Category: 175 Miles of Trails
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Wilburton Trestle: Transforming for the Future
Celebrate the transformation of the century-old Wilburton Trestle into an elevated trail in Bellevue. This historic structure, crucial for the 42-mile Eastrail network, is being modernized while preserving its character. The trail is expected to open in mid-2027, enhancing regional connectivity.
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The Trail Ends in King County
The Great American Rail-Trail: King County’s Piece in a National Puzzle In late September, King County Parks staff joined the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and community partners for an “influencer ride” showcasing the Washington state portion of the Great American Rail-Trail (GART). Beginning in Cle Elum and ending in Seattle, the ride highlighted both the varied, beautiful…
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A New Bridge for Black Diamond Open Space
October has flown by, and so has a big project at Black Diamond Open Space (BDOS)! King County Parks replaced a bridge that crosses Ravensdale Creek in the western portion of BDOS, a park that is located two miles north of Black Diamond and six miles south of Maple Valley. The design of…
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Accessibility in King County Parks
October is Disability Awareness Month, where we celebrate contributions to our society by disabled people. It’s also an opportunity to look critically at how far we have to go to provide true access for those with disabilities. Accessibility in our parks is a priority and a core value at King County Parks. Parks has started working…
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A landmark victory for trails! State transportation package accelerates Eastrail
Thanks to the state Legislature construction of critical Eastrail projects has been accelerated. The nearly $17 billion package known as “Move Ahead Washington” includes $29 million to fund critical projects for Eastrail, the emerging 42-mile regional trail that will connect South and East King County cities to high-capacity transit. King County Parks and our amazing…
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How are we doing?
King County Parks is updating our King County Open Space Plan: Parks, Trails, and Natural Areas, which provides the policy framework for King County’s acquisition, development, stewardship, management, and funding of our 32,000-acre open space system. It’s a functional plan of the King County Comprehensive Plan and must be updated every six years. As part…
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New Segment Coming to Lake to Sound Trail in Burien/SeaTac!
The Lake to Sound Trail is breaking ground on a new segment in SeaTac and Burien next month!
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Summer Trail Construction Season is Here!
Warm weather means dry days and dry days are great for trail repair! Here’s a list of the summer’s trail work happening around the county.
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King County Parks in 2020: It’s been… a year.
Way back in December 2019, we at King County Parks were already anticipating a busy and productive year. And then… Winter flooding and storms, followed by COVID-19 closures and cancellations; shifts to virtual programming and remote work for many employees; and finally, remarkably high visitation and use – these all combined to make 2020 one…
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Working together for more and better trails
The qualities that makes the Northwest such an amazing place to live – access to nature, beautiful landscapes, and adventure around every corner – are embodied in our system of wide, paved, and accessible public trails. King County is a founding member of a new four-county collaborative effort, the Leafline Trails Coalition (formerly the Regional…
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King County Parks: Coronavirus Update
This post is no longer updated. Please visit our new COVID page for the latest information on the status of King County Parks. We will use the Plog, Facebook and Twitter, and e-newsletters to keep you up-to-date about any changes in Parks’ operations. UPDATE 04/28/2020, 1 p.m. In light of Governor Jay Inslee’s announcement of…
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Forty-one miles down, three to go!
Parks is currently preparing the corridor for anticipated construction beginning in 2021!
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Make a walk in the park a family tradition
Here’s ten of our favorite King County walks to fend off a turkey coma. Grab friends and family and start a new tradition!
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Preparing for 2.5 miles of paved Eastrail – Detours starting as soon as November 25
This spring we shared the great news about the new trail bridge over I-405 and the 2.5 miles of paved trail coming to the Eastrail through our partnership with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). Now it is time to start preparing for the construction. WSDOT’s contractors will begin work soon on 2.5 miles…
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Mile by mile
#YourBigBackyard has gotten just a little bigger! Check out the latest mile that has been added to the Foothills Trail south of Enumclaw.
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The Bridge Over the Black River
We have more than 300 miles of trails in our regional trails system here in King County. We here at Parks manage more than 175 miles of those. The majority of those miles can be described as rail-trails: wide, flat, and paved trails that are built in the mellow grades of old railroad corridors. Rail-trails…
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How much do our kids play? Not as much as you think. And here’s what we’re doing about it.
On Tuesday, September 10, we were excited to release the analysis and recommendations from a two-year effort conducted by the University of Washington’s Center for Leadership in Athletics and The Aspen Institute, in coordination with King County Parks and many other partners. The study, called the State of Play: Seattle-King County, found that less than…
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Behind-the-scenes on the Foothills Trail
Wondering what’s happening with the Foothills Trail construction south of Enumclaw? Check out the latest updates!
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Be a trail champion!
Basic trail etiquette reminders are out on the trail, along with King County Sheriffs!
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Foothills Trail Groundbreaking
Friends and supporters fo the Foothills Trail gather to celebrate the start of another mile between Enumclaw and Buckley.
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King County Sheriffs on a roll
Good weather brings many more visitors to our regional trails. The Sammamish River Trail near Redmond for example has an average of over 2,600 daily visitors, even more in the summer! With this increase in trail traffic it’s important that people understand the etiquette and trail rules to reduce conflicts. In an effort to educate…
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GirlTrek Seattle – Looking Forward!
GirlTrek is a national health movment that activates thousands of Black women to be change makers. Find out how they’re making change happen!
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Trail Spotlight: Spring on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail
Explore one of King County’s longest and most rural trails, the Snoqualmie Valley Trail.
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Spring has arrived!
Spring brings more people to our regional trails. Make sure you know how to be a good trail visitor.
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Field Notes: Snow snow go away
Check out what our seasoned Parks’ crew is up to as crazy winter weather continues!
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Ever wonder what makes a regional trail, a regional trail?
Ever wonder what makes a regional trail, a regional trail? Find out in this interactive exploration!
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@ Work: Windfall
The week’s storm has kept our crews on windfall patrol. This time of year always brings the pain. In the form of fallen trees in inconvenient areas. After major and minor windstorms, or heavy rain, our staff are quite busy removing the obstructions. In the mosaic below are photos posted to issues in SeeClickFix by…
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Don’t park that bike for the winter!
Don’t let the dark get you down. Don’t let the wet keep you from staying healthy and happy. Hop on your bike and go for a ride!
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Winter Weather Safety
With winter weather kicking up in the Puget Sound region, King County Parks urges all trail visitors to practice safety when venturing out on any of our trails, both our paved regional trails and backcountry trails. Windy days can bring falling tree branches and other debris that can block a trail. When walking or hiking,…
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Fall Colors and Railroad history
A new bit of kiosk content showcases the railroad history of the Preston-Snoqualmie Trail.