Issaquah - city in Washington, United States

Issaquah is a city of 40,000 people (2019) in King County in the Puget Sound region of Washington State.

Get in

Bus: From downtown Seattle, take King County Metro routes 210, 214 and 215 or Sound Transit route 554 to the Issaquah Transit Center.

Car: Interstate 90 eastbound, take exit 15 or exit 17 (Front Street). The main east-west roads are Gilman and Newport Way. Front Street runs north-south through downtown.

Bicycle: Bike lanes run east-west along W Lake Sammamish Pkwy SE (north of I-90, preferred) and Newport Way NW (south of I-90). If coming from Sammamish, it is recommended you avoid the segment of Front Street/East Lake Sammamish between Gilman and SE 56th as there is no bike lane until you've crossed through one of Issaquah's busiest retail areas. (Alternate route takes you along the soft trail past this.)

Get around

Issaquah is best accessed by car, although bicycling is a viable option. Issaquah also has a network of hiking and walking trails which extend through the Gilman Blvd shopping district to Lake Sammamish State Park. It is possible to walk from Issaquah to Redmond, WA on this trail network.

Bicycle: Bike lanes run east-west on Gilman, though alternative routes (Newport Way, W. Lake Sammamish Pkwy -- see above) have less traffic. If you need to cross I-90, the best route is the pedestrian trail adjacent to 4th Ave NW. Front Street/Issaquah Pine Lake between Gilman and SE 56th street has extremely heavy vehicle traffic.

See

• Poo Poo Point, Chirico Trail (Landing Field/Chirico trailhead — from Interstate-90, take the Front Street exit (#17). Drive south on Front Street; follow Front Street until it turns into Issaquah-Hobart Road; the trailhead and parking lot is on the left side of the road, across from the blue Squak Mountain-Tiger Mountain Corridor sign; Issaquah High trailhead — from Interstate-90, take the Front Street exit; drive south on Front Street to Sunset Way and turn left; then right onto Second Avenue; the trailhead is located on the right, after you pass Issaquah High, just shy of the Second Avenue’s junction with Front Street; the small lot has room for about four cars). A viewpoint accessible by hike 2,000 ft above sea level. This is the take off point for parasailing operations in the area
• Olde Town (Front Street), Front St (From I-90, take exit 17, turn south onto Front St.), 47.535819°, -122.036425°. Historic downtown Issaquah is centered around Front Street, still known for it's mixture of art galleries, shops, unique restaurants and taverns, theaters, historical sites and museums, some dating back to the 1930s or earlier. Including the Issaquah Depot Museum, the Village Theatre, the library and city hall, it's where much of the festivities of Issaquah Salmon Days occur. 2021-12-13

Do

• Salmon Days. Held the first weekend of October, this large festival celebrates the return of the salmon up Issaquah Creek to the hatchery. Vendors, music and parades, in addition to viewing the salmon.
• Hiking the Issaquah Alps, consisting of nearby Cougar, Squak and Tiger Mountains.
• Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, 47.53508°, -122.12920°. Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park (CMRWP) is a over 3000-acre park with 36 miles of hiking trails (12 miles suitable for equestrian use). It showcases a variety of natural features from forests and waterfalls to meadows and cliffs. There are four primary trailheads, each offering a different experience. Free
• Squak Mountain State Park, 47.49639°, -122.03833°. 6:30PM to dusk. Squak Mountain is the second most westerly mountain of the Issaquah Alps mountain chain in Washington state. It is situated between Cougar Mountain to the west and Tiger Mountain to the east. There are 13 miles of hiking trails, 6 miles of which are suitable for equestrian use. There are a number of geocaches placed within the park (see geocaching.com)
  As with all Washington State Parks, a Discover Pass is required for parking ($10/day, $30/year). One can be purchased in a variety of places (e.g., Fred Meyer) or online at the state site http://www.discoverpass.wa.gov/ $10
• Tiger Mountain State Forest, 47.48806°, -121.94694°. West Tiger Mountain NRCA comprises the easternmost of the "Issaquah Alps." The NCRCA encompasses 4,430 acres that range in elevation from 470 feet above sea level at Tradition Plateau to 2,948 feet at the summit of West Tiger Peak 1, the highest of three peaks within the natural area. The City of Issaquah owns most of the Tradition Plateau that is adjacent to the NRCA. The city co-manages the land with the Natural Areas Program at the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
  As with all Washington State Parks and Forests, a Discover Pass is required for parking ($10/day, $30/year). One can be purchased in a variety of places (e.g., Fred Meyer) or online at the state site http://www.discoverpass.wa.gov/ if parking at the access point above. There are numerous other access points (as the park is big) which are free. $10
• Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, 125 W. Sunset Way (take I-90 East to Front Street exit; make a right turn onto Front Street, (after you turn onto Front Street, move into the center lane, otherwise you will be forced to turn onto Gilman Blvd); stay on Front Street for approximately 0.6 miles to West Sunset Way and make a right-hand turn onto Sunset Way; the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery is on your left-hand side). 8AM - 4PM. It tells the story of salmon. Free
• Issaquah Depot Museum, 150 First Avenue NE, +1 425 392-3500.
• Gilman Town Hall Museum, 165 SE Andrews St, +1 425 392-3500. From the Gilman Town Hall Museum Website- "This exhibit tells the story of Issaquah's past through hundreds of photographs and artifacts and a variety of interactive elements. Come see one of Issaquah's original water pipes, a rare Native American fur trade knife, and graffiti hidden for 75 years inside the walls of the fish hatchery. Set off an imaginary charge with an authentic dynamite blaster, ring a logging camp bell or listen to the music of the Squak Valley Hot Shots." $2 for adults, $1 for children, $5 per family of 3+ $10 family pass gives all-day access to both museums. Friends of the Issaquah History Museums visit for free
• Lake Sammamish State Park, 2000 NW Sammamish State Park (from I-90: drive east to exit #15, and follow the signs), +1 425 455-7010. Summer: 6:30AM to dusk. Winter: 6:30AM to dusk for the main park and boat launch.. Lake Sammamish State Park is a 512-acre day-use park with 6,858 feet of waterfront on Lake Sammamish. The area around the lake was an important culture zone for local Native American tribes for centuries. The park provides deciduous forest and wetland vegetation for the enjoyment of visitors. A salmon-bearing creek and a great-blue-heron rookery are additional features.
  The park includes diverse natural wetlands, a large great blue heron rookery and the salmon-bearing Issaquah Creek. The park has one of the largest freshwater beaches in the greater Seattle area. Discover Pass required for vehicles. Pedestrians Free
• Gilman Village, 317 N.W. Gilman Blvd (from I-90, take exit 17, turn south on Front St, then right onto NW Gilman Blvd, second or thid left turn into the parking lots.), 47.540084°, -122.041300°, +1 425-392-6802, info@gilmanvillage.com. 10AM-7PM. An Issaquah landmark for almost half a century, Gilman Village is a mixed use center featuring shops, restaurants, personal services, even a preschool, all residing in houses, buildings and other structures preserved from Issaquah's historic past. Good for a casual walk with a variety of unique stores and restaurants to visit, from Greek, Mexican, Indian, and American food, The Black Duck cask and bottle house, plus craft art galleries, antique stores, home decor, clothing, home goods, all independently owned and locally charming. 2021-12-04

Buy

• Experience Tea, 195 Front St (between Bush St & Andrews St), +1 206 406-9838. Tu-Sa noon - 6PM. A creative Tea Studio where you can experience different types of teas and tea related culture.
• Boehms Candies, 255 NE Gilman Blvd,, +14253926652. Authentic Austrian chocolatier in a quaint Alpine-style building offering confectionaries as well as a self-guided tour. 2020-10-06

Eat

• Triple XXX Rootbeer Drive-in, 98 NE Gilman Blvd (from I-90, take exit 17, south on Front St, left onto Gilman, can't miss the giant sign), 47.537733°, -122.035119°, +1 425-392-1266. 11AM-9PM. A fabulously chock-full 1960s-era highway diner known for classic car hop fare. The restaurant serves up wonderful 1950s-style hamburgers, milk shakes & other wonderful ice cream delights in famous large serving sizes, and is proud to host frequent gatherings of vintage automobile, truck and motorcycle enthusiasts. Known for jaw-stretching monster burgers, icy mugs of root beer, and straw-bending shakes. Table-side mini-jukeboxes provide 1950s and '60s pop music at each cherry-red and creamy-white plush booth. Nearly every surface is covered in lots of 1950s and '60s memorabilia such as old radios, soft-drink bottles, license plates, posters of rock-'n-rollers and movie stars. 2021-12-04
• Coho Cafe, 6130 E Lake Sammamish Pkwy SE Suite A, Issaquah, WA 98029 (from I-90, take exit 17, north on E Lake Sammamish Pkwy, then after 2/3 mile turn right at the Best Buy, it's on the right), +1 425 391-4040. 11AM-8PM. Hip, stylish, quiet casual restaurant and bar with an eclectic menu featuring Pacific Northwest seafood favorites, plus Asian and Southwest fusion dishes. Scratch cooking & local ingredients deliver recipe classics, innovations, and new twists to the suburban dining scene. A warm and comfortable environment, with genuine service. Mixed grill, surf and turf, pub standards, accentuated by local beers and wines. 2021-12-04

Drink

• Formula Brewing, 1875 NW Poplar Way (from I-90, take exit 15, turn south on 17th Ave NW, then right onto NW Gilman Blvd past Burger King, then next right onto 18th Ave NW, follow around past the dealership, last storefront on the end of strip mall), 47.549653°, -122.066631°, +1 425-961-0854, info@formulabrewing.com. noon-9PM. Local microbrewery with pizza kitchen and large outdoor space. The roomy, modern atmosphere of this Issaquah brewery combines artisan pizza varieties with equally high quality beers for diverse palates, from citrus-foward IPAs, to lagers from Latin to German styles, to write-home-about stouts, sours, and fruit beers. A friendly, casual sports and outdoorsy vibe coupled with good food, beer, and even a few mixed drinks. 2021-12-04

Sleep

• Hilton Garden Inn, 1800 NW Gilman Blvd, +1 425 837-3600. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon.
• Holiday Inn, 1801 12th Avenue Nw, +1 425 392-6421.
• Motel 6 Seattle East - Issaquah, 1885 15th Place NW, +1 425 392-8405. Dogs are permitted.

Go next

• Seattle, the largest city in the Pacific Northwest
• Nearby Eastside cities: Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, and North Bend
• The beautiful Cascades, rising up to the east of Issaquah, with numerous recreational opportunities.