Deceiver Trail

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Difficulty: Easy
Length: 1.0 miles / 1.6 km
Duration: 1 hour or less

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Overview: The Deceiver Trail is a great hike located in the southern portion of Cougar Mountain. While this trail is an easy hike, getting here will be a bit of a challenge .To get here you will have to make your way up the Wilderness Peak Trail and over the Long View Peak.

This trail starts at the top of Long View Peak; make your way down the trail towards the sound of rushing water. At the halfway point of the trail you will come to a fork in the trail. If you take the trail to the left you will come to Doughty Falls. On most days in the summer and fall, the waterfall is barely a trickle down some large moss covered rocks. If you wish to see the falls at their best plan a hike during the spring time after a few days of heavy rain.

Hiking back up to where the trail forks, you can now continue left to complete the Deceiver Trail. The rest of the trail takes you deeper into the forest as you make your way 1/2 mile to the end where the trail will meet up with Shy Bear Pass. If you have made it to the end you have the option to turn around and repeat the Deceiver Trail or you can make a right down Shy Bear Pass. Making a right on Shy Bear Pass will lead you in a large loop back towards the Wilderness Creek Trail from which you can head down the mountain towards the parking area.

Tips: How to get here:

From I-90, take exit 15 and head south on Highway 900 for 3.3 miles. The trailhead marker will be on your right, see guide photo, there will be an asphalt driveway leading uphill and to the right. The parking area will hold about 15 cars but rarely is full. There is an additional parking area 100 meters east, it is a small dirt pullout that can fit 2-3 cars and gives you direct access to the trail.

Connecting Trails:

Shy Bear Pass Trail
Long View Peak Trail

Park Hours:

8:00AM - Dusk open year around

Amenities:
-A single portable restroom is located at the paved parking area.
-No water sources are available.
-Supplies can be picked up in Issaquah off of I-90.

Points of Interest

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Start of Deceiver Trail

The Deceiver Trail starts at the top of Long View Peak. To get here you will hike up the Wilderness Creek Trail, onto the Long View Peak Trail, and finally to the Deceiver Trail.

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Overgrown Trail

The beginning of the trail starts of in a dense forest of giant ferns and Douglas fir trees. You will see many downed trees along the way but the trail has been well maintained. Nearly all of the downed trees have been cleared from the trail.

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Wooden Bridge

This short wooden bridge will lead you over the small creek. The creek is the source to the Doughty Falls up ahead. The falls are the smallest waterfalls of the three located within the park. The amount of water flow you see while crossing the creek will be a good indicator of how large the waterfall will be further down the trail.

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Doughty Falls

This is the marker leading the way down to the Doughty Falls. The falls are down a short trail leading to a small viewing area. The falls on most days are barley a trickle, I would visit this waterfall only if it has been raining heavily over the past couple days.

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Fields of Ferns

This is the final leg of the trail which will be a gentle downhill trek. Shortly up ahead will be the junction point with Shy Bear Pass.

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Shy Bear Junction

Here you will come to a "T" in the path. Both directions will lead you down the Shy Bear Trail. To the left you can follow the trail to the western part of Cougar Mountain and an overlook area where you can see the skyscrapers in downtown Bellevue. If you head to your right you will continue through the Shy Bear Marsh and form a loop back to the Long View Peak Trailhead.