Grand Ridge
Info
Grand Ridge is both an oldie and a new trail: while new residential development wiped out some of the trails we rode in the past, a new trail system has been under development by King County Parks and the WTA. (Check out wta.org for work parties.) You access it the same way as ever: by climbing up from I-90. The trail can also be accessed from the top of the Issaquah Highlands development.
The main trail winds north across Grand Ridge towards Duthie Hill Park.
This is a great XC work out, with great climbing practice. Plus, it can be linked with trails on the south side of I-90 to create longer loops. This trail connects with Duthie Hill Bike Park and 1 short mile of road riding to continue up to Soaring Eagle for a suburban epic.
The climb from I-90 up to the plateau is a grunt, but not too long. When coming from Duthie Hill, the long climb up to Grand Ridge Drive is even more of a grunt, and is pretty darn hard to clean on a single speed. With gears, it's still a fairly physical ride.
THIS TRAIL IS NOT AN OFF LEASH AREA.
The south end of the trail starts on the RR grade on the north side of I 90 between Exits 18 and 20, and the north end of the trail starts across from the south side of Duthie Hill park, on Issaquah Fall City Road.
For the south end, the best place to park is on Sunset way (I-90 Exit 18), just as you drive down into downtown Issaquah. The parking lot is on either side at the bottom of the ramp on Sunset Way. From the parking lot head north over I-90 on paved trail which becomes the gravel RR grade that heads east along the north side of I-90. After a mile or so you reach the first Grand Ridge trail that heads up the hill to the left.
For the north end, the best place to park is the Duthie Hill parking lot. The address is 26150 SE Issaquah-Fall City Rd, Issaquah WA 98029. Click here for a Google Map to the lot: http://goo.gl/maps/V1T0C. It's on Issaquah-Fall City Road just west Issaquah Fall City Road and Duthie Hill Road intersection.
There is also access to the Grand Ridge trail from two points in the Issaquah Highlands Central Park, one from the powerlines by the soccer fields, and another from the tennis courts. If you park by the tennis courts, ride south along the retention pond and find the trail at the south end. If you ride down the road under the power lines, just past the soccer fields you will find the trail on your left.
A third option for parking is at High Point (I-90 Exit 20), on the north side of I-90. But there have been a number of break ins there, so this lot is best avoided.
You can also join the trail from the Issaquah Highlands via Harrison Way and then Grand Ridge Drive to where it intersects the trail. DO NOT park on Grand Ridge Drive.
Check out this Facebook page for trail work party and advocacy info.
Ride Reports
It has been four and a half years since my last ride on the Grand Ridge trail and its side tracks. I met up with two buddies today for a lunch time ride starting at the Duthie Hill lot and going halfway to I-90 and looping back on the Water Tower Loop trail. The trail was in good, damp, shape and...
Still very dry, lots of loose rocks on the climbs, but no downed trees or anything. Good etiquette from MTBers and hikers alike. Riders were a good mix of full-lycra doing their XC training, rippers using it to get to Duthie, and some OGs having a good time.
On the long wooden bridg...
TBH don't think I'm rushing back here. This is mostly flat XC terrain with no tech and little flow. Also super crowded with noobs and groms. SMH, I almost hit some Chad who wouldn't yield the right of way and Karen's barking at me to give her dog more space. Hard pass here, there are better spots...
3 of rode Grand Ridge today and ran into a cougar, almost literally. The 1st person came around a corner and found the cat on the trail, inadvertantly chased the cat down the trail, where it jumped off the trail and stopped. He yelled loudly to both of us following, but the cat remain...
Whoever found my car keys near GR drive, and put them on a log so I could find them, I say: "Thank you so much."
Amazing how well GR rides even just a day after a big storm/rain.
Rode Grand Ridge north from the soccer field parking to Duthie and back. It's about 12 miles with 2000' of climbing so a nice ride, over about two hours. Dirt is perfect, though traffic was a bit heavy due to the weekend and heavily urban location. This is a better ride during the week, wit...
It was already raining when I left from Lower Soccer Fields parking in Issaquah Highlands about 7:45 AM. Trail was damp and getting worse with frequent mud holes. I did a few laps on Great Space Coaster and Flying Squirrel then back to Issaquah with a lap on Water Tower Loop. Great ride, fast and...
Parked at Sunset Way trailhead about 7:45 AM to minimize potential break in, and rode Issaquah-Preston Trail to Grand Ridge all the way to Duthie. Sessioned Space Coaster and Movin On a few times, tried Coal Mine Loop on the way back to Issaquah; whole ride was great, fast and flowy! Couple...
Did the full Grand Ridge out-and-back starting at Duthie this afternoon. The trail is almost entirely dry (maybe 2-3 spots with enough mud to leave a tire mark). Big thanks to whoever has done trail work there recently: there are new drainage ditches in the lower section that I'm sure will help k...
Rode from Duthie parking to grand ridge to water tower loop. Completed the loop then back to duthie and rode moving on and step it up. about 14 miles and 1.6K elevation gain. 4 riders total. Really nice weather and great trail conditions, maybe 2 puddles of mud.
A heads up - I ran into a cougar on the trail about midway up. He was pretty spooked and ran away. I was solo but there where a few people on the tail this evening. He was small and appeared to be emaciated.
Rode the new loop, first time in a while. The trails were great not too muddy, would recommend this as a great local place to ride after work.
Two trees are down aross the trail about 1.5 miles from Grand Ridge Drive. This is the first time I have ridden it in a few years so the trail is unfamiliar, but from my GPS it looks like it is abut 1.5 from Grand Ridge Drive. It looks like it is about 1.5 -2 miles from Iss...
First time back on Grand Ridge in a long time, since the new loop (more like a detour extension) had just opened. This was the first time I was able to include it all into the otherwise OAB from Duthie to the Grand Ridge drive crossing and back. The new trail seems like it flows nicely in e...
Rode Grand ridge on Saturday (Tax Day). Started from the High Point way exit, and climbed up the ridge from the south. Climb is well groomed and 100% ride-able. New 2 mile loop off main trail is in GREAT condition, with zero puddles or mud spots. I rode to the Duthie conne...
Rode from the north end (through Duthie) to the Grand Ridge Drive crossing and back. Saw only a few other riders the entire way, and found very good trail conditions throughout. No sloppy mud anywhere, just a few puddles and bruises on otherwise tacky hardpack.
Rode it today and the trail is in very good shape. Local crews have clearly been out and working...the majority of the trail has been blown off and al the drains have been opened. There was very little mud and water on the trail today. I got muddier riding up from the Sunset tra...
Started at the North end from Duthie Hill Park Saturday morning and about 3.4 miles in, a little ways past the 3rd bridge I had just about crested the hill and stopped for a moment to drink some water and take off my second shirt. I heard something off the trail and thought it was a bird or...
Rode from Duthie Hill on the north end to Issaquah Highlands and back, and found the trail tread overall to be in excellent shape: negligible mud/water, no dust... just tacky tarmac & hardpack. However, there are a few places with moderate to significant horse-induced damage, mostly on the...
Rode Grand Ridge on Friday and despite the drought, it's holding up like a champ, with only a few loose/marbly spots. This continues to be my favorite urban trail in the Seattle area. There was a big running event on Saturday so we'll see if the many footsteps made the trail better or worse.