Overview
Issaquah is a city of 40,000 people (2019) in King County in the Puget Sound region of Washington State. Its historic downtown is a popular base for hiking in the foothills of the Cascades.
4 sights · 7 things to do · 1 bars & cafés · 2 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Issaquah
Cougar Mountain Zoo
The zoo focuses on endangered species including lemurs from Madagascar, Bengal tigers, and endangered birds from various parts of the world.
Gilman Town Hall Museum
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 pi…
Issaquah Depot Museum
Issaquah Salmon Hatchery
It tells the story of salmon.
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.
Lake Sammamish State Park
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 provid…
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 78°F; winter lows dip to about 35°F. Wettest: Nov and Jan. (climate data from nearby Kent)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- BFI King County International Airport - Boeing Field, Seattle — 12 mi away. Directions
- SEA Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, Seattle — 14 mi away (major hub). Directions
Intercity bus services operating beyond the region mostly stop in Seattle.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 3-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Gilman Town Hall Museum, Issaquah Depot Museum, Village Theatre
- Afternoon Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, Squak Mountain State Park
- Evening Formula Brewing
Day 2
- Morning Lake Sammamish State Park, Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park
- Afternoon Salmon Days
Day 3
- Morning Tiger Mountain State Forest
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
By car
- From Interstate 90 (I-90), take exit 15 (17th Ave NW) or exit 17 (Front Street).
- From State Route 18, take Issaquah Hobart Road south of Tiger Mountain, which becomes Front St.
- State Route 900 leaves Renton as Sunset Blvd NE, becomes Renton-Issaquah Road, then 17th Ave NW at the junction with I-5.
- East Lake Sammamish Pkwy goes 12 mi along the east side of Lake Sammamish from Front St & I-90 () at Exit #17, to its intersection with SR-202 just east of downtown Redmond.
- West Lake Sammamish Pkwy goes 10 mi along the west side of Lake Sammamish to Exit #13 of I-90 (Lakewood Blvd) just west of Issaquah.
By bus
Intercity bus services operating beyond the region mostly stop in Seattle.
Place Wenatchee Valley Shuttle (Flixbus)
They operate several daily departures to Wenatchee and Peshastin in Eastern Washington from Sea-Tac and Bellevue. From Wenatchee they continue east towards Spokane Airport via Ephrata, Quincy, Moses Lake and Ritzville. They also have another local stop at the North Bend Premium Outlets in North Bend, at the clock tower. No scheduled stops in Issaquah. Check with them regarding local door to door pick-up or drop-off.
By 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).
The East Lake Sammamish Trail (along E Lake Sammamish Pkwy) is the best north-south way to downtown, as it bypasses one of Issaquah's busiest retail areas and the high-traffic interstate crossings.
Get around
The main east-west roads are Gilman Blvd and Newport Way. Front Street runs north-south through downtown.
Issaquah is best accessed by car, although bicycling is a viable option.
Downtown Issaquah is easy to explore on foot. Additionally, there 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 on this trail network.
By public transit
The transportation hub (bus station) in Issaquah is the Issaquah Transit Center on NW Maple St & 17th Ave NW. The Issaquah TC offers routes with service to Downtown Seattle (214, 554); UW in the U-District (271,556); Bellevue (214,271,556); Redmond (269,554); North Bend via Snoqualmie (208); and other surrounding cities (208,269,271,545,556).
Go King County Metro
Runs bus, streetcar and monorail routes within King County. Serves Auburn, Bellevue, Bothell, Burien, Federal Way, Issaquah, Kent, Kirkland, Mercer Island, North Bend, Redmond, Renton, SeaTac, Seattle, Shoreline, Tukwila, Vashon Island, White Center, and Woodinville.
Go Sound Transit
Runs express and intercity public transit routes across the Seattle area, including Sounder trains, Link light rail and express buses (routes 510-596). Serves King County (e.g. Bellevue, Federal Way, Kent, Renton, Seattle), Snohomish County (e.g. Everett, Lynnwood), and Pierce County (e.g. Puyallup, Tacoma).
- Route 554 to Downtown Seattle
- Route 556 to Downtown Bellevue and Seattle University District
By 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
Olde Town, centered along Front Street, is historic downtown Issaquah. It is known for its mixture of art galleries, shops, unique restaurants and taverns, theaters, historical sites and museums, some dating back to the 1930s or earlier. It's where much of the festivities of Issaquah Salmon Days occur.
See Gilman Town Hall Museum
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."
Elsewhere
Do
Do Lake Sammamish State Park
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.
Hiking
The Issaquah Alps consist of nearby Cougar, Squak and Tiger Mountains. Each mountain hosts a network of trails for all fitness levels. They are popular for having some of the closest hiking to Seattle, having the closest strenuous hikes to Seattle, and for staying below the snow level for most of the winter.
Squak Mountain is a state park, and Tiger Mountain is mostly run by WA Department of Natural Resources, both of which require a pass to access by vehicle. The Discover Pass is $10 a day, or $30 a year.
Do Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park
A 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.
Do Tiger Mountain State Forest
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).
Do Poo Poo Point
A viewpoint on Tiger Mountain at 2021 feet, accessible by hike. This is the take off point for hang gliding and paragliding operations in the area.
Buy
Shop Gilman Village
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.
Drink
Drink Formula Brewing
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-forward 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.
Sleep
Go next
- Seattle, the largest city in the Pacific Northwest
- Nearby Eastside cities: Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, and North Bend
- The Mountains to Sound Greenway into the beautiful Cascade Mountains, with numerous recreational opportunities.
Nearby
Renton
City / town · 47 listings · 8 mi away
Bellevue
City / town · 62 listings · 9 mi away
Mercer Island
City / town · 11 listings · 9 mi away
Snoqualmie
City / town · 16 listings · 10 mi away
Redmond
City / town · 31 listings · 10 mi away
Snoqualmie Valley
Rural area · 9 listings · 11 mi away
Tukwila
City / town · 24 listings · 12 mi away
North Bend
City / town · 15 listings · 12 mi away
My experience
Write about your trip here. Notes save automatically in this browser as you type; back them up from My journal.