A great day on the trail. Seven of us set out from the Tiger Summit Trailhead just after 9:00 AM , heading up to the East Tiger summit in cool, crisp air — perfect for a rigorous climb, though layers were coming off before long.
We started on the Connector Trail, crossed Main Tiger Mountain Road at the 0.3-mile mark, and continued onto the Northwest Timber Trail before bearing left onto the Master Link Trail. We climbed this mountain bike trail for 2.7 miles, crossed 5500 Road, and picked up the Quick Link Trail before rejoining 5500 Road for the final stretch to the summit area. By 11:30 we reached a picnic area with a fine view of Mount Rainier and stopped for lunch. Then came the final push to the summit, where we arrived at 12:16 PM.
On the way up we crossed paths with 5 bikers, and many more on the descent — we met only two other hikers the entire day. Safe to say, mountain bikers rule East Tiger Mountain. Retracing our steps, we were back at the trailhead by 2:45 PM. — a very fine day all around.
Our GPS track is in the link below
Stats:
Distance: 10.0 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,750 ft
Highest Point: 3,004 ft (East Tiger)
Total Time: 5h 39m
Moving Time: 4h 45m
Comments
Not sure by your summary if you went down Master Link, if so it's really only supposed to be an uphill only trail.
Posted by:
Trailgirl2 on Apr 09, 2026 01:21 AM
We descended via the Master Link Trail. Worth noting: most mountain bike trails on East Tiger Mountain are one-way for bikes, but hikers and horses are free to travel in either direction. For reference, here is the new trail map for East Tiger Mountain:
https://dnr.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2026-03/tigersummit.pdf
Posted by:
Yasobara on Apr 09, 2026 08:49 AM
I'm both a hiker and mtber. The trails on that side of Tiger mtn were built by mtn bikers. Mtn bikers aren't allowed on most of the hiking trails in the state. If you do choose to hike on mtb trails, where hikers are allowed, please, especially when you see mtbers climbing up a trail, step off the trail and let them by. Thx
Posted by:
Trailgirl2 on Apr 09, 2026 01:24 PM