Park Committee

About the Park Committee

The MCA Park VP, elected each January at the MCA Annual Meeting, chairs the Park Committee and acts as liaison between King County Parks and the MCA. The Park Committee members act as Stewards who monitor the status of the park, suggest and manage improvements, organize and lead work parties to maintain and enhance the park. Several “original” Stewards have volunteered for many years, and the Park Committee is actively seeking new members with all levels of abilities to serve on the Committee and participate in work parties.

Current and Ongoing Projects

Chip trails, including the gravel trail
Weed berms and planting beds around the meadow
Restoration of native plants
Storm clean-ups
Firewise project to remove fuels
Upkeep of native plant signs
Removal of invasive noxious weeds: Himalayan blackberry, evergreen blackberry, English ivy, English holly, creeping yellow buttercup, yellow archangel, bindweed (morning glory)

An example of the native plant signs is below.

Friends of Mirrormont Park

Volunteer program for families or individuals who are interested in helping to maintain Mirrormont Park. Contact MCA’s Park VP at park@mirrormont.org and check the kiosk for independent volunteer projects. Please join us at seasonal work parties—and consider becoming a Park Steward on the Park Committee.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Who maintains Mirrormont Park?

Mirrormont Park is owned by King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks and is maintained in cooperation with the MCA.

King County mows the grass, cleans up storm damage, and collects garbage.

In 2005, the MCA signed an agreement to develop and maintain the park with what came to be known as Community Partnership and Grant funds. Since then, more onus for maintaining the park has fallen on the MCA Park Committee. The MCA Park Committee members are stewards of the park who strive to mediate the needs of the community with King County, and make improvements such as installing benches and tables. Mirrormont volunteers spread chips/gravel on trails, trim overgrowth and fallen debris from paths, remove invasive weeds and replace them with native plants. They also re-supply the dog poop bag kiosks.

For more information contact park@mirrormont.org

Who enforces the Park rules?

King County enforces the rules of the park.

King County Parks and Recreation rules govern use of the park, and they are enforced by the County.

Rules are posted at the park entrance.

To report a crime, suspicious activity, or infraction of park rules, call 911 (emergency) or 206-296-3311 (non-emergency).

I saw something suspicious at the park. How do I report it?

To report a crime, suspicious activity, or infraction of park rules, call 911 (emergency) or 206-296-3311 (non-emergency).

Are bikes allowed in the park?
There is a small BMX loop for novice riders only. This is intended for families with small children and maintained by Park Stewards. No digging or construction is allowed per Park rules.

See Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance's trail guide for Tiger Mountain biking info.

Can I hike to Tiger Mountain trails from Mirrormont?

Yes! To access the closest trailhead on Tiger Mountain:

Go north on 256th Ave SE until it comes to a T with SE 149th St, which becomes 255th Ave SE as it curves to the right. Or follow 260th Ave SE north to the cul-de-sac and then walk down the gravel road.

Follow until you get to Tiger Mtn Rd. Cross over and go left about the length of a city block until you come to the trailhead.

There is no parking allowed in the immediate vicinity of the trailhead.

To get to the Grand Canyon of Tiger Mtn, which features a modest canyon around Fifteen Mile Creek and a waterfall, follow the trail to the logging road and go left until you come to the first trailhead on your right.

The short and secluded walk along Fifteen Mile Creek offers views of waterfalls, cliffs, and an old coalmine, which was mined from 1925—1940 (now sealed). Observe how the exposed gorge walls take on color striations similar to a sunset. Millions of years of soil deposits from glacial formations and changing climates are inscribed in them, layer upon layer.

The trail uses the old railroad grade built and used by Wood & Iverson to log areas of Tiger Mtn (including Mirrormont) in the 1920s. Along the trail are foundations of a “crusher” and a “washery,” quaint terms from a bygone mining era. Where the trail forks, the left fork ends at a viewpoint for the waterfall. The right fork goes up to more views of the creek, a mudslide area where amber has been found, and another sealed coal tunnel.

Fifteen Mile Mine is where nine-year-old George Weyerhauser was kept when he was kidnapped in 1935. Greg Spranger and other Issaquah Historical Society volunteers retrieved a coal car from the flooded mine shaft in 1980. No mining was actually done out of the Fifteen Mile Mine — instead, it was a stock scam. Coalmines on Tiger Mtn never saw their full operational potential. The way the coal seam formed geologically made it difficult to extract coal.