Zoe and the Swamp Monster (Tiger Mountain)

After Jake & I completed a nice little hike on the "Around the Lake Trail" and returned to the High Point Trailhead on Tiger Mountain, I saw a sign for the "Zoe and the Swamp Monster Trail."  Although I had seen this hike listed before and thought the idea sounded fun, I'd never been on it before.  Although Jake & I were dragging a little, I figured we had enough energy & time for a cute .3 mile interpretive experience.  I decided that since we were right there, we'd check it out.

While it wasn't the worst hike ever, I won't be back. 

The Not Great:
1. First of all, the mileage on the signs is a total lie.  At the entrance, there's a bold sign that say, "Zoe and the Swamp Monster a self guided adventure .3 miles."  To the side, there's a brown sign that says "Swamp Trail (right arrow) Big Tree Trail 0.7 miles."
From this, I figure that the Swamp Trail is past the right arrow, it starts at the unusually bright turquoise sign, it's .3 miles long, and that the "Big Tree Trail" is about 0.7 miles away.  Right?  Wrong.  These signs actually mean that the 1st interpretive sign for Zoe and the Swamp Monster appears in .3 miles.  This left us walking in the woods for about 5 minutes while Jake wondered what the swamp monster would be like.  The actual trail is 0.7 miles long each way, but it's an out-and-back trail, so what I thought would be a .3 mile add-on interpretive experience after our "Around the Lake" excursion turned into a mile & a half hike! It only took us about a half an hour to go out and back, so it wasn't a big deal for us.  However, if this is someone's first hike, or if they're bringing a young child for a .3 mile experience that takes a mile and a half, it could lead to frustration. 

2. The theme of "swamp monster" is a little scary.  When we started out, we knew nothing other than the title said "swamp monster."  I wasn't worried since I had seen it advertised for young kids, but Jake definitely showed some concern.  I told him that there was no swamp monster and that we'd likely find out that it was a turtle or a stump in the swamp.  Jake has a flair for drama, and was hamming it up a little bit, but even after telling him a dozen times flat out that there is no monster, he was still a little nervous/excited to see the beast. 
It struck me as an odd topic, though.  When introducing kids to the woods, it seems like playing up unfamiliar noises as a possible monster could backfire for some families. Ultimately, the story is about meeting new woodland friends.  With a target audience of preschoolers, it seems like a friendly & exciting title, like "Friendly Adventure Explorers" or something like that would be less likely to make kids afraid of the woods on their first time out.  Fortunately, Jake is robust & got over his worry pretty quickly.
3. After the 1st two plaques talking about a fear of a rumored swamp monster, one never appears!  Jake was so disappointed!  I kind of expected them to come across something or someone that looked like a swamp monster, then after confronting their fears, the friends learn that the only fear is fear itself & they'd discover how adventures lead to new friends & fun.  Or something like that.  When Jake asked a bunch of times when we would read about the swamp monster, I told him I'm sure we'd see what they were afraid of soon, and that he would see that there was no swamp monster.  However, the critters all just go through the forest, meeting new friends until their parents come home.  Jake was really annoyed that after the initial excitement, the story never produced anything like a swamp monster, even for a moment. 
So, this trail started off by creeping Jake out, then disappointing him with no pretend beast, then learning that at .6 miles we were only halfway & needed to turn around and walk by the signs, reminding him of the fact that none actually had the swamp monster.
4. This trail is geared for little kids, but it's not a particularly great trail for little kids.  It's mostly flat, but there is one hill at the beginning (and end) that is steep for the littlest of legs & would be annoying with a stroller.  It would have been better to do this on the flatter "Around the Lake" trail.  In addition, there are no streams, bridges, outlooks, or things really exciting to little hikers.  Finally, there are no benches along the way in case a little one needs a break or a snack.  There weren't even any nearby fallen logs that would work as makeshift benches.  Once a family starts on this 1.4 mile hike, be ready to finish it!  The whole trail looks like this, without any real variation:

The Good:
1. Overall, it is an easy trail.  Besides one hill at the beginning and end, it is very flat.
2. While it is not paved, it is flat enough that it would be possible with a stroller, once you deal with the first hill.
3. Despite not loving the story, Jake did love the signs on the way out and thought they were something fun & different from regular hikes.

4. If you do the "Around the Lake Trail" and have an extra 30 to 45 minutes to burn, this would be a good add-on.

I took photos of all of the plaques.  If a parent better prepared their child and told them that the story has nothing to do with swamp monsters & is just about forest animals finding new friends, it may be less disappointing.

Trail Map:

Before you go:
1. Make sure you have a Discover Pass.  There is no way to buy one on-site and this busy lot is heavily patrolled.
2. The High Point Trailhead is very busy.  Try to avoid Saturday mornings 9-10, or any weekend morning.  If the lot is full, there is often street parking down on High Point Way, but even this can fill up.
3. Read about the trail on WTA: http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/swamp-trail?searchterm=swamp+monster
4. There is a pit toilet (porta-potty) on site, but it's never guaranteed to have TP.  It's wise to pack a roll to keep in the car, just in case.

Getting there:
There isn't a great street address, but this is an easy trailhead to find. 
1. From I-90, take exit 20.
2. At the offramp, head south and then take a right on High Point Way.
3. You'll likely see cars parked along the side of the road, but continue on, past where the pavement ends.
4. The gravel road ends at the parking lot.  There are good number of handicapped parking spots.  If the lot is full, go back out to High Point Way and try to find street parking.