Poo Poo Point Trailhead — Attraction in Issaquah

So look. I'm not an expert hiker. We do lots of walking and few tougher hikes a year. So I'm not a novice either. But if I'm being honest, this hike was almost the end of me. I felt the presence of the reaper several times. Apparently this side of the trail is about 2.5 miles up to the lookout. Which somehow didn't feel that long but also felt longer than anything has ever felt ever in the history of anything. So, the good? Beautiful trees and surroundings, 95% of the hike is full shade which was a life saver, and it was so peaceful and calm. Except for the dying panting sounds of other hikers also reconsidering every decision they've ever made to lead them there. The trail is fairly well maintained. Lots of big rocks make up the path towards the beginning. Some acting as stairs. Then it is mostly a dirt trail after that. Lots of switch backs obviously since you're literally climbing a mountain. Lots of good places to be able to "pull over" to let opposite hikers pass if needed. And so much fun to see the parasailers float above through the tree canopy as you get higher. The view up top is awesome. It was a hazy day but I'm sure on a clearer day it is amazing. And it's so cool to watch people take off from the top. The walk down can be tough as well considering the fact that your legs will likely be jelly from the climb up. Watch your step on the loose dirt parts as my soul left my body a few times when my foot skid on the way down. It was happening to a lot of people so just be cautious. I'm sure for very fit, very frequent hikers it is nothing besides a good workout. But for everyone else, it's a bit rough. Totally worth it though. I would do it again. Not any time soon. But hypothetically I would do it again. Oh and parking was a mess at 11am on a Saturday. Like 5 cars waiting just to turn in to the lot. But we were able to get a spot after about 10...

The trailhead for the Chirico Trail to Poo Poo Point is located along Issaquah-Hobart Road by the paragliding landing field. The trail is 4.8 miles (roundtrip). This is an extremely popular trail and you should expect to see hundreds of people during the hike. This trail is moderately strenuous and a great conditioner. On nice cloudless days, the payoff is fabulous views of the surrounding area. At the south take-off zone, views of gorgeous Mt. Rainier and south King County landscape. Further up the trail you will reach the Northwest take-off zone, views of Mt. Baker, Lake Sammamish, downtown Issaquah, and the East view of Squak Mountain will await you. In the spring and summer, many people hang out to watch paragliders set up equipment and launch off. Some days, you can see dozens of overhead above you. The restrooms at the top aren't maintained very often and the smell will overwhelm some people. The smell emanates away from the facilities for about 40 yards too. I do not envy those who find themselves needing to use them.

You must arrive here early in the morning to get a parking space. The aren't many parking spaces and they fill up fast. There are no parking signs along Hobart road near the parking lot and I've seen cars get towed on several occasions. There is a private residence across the road and a short walk north that allows trailhead parking for 5 dollars per vehicle. Parking is limited, but has more parking spaces than the trailhead. There is no crosswalk so you need to be extremely cautious crossing this busy road to get to...

Great hike! We recently hiked Poo Poo Point on an early Saturday morning and really enjoyed it! We had heard from multiple people the parking lot filled up quickly so we arrived early, about 6:30 am and, surprisingly, we still only got one of a couple parking spots remaining at that hour.

The hike itself is good. The terrain is fairly steep and rocky but the trail has been built with the assistance of the rocks, with many spots having stairs built out of rocks. It took us about 2 hours, at a leisurely pace, to get ro the very top where we enjoyed a light snack and spectacular views of Issaquah and the north of the state.

I only rate it 4 stars for two reasons... 1) It's stupid busy with other hikers, which can make navigating the trail a little difficult (but unlike some other local trails, hikers here did seem to have better trail etiquette) and 2) more importantly, there appears to be no shortage of irresponsible dog owners. We saw dog feces on the trail in many locations and, more than anything, people just left their bags of dogs#$! on the trail! Walk along and there's a bag, here's a bag, it's really rather sad. I have nothing against dogs but the idiotic owners who do these things ruin the experience for...