Poo Poo Point – Chirico Trail

I really want to give this trail five stars. I really do. It’s well-​maintained, it only takes about 2 hrs (round-​trip, at a leisurely pace) and it’s a great balance of tough-enough-that-I’ll-feel-it-tomorrow but also easy-enough-that-I-won’t-kill-myself. Plus that view… simply incomparable. It is my favorite hike, for sure…
BUT ye be warned: parking SUCKS! It’s a freaking nightmare. It wasn’t always, but its popularity has *exploded* so much in the last few years there’s just not enough places for all the cars to go.
Word to the wise: do not — repeat, DO NOT — parallel park along the busy road! No matter how many other goofballs are doing it, it’s totally illegal, causes more traffic jams on an already-​congested thoroughfare, not to mention it’s super hazardous to yourselves and your vehicle! (You WILL get ticketed, too. Jussayin’.) Please, for your own good (and everyone else’s), if the little lot is full, just suck it up and park at the little park down the street. You’re there to hike anyway, it’s only like an extra quarter-​mile maybe. Easy warm-​up, right? ;) Okay, sorry, rant over.
So: overall wonderful hike, especially if you can go at an unusual time or day when it’s less crowded.
Also, I’d recommend carpooling.

The PNW is one of the best places for being outdoors. So many options to see what Washington has to offer. However, Poo Poo Point is one of the best views to date that I’ve seen. Breathtaking really.
Not too difficult of a hike. I have seen kids run up! Me, not so much. I like to take in the view.

Had a great hike most of the way up. A Glorious Sunny crisp Opt-​out Black Friday hike.
Lot was nearly full by 10:00. Trail was firm, dry and quite busy. Will definitely do it again.
Lost our GPS along the way… bummer. If found please check Craigslist for contact info.

oh snap! the next day after this hike, my legs felt like Rick James’ after Charlie Murphy did a number on them — straight linguine.
i was feelin’ a little down in the dumps so my buddy suggested we do some self-​harm by «hiking». i clearly wasn’t in my right mind when i agreed. i had heard of this place and had it book marked because of the name (i blame Chau D) and i figured now was a good a time as any.
i don’t have hiking boots but i had some old nike trail runners with no ankle support. just as good, right? whatever… i’m sure my ankles will be fine despite all the exposed roots and rocks and otherwise uneven terrain. after the third time i rolled my ankle, i knew i was right (that this was a horrible idea and i shoulda just stayed my fat ass home).
i wore a back pack and a light jacket and brought a bottle of water. the only thing i actually needed was the bottle of water. once your blood gets pumping, you tend to warm up quite a bit. i wish i could speak more on the scenery but i was busy sucking wind (trying not to black out) and looking down at the ground so i don’t fall the flip off the side of the hill. there coulda been a whole posse of sasquatch up in there but i wouldn’t have noticed. the view once you get to the top is aight, though.
would i do it again? *shrug* mebbe. i’ve been known to do (the same) dumb sh*t more than once #ineverlearn

This is one of my favorite hikes because it’s 15 minutes away from home and it does not take all day to do. It is about 4 miles round-​trip with the first 2 miles being a steady climb. The trail is pretty easy to transverse but be careful because towards the top it is easy to slip due to the drier conditions. You will definitely feel sore in your hammies the next day. There are two viewpoints. The first viewpoint offers a great view of Mt. Rainier on a clear day. The second viewpoint overlooks Issaquah and Lake Sammamish. You can also see Bellevue and Seattle (very faintly). This trail can get pretty crowded on the weekends.

Loved this hike! Especially when you get to the summit and watch the paragliders take off. There is also a wonderful view of lake sammamish. Only problem for me was the bees. I got stung near the top.

Highly recommend this hike if you are in the area.
Great moderate uphill hike. It was our first time and it took us about 1.5 hours up with stops and breaks. We went with tennis shoes because we did not plan to hike on this trip. Highly recommend wearing hiking boots but doable with tennis shoes. While hiking back down, there are some areas where you would have to take your time due to small loose rocks. I’m from Florida and don’t hike uphill much. This hike is manageable and definitely worth it for views of Mountain Rainer, Lake Sammamish, and City of Issaquah.
It appears that most paragliders take off around 1pm shortly after the shuttle drops them off. We were up there around noon and luckily was able to see one paraglider take off.
When you reach the first meadow, you will see a beautiful view of Mount Rainer. Stop and take photos here because you don’t get to see Mount Rainer at the top. Then continue up to Poo Poo Point — about 10 minutes further.
There is a shuttle operated by Tiger Mountain Shuttle that can take you back to the bottom for $ 8.00 each person starting about 1:00pm per the sign at the top.
We hiked down the mountain to the parking lot. The paragliders use the empty field next to the parking lot as a landing zone. We saw 2 paragliders land and about 6 more in the sky waiting to land.
Parking — there’s a parking lot that fits about 20 – 30 cars. When we came, the lot was full. There’s an empty lot across the street for $ 5.00. When we were there, there was no one at the lot to collect money. Appears that they use the honor system where you put money into an envelope and drop it into the mailbox. So bring cash in exact change.

It is about 2 miles to get to the take off for the gliders. The climb is about 170 flights of stairs to give you an idea. It took us an 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes to get up and we were going pretty quickly I thought. It is a completely uphill climb the whole way. Bring water and a snack I recommend. We used a liter each of water. I am in no means great shape, but I did see a wide variety of people from young to old going up. Just make sure you have enough time and take breaks. Also parking is very hard to come by and you may have to walk a little bit to get to the trailhead.

Posts about this trail being inter-​hard are spot on. If you are an average hiker that hikes every now and then this trail is tough. My ankles, calves & quads are still sore two days later. Its definitely not as long as other hikes in the Snoqualmie area but dayum! it goes straight up! there are a few spots where your like oh cool its flattening out we must be there… WTF!!! how much further! The trip down was brutal. I never knew my quads could spaz out like that! Any who like everyone says the views are worth it in the end and I’ve got the pics to prove i conquered POO POO POINT CHIRICO TRAIL WOOHOO!!!

All uphill and worth it. It’s a kaleidoscope of forestry as you climb the stairway to the heavens. It starts off simple enough, but as the road noise is replaced with the chirp of birds and squirrels, the ferns and shadows give it a more tropical vibe.
It takes a while to get to the top but there are plenty of places for you to pause for breathers if you need If you get to the grassy part, enjoy the scene but continue on the trail until you get to the other side of the top. There you’ll see fake grass, which is the launching area for the human kites, as illustrated in the pics.

Loved it! Its not exactly an easy hike, as some would have you believe. The trails are nicely maintained and fairly wide, but the elevation gain and the grade can get you if you’re not prepared. Make sure you have adequate hydration and snacks. The tree lined way up really is gorgeous, and the views at the top are just beautiful. You can see paragliders taking off. The surrounding views of Issaquah, Renton and Bellevue… the nearby foothills and lakes, make it all totally worth it. Particularly on a clear, beautiful day.

I hiked Poo Poo Point yesterday for the first time as it’s been on my list for a while now and any day is a good day for a hike! Let me start off by saying if you love dogs, you’ll be in your happy place here because literally everybody takes their dogs on this hike aka I was really happy on this hike lol. The trail itself is really well maintained and pretty moderate. There definitely is a little incline, but nothing too extreme. I mean, there were like six and seven year olds so, there’s really no excuse for anybody else not to do this! For the first half of the trail there’s this really pretty stone path that you follow on the way up before the trail clears out and the incline begins. Getting to the top only took us about an hour. Once we got there, we got to watch the paragliders take off which was so fun! I did it about two years ago, so it’s really fun to sit and watch others do it for their first time as well. The owner of the paragliding company actually offered the hikers a 50% off paragliding flight on the way down if they’d like, and somebody actually took it! This hike is perfect for anybody looking for a simple day hike with outstanding views and quality entertainment.

Poo Poo Point is one tough hike. It’s really steep going up and you’ll frequently wonder «how much farther?» LOL
We made it to the top where the hang gliders take off and WOW! The view is absolutely spectacular. It is definitely worth the views of Lake Sammamish and parts off Issaquah, Bellevue, and Renton. It does get a little busy on top, and finding a good place to snack can be challenging.
Overall I highly recommend, but be prepared!

As a casual/​beginner hiker, I’d heard Poo Poo was a fairly easy hike so I eagerly joined some of my diurnal friends for a morning hike on the Chirico Trail.
(Note #1: I have an obsession with poop jokes, so this trail seemed like a perfect fit.)
(Note #2: Diurnal was Dictionary.com’s WOTD, so I had to throw it in there somewhere).
I’d like to know what show-​offs think this trail is «easy», LOL. It’s quick, comparatively, but easy? I wouldn’t go that far!
As others have mentioned, Poo Poo is extremely steep and you’ll be walking uphill/​climbing stone steps virtually the entire time, with little reprieve. I stopped a good 5 – 6 times to catch my breath, and to contemplate throwing myself off the side of the mountain. Imagine my embarrassment when I saw Chihuahua’s and Shih Tzu’s blazing up the trail… lots of old ladies and elementary aged kids, too. These people are show-​offs and should stay home.
Even stopping several times, I made it to the top in 1 hour… the longest hour of my life.
Once you get to the top, you’ll reach a clearing where most people are sitting out and enjoying lunch. I plopped myself on the ground and praised the Lord that I’d made it. But no, I hadn’t…my friend informed me that we’d have to hike a bit more to reach the point where the paragliders take off. **Punch me in the freakin’ face already**
Begrudgingly, we hiked up another 5 minutes or so and made it to the paraglider’s take-​off point. I must say, if you’re going to do the hike, you HAVE to see the paragliders. It was totally worth the burning thighs, and you get a beautiful view of the city.
Still, I’d rather pluck my hair out with tweezers than to ever hike this trail again.
BATHROOM:
The Chirico Trail entrance has 3 Honeybuckets in the parking lot, and they seemed relatively clean… you know, for a Honeybucket.
PARKING:
Parking lot was full at 9:30 AM, however there’s a $ 5 pay-​to-​park lot just past the main entrance of the Chirico Trail.

Somewhere in the air, there are parachutes of life that cascade over dawn. These are the fleeting moments of unfathomable beauty as the base jumpers and paragliders run off the edge of the mountain with such dexterity. As you watch in awe, you can’t help but smile and wish that it were you soaring over the top of the world like Superman.
If you’re a noob like me — that’s exactly what would go through your mind. As I, you’d be sporting a backpack full of healthy goodies and water bottles just sitting on the sidelines, taking snapchats and watching the aerial professionals do their thang. Especially on a windy day, I’d recommend keeping a good distance away from the pads they jump off from solely because of the slim chance of getting caught in one of their parachutes. Sorry — I don’t know about you but I’d rather die of old age next to a man named Noah who has given me true love, built and restored the house of my dreams.
The hike to both the viewpoints were relatively easy to my boyfriend and I. Yes, there will be incline and yes, it was a tad muddy. Better throw them old Nikes on! People are saying this hike was hard but bare in mind that I’m a new gym bunny (about 1 ½ months of working out to be exact just to have you get that general idea). Also, the hike didn’t feel grueling/​boring when compared to other trails. It took us about 45 minutes to reach the top.
View wise, Poo-​Poo was okay. I’m sure you can find other trails here in Washington state that have way better jaw-​dropping scenery. To me, this was just a fun quick trail that should be checked off every Washingtonian’s bucket list. It wouldn’t be the kind of trail that I would want to go to every month. In the end, you better bet your bum that you come on a sunny/​windy day! The point of Poo-​Poo is to come and pay heed to the beautiful pilots who magnificently descend from the air to the ground like falling flower petals. Because of the awesome people who literally risk their lives by jumping off mountains, I give this trail 5 stars!

My husband and I decided to check out this hiking trail this afternoon. It was sunday afternoon so it was very crowded with families. I did expect some incline but i didnt expect 90% of it to be so steep wow what a workout we got! We only stopped twice to sip on water, and the rest of the time we were speedily walking. Its very doable.
I thought it was very strange that people were bringing their young kids though because the trail itself is very narrow and its elevated with lots of rocks. So it made me nervous seeing some kids run around!
Overall it was a fun and challenging hike! And if youre a sucker for cute dogs like me, youll be happy to be there: P
TIPS: Bring a towel because you willlll sweat, and wear something breathable! And have fun!

I’ve been on this hike once, and it was through the easy trail that goes through the field where paragliders land. It’s under 4 miles roundtrip, and took me and a friend about 1 hour to get to the top — faster than we both anticipated.
There’s a field where we saw a paraglider jump off (there was even a random woman with a baby that wanted to take a picture with him and post it to her Instagram… I opted to just take a photo of the guy from afar). Then from there we hiked up a few more minutes to get to another viewpoint where we sat for a bit to take eat our snacks.
The views are great, but I do prefer more scenic views. And it would have been awesome to have seen more than one paraglider during our hike! I’ll have to come back to try the more advanced trail sometime.

I recall this hike being very challenging, but I think this could have also been attributed to the fact that I didn’t eat enough before attempting this trek. It was a steep hike, and the walk to the to was akin to any other northwest hike, but at the top there were paragliders!
I watched the paragliders run off the edge of the cliff for an hour and would have stayed longer if it wasn’t so late. Being able to watch the paragliders launch off is definitely why this hike gets five stars in my book. Without the gliders, I would probably only give the hike three or four stars since the view at the top is nice, but not quite as impressive as other hikes in the area.

So let me start by saying that Mount Si bested me a few weeks ago and I’ve been looking for a more manageable hike ever since. Enter Poo Poo Point Trail. The trail starts out at the back of Issaquah High School. We parked in the back near the tennis courts and then took the trail between the courts and the main school building. The high school trail is about .75 miles long. Read Michael S’s review if you’re confused about where to go. The high school trail is pretty wide and it isn’t too steep. It ends at the power lines and Poo Poo Point Trail beings there.
Poo Poo Point Trail itself is a little less than 3.5 miles long (I believe). I had originally thought it was only 2 miles so it is a good thing I didn’t know or I might not have finished it. The first two miles are pretty brutal if you’re an occasional hiker like myself. My thighs weren’t burning, but man my lungs really could have used more air. Luckily, there is a break about halfway through the trail where it levels out a bit for about 10 minutes. The last half mile is also downhill, which was a huge relief. At that point, you may feel like you’re going the wrong way, but trust me you are not.
The trail itself isn’t COMPLETELY uphill the whole way, but it is pretty close. The vegetation is pretty nice and there is a stream that runs through the place. The trail can get muddy at times and has some rocks so be careful not to trip. The good news is that you don’t need hiking polls (although I’m sure they would help) and regular tennis shoes work just fine. The bad news is that there aren’t frequent mile markers so it is hard to say how far you’ve gone at any given point. I’d say that if Mount Si is strenuous, then this hike is moderate. 4.2 miles each way with a moderate incline (including the high school trail). No problem getting down so that was good. It took me about 1 hour and 45 minutes to get to the top and about 1 hour to get back down.
The view up top is great. We were able to see Issaquah and Lake Sammamish. I recommend you go on a clear and relatively warm day because you’ll be able to see the paragliders, which is pretty neat.

So, some friends (I’m looking at you
) and I have started an «every other Tuesday night hike» and we chose the Chirico Trail for our first one and here’s why:
Location: We work in Issaquah and this is just a hop, skip, and a jump away. Travel down Issaquah Hobart going away from Issaquah, look for the cars parked on the left-​hand side (you should also see paragliders flying around & landing). That’s where you want to park. Parking can be tight but if you circle around a couple times, you’ll more than likely find a spot. Fingers Crossed!
Bathrooms: I THINK there is a porta potty at the trail — I am not 100% sure it’s clean, but it should be there.
Duration: It’s just under two miles to the top. It took my friends and I a little under an hour to get to the top and another 45 mins to get back down.
Difficulty: This trail is 90% up. You get little reprieve from the up-​hill climb. The three of us are all in decent shape and were nice and sweaty by the time we reached the top. This trail is harder than Rattlesnake but in my opinion, not as hard (or as long) as Mt. Si.
Views: The view from the top is pretty cool. From the first launch, you get a view of Issaquah. If you get to the first landing and the paragliders aren’t launching, take a left at the trail sign, hike another few minutes and you’ll be at the 2^nd launch. You should be able to catch some gliders here (depending on weather conditions of course) Like some other reviewers have said — bring your lunch (or some snacks) and enjoy the show!
Folks on the tail: 99.9% of people hiking on trails are SUPER friendly and this trail is no exception. You’ll often see paragliders hiking with their gliders (which are 40 pounds or so) which is fun to see. This is a popular trail for dogs too which is always a bonus. I’ve seen all types hiking on this trail; older folks, high school teams training, young kiddos (maybe 6 or 8), people like yours truly (mid 30’s — looking for a great workout), trail runners, you name it.