provide much needed shade, and there are fields of berries in the alpine area above. The granite is a shimmering, sparkling white against a deep blue northwest sky. On sunny days there is a lovely view of Red Mountain and Mount Rainier from the top. There is also a spectacular view from the backcountry toilet. It is located near the end of the trail, just before the final push which culminates the hike. The short walk from the trail is well worth the view, and the last handful of berries. There is also a composting toilet at the trail head.

Little Si, Mt. Si, and Teneriffe

Washington State has done a wonderful job improving the facilities for the three very popular hikes. The trailheads are quite close to each other. The parking lots have been paved and the restrooms are well cared for composting toilets. There are connecting trails which are well marked with signs and maps to make sure you are going the right way.

Little Si is the easiest of the three hikes...

Mount Si is a great hike to test your athleticism. It has a number of switchbacks with a challenging combination of elevation gain and mileage. The haystack at the top is a nice little scramble.

Teneriffe has 2 options. A very family friendly hike to the falls or a longer, greater elevation gain hike to the summit. The views from all three are fabulous on a sunny day. You can see all the way to Mt. Baker in the North and Mt. Rainier in the South.

Cougar Mountain

This is a lovely urban hike. I started at the southern end and entered via the Licorice Fern Trail. It travels through a ravine filled with ferns (go figure) and moss covered trees. After about a mile it ends at SE Licorice Way, which needs to be crossed to continue into Cougar Mountain proper. I continued on a delightful loop via Indian trail, to Far Country/Shy Bear Trail, turned back by way of a short stint on Fred's railroad Trail and back to Indian trial via Quarry. It was listed as a medium level trail and I agree it was just difficult enough to get my blood pumping without needing to stop and take a break. This is a very kid friendly area with many natural sights to take in. Nice wide smooth trails, lots of signage and maps. The one downfall was not a bathroom in sight. A lot of people use the trails, so not necessarily a good time to practice your latrine skills. There may be toilets on the northside of cougar mountain. Next time I will hike towards that area to check it out.

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