Brad McDaniel's Guide to Cougar Mountain

Local experience in Cougar Mountain

Local knowledge about Cougar Mountain, shared by Brad McDaniel.

“This is a very steep hill. Driving up and down makes your ears pop every time. That's how much elevation there is. During rush hour there does seem to be a bit of a backup, just people coming home. Nothing crazy, but it is definitely a backup a little bit. Whenever they're doing stuff on the freeway, Google Maps always routes traffic through here, so sometimes there's a little more traffic than usual, but on average not that bad.”

“Just saw that they are actually doing a new development right here. They're scraping the whole mountain out. Looks like it's gonna be quite a build and have a big retaining wall 'cause it's into a hill. It's right next to a permanent easement, so they are definitely expanding and adding one new home to this block. They've been doing work on several homes on this street. This is a great location on a very flat road, right next to the path that leads to the park, which is just down the hill.”

“Lewis Creek has an amazing playground that they just redid. There's a huge sports field and you can kick a soccer ball as far as you can or teach your kids how to ride a bike. The recreation center teaches you all about the nature around it with, I think, a half mile or a mile loop and some trails throughout with little signs throughout, even some basketball courts. So it's a fantastic park to take your kids to for an afternoon.”

Neighborhood overview

Brad McDaniel notes that Cougar Mountain is a very steep hill where driving up and down makes your ears pop every time, which is how much elevation there is. He says during rush hour there does seem to be a bit of a backup, just people coming home—nothing crazy, but it is definitely a backup a little bit. Whenever they're doing stuff on the freeway, Google Maps always routes traffic through here, so sometimes there's a little more traffic than usual, but on average not that bad. Brad McDaniel tells buyers it is great being in a safe, clean neighborhood, but the hills are very steep around here, so not a great place to teach kids how to ride bikes. But when it's snowy, you can definitely go sledding, which is definitely in the wintertime, we do a lot. He also notes that during the winter time, you gotta watch out it gets a little icy, but that's kind of everything up here, because if it's raining down below, it's usually snowing or icy up here.

Brad McDaniel points out a little trail that goes around the back of all these homes: absolutely gorgeous, love the walk. A little dangerous though, 'cause it's right on the edge of a true cliff ravine. I guess it's one of the things when you're on a mountain, that's what you get. But it makes you feel like you're off in nature when it's just two steps away. It is amazing, but keep little kids away from it or don't allow them to go on the walk by themselves. He describes a running path as an awesome place to go walk your dog, enjoy the afternoon, clear your head—it's just a beautiful amenity that goes right along the main road, but you got enough room so it's quiet. Another great walking path is a great amenity to this neighborhood that connects these neighborhoods along the bottom here with the local park right here, right along Village Park Drive, with wildlife that kind of makes you feel like you're in the woods, but it is also not far from anything at all.

On parks, Brad McDaniel says Lewis Creek has an amazing playground that they just redid, a huge sports field where you can kick a soccer ball as far as you can or teach your kids how to ride a bike, plus the recreation center teaches you all about the nature around it with, I think, a half mile or a mile loop and some trails throughout with little signs throughout, even some basketball courts—so it's a fantastic park to take your kids to for an afternoon. He notes one park that isn't very well known just redid the play structure area: they tore down the old ones and put in brand new big toy and little toy, swing set and the whole thing—what a great upgrade to this park for little kids. By contrast, he says there is a nice little neighborhood park, but it is kind of small and the tall trees, so it's kind of always dark and gloomy, so not really anyone ever plays here; I wouldn't say it's a great amenity—it looks nice probably on paper, but no one ever uses it, we've tried a couple times, there's really no reason to go there with your kids, there's no one ever there, and it's kinda spooky. He also just saw that they are actually doing a new development right here, scraping the whole mountain out, looks like it's gonna be quite a build and have a big retaining wall 'cause it's into a hill, right next to a permanent easement, so they are definitely expanding and adding one new home to this block, on a very flat road right next to the path that leads to the park, which is just down the hill.

Highlights

• Driving up and down makes your ears pop every time. That's how much elevation there is.
• Lewis Creek has an amazing playground that they just redid. There's a huge sports field and you can kick a soccer ball as far as you can or teach your kids how to ride a bike.
• There's a little trail that goes around the back of all these homes. Absolutely gorgeous, love the walk. A little dangerous though, 'cause it's right on the edge of a true cliff ravine.
• This running path is an awesome place to go walk your dog, enjoy the afternoon, clear your head. During the winter time, you gotta watch out it gets a little icy.
• It is great being in a safe, clean neighborhood, but the hills are very steep around here, so not a great place to teach kids how to ride bikes. But when it's snowy, you can definitely go sledding.

Places in this page

Explore the notes and transactions by location. Labels distinguish recorded pin locations, neighborhood centers and property addresses.

Local Knowledge

• steep hill and rush-hour backup

  This is a very steep hill. Driving up and down makes your ears pop every time. That's how much elevation there is. During rush hour there does seem to be a bit of a backup, just people coming home. Nothing crazy, but it is definitely a backup a little bit. Whenever they're doing stuff on the freeway, Google Maps always routes traffic through here, so sometimes there's a little more traffic than usual, but on average not that bad.

  By Brad McDaniel · Cougar Mountain · Shared Aug 26, 2026

• New development scraping the mountain next to the easement

  Just saw that they are actually doing a new development right here. They're scraping the whole mountain out. Looks like it's gonna be quite a build and have a big retaining wall 'cause it's into a hill. It's right next to a permanent easement, so they are definitely expanding and adding one new home to this block. They've been doing work on several homes on this street. This is a great location on a very flat road, right next to the path that leads to the park, which is just down the hill.

  By Brad McDaniel · Cougar Mountain · Shared Aug 26, 2026

• Lewis Creek playground and nature loop

  Lewis Creek has an amazing playground that they just redid. There's a huge sports field and you can kick a soccer ball as far as you can or teach your kids how to ride a bike. The recreation center teaches you all about the nature around it with, I think, a half mile or a mile loop and some trails throughout with little signs throughout, even some basketball courts. So it's a fantastic park to take your kids to for an afternoon.

  By Brad McDaniel · Cougar Mountain · Shared Aug 27, 2026

• Trail around back is gorgeous but dangerous

  There's a little trail that goes around the back of all these homes. Absolutely gorgeous, love the walk. A little dangerous though, 'cause it's right on the edge of a true cliff ravine. I guess it's one of the things when you're on a mountain, that's what you get. But it makes you feel like you're off in nature when it's just two steps away. It is amazing, but keep little kids away from it or don't allow them to go on the walk by themselves.

  By Brad McDaniel · Cougar Mountain · Shared Aug 26, 2026

• Walking path to Montlake Community Park

  This is a great walking path. It's a great amenity to this neighborhood that connects these neighborhoods along the bottom here with the local park right here. And it is one of those things that you never really know until you're in the neighborhood how valuable it is to have access to a walking path that has wildlife and kind of makes you feel like you're in the woods, but it is also not far from anything at all. And it's right along Village Park Drive.

  By Brad McDaniel · Cougar Mountain · Shared Aug 26, 2026

• Running path for dog walks

  This running path is an awesome place to go walk your dog, enjoy the afternoon, clear your head. It's just a beautiful amenity that goes right along the main road, but you got enough room so it's quiet. During the winter time, you gotta watch out it gets a little icy, but that's kind of everything up here, because if it's raining down below, it's usually snowing or icy up here. But it's a great amenity for the neighborhood.

  By Brad McDaniel · Cougar Mountain · Shared Aug 26, 2026

• Steep hills good for sledding, not bike lessons

  It is great being in a safe, clean neighborhood, but the hills are very steep around here, so not a great place to teach kids how to ride bikes. But when it's snowy, you can definitely go sledding. Which is definitely in the wintertime, we do a lot.

  By Brad McDaniel · Cougar Mountain · Shared Aug 26, 2026

• Deer Run Park feels small, dark and unused

  This is a nice little neighborhood park, but it is kind of small and the tall trees, so it's kind of always dark and gloomy, so not really anyone ever plays here. I wouldn't say it's a great amenity. It looks nice probably on paper to have a neighborhood park, but no one ever uses it. We've tried a couple times, there's really no reason to go there with your kids. There's no one ever there, and it's kinda spooky.

  By Brad McDaniel · Cougar Mountain · Shared Aug 26, 2026

• Brand new play structures at Lakemont Community Park

  This isn't very well known, but they just redid the play structure area. They tore down the old ones and put in brand new big toy and little toy, swing set and the whole thing. What a great upgrade to this park for little kids.

  By Brad McDaniel · Cougar Mountain · Shared Aug 26, 2026

Questions this local knowledge can answer

How bad is the traffic and the hills around here?

Brad McDaniel notes this is a very steep hill—driving up and down makes your ears pop every time. During rush hour there does seem to be a bit of a backup, just people coming home. Nothing crazy, but it is definitely a backup a little bit. Whenever they're doing stuff on the freeway, Google Maps always routes traffic through here, so sometimes there's a little more traffic than usual, but on average not that bad.

Is this a good place for kids to bike and play outside?

Brad McDaniel says the hills are very steep around here, so not a great place to teach kids how to ride bikes. But Lewis Creek has an amazing playground that they just redid, a huge sports field where you can kick a soccer ball as far as you can or teach your kids how to ride a bike, and basketball courts—a fantastic park to take your kids to for an afternoon. When it's snowy, you can definitely go sledding.

Are there good walking paths in the neighborhood?

Brad McDaniel describes a great walking path right along Village Park Drive that connects these neighborhoods along the bottom with the local park, with wildlife that kind of makes you feel like you're in the woods but is also not far from anything at all. There's also a running path he calls an awesome place to go walk your dog, enjoy the afternoon, clear your head—a beautiful amenity along the main road with enough room so it's quiet. A little trail around the back of the homes is absolutely gorgeous, but a little dangerous 'cause it's right on the edge of a true cliff ravine, so keep little kids away from it or don't allow them to go on the walk by themselves.

What is the winter like up here?

Brad McDaniel says during the winter time, you gotta watch out it gets a little icy, but that's kind of everything up here, because if it's raining down below, it's usually snowing or icy up here. When it's snowy, you can definitely go sledding, which is definitely in the wintertime, we do a lot.

Is there new construction or development happening?

Brad McDaniel just saw that they are actually doing a new development right here. They're scraping the whole mountain out. Looks like it's gonna be quite a build and have a big retaining wall 'cause it's into a hill. It's right next to a permanent easement, so they are definitely expanding and adding one new home to this block. They've been doing work on several homes on this street.