Grand Ridge Park - Water Tower Loop

Perched high on a hill in the Issaquah Highlands, Grand Ridge Park offers hiking opportunities for both residents of the neighborhood and visitors. 

A network of trails crisscrosses the park, including one that WTA worked on for 11 years to create, coming in from the north end of the park near Duthie Hill. But our newest addition to this park is the 3.3 mile Watertower Loop trail. 

Beginning from Harrison, walk down Grand Ridge Drive for less than a quarter mile to a turnoff to your left. Step onto real trail and into the forest here. 

It's largely second-growth hemlocks and western redcedars here, with a low understory. The trail rolls through the landscape here. It's about a ten minute walk from the trailhead to your first major junction. Here, turn right, staying on trail as it climbs gradually through the same forest. 

It winds around and through the park's east side. After another 15 minute walk, you'll arrive at the trail WTA built. Washington Trails Association constructed much of the loop, starting at this junction. You'll enjoy the fruit of thousands of hours of volunteer labor from here on out. 

On this section of trail, you'll parallel an old road, now decomissioned, before turning away from the road after a mile and staying on the new trail as it curves around the west side of the park. It sweeps around to the south, passing the Watertowers that the loop are named for, before heading another mile to the southwest, closing the loop and returning to the short branch that connects back with Grand Ridge Drive.