Category: 180 Miles of Backcountry Trails
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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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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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Busy Week for our Backcountry Trails Crew
Last week, our Backcountry Trails Crew (BCTC) did WORK. Here’s a little recap of some of the projects they completed to provide sustainable trails that are accessible year-round in King County. A small but mighty team, the multifaceted BCTC services all corners of King County. Here’s what they did in just one week so I’m…
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#OptOutside in 28,000 Acres
Today is as good as any other to be outside. Yesterday should have given you plenty of motivation, as well as pie, and more than likely, regrets. Come on out and run, walk, hike or play out in Your Big Backyard. We don’t have to have awkward political conversations out here. #OptOutside
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More trail, less traffic – we want to hear from you!
We know you love our parks and trails – so much so that on any given day with half decent weather, our trailheads are bursting at the seams with traffic. And while we’re ecstatic that you love to visit our parks, we want to make sure that that congestion isn’t causing safety issues for park…
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Trail Spotlight: Fall begins on the Chief Sealth Trail
One of my favorite trails, since it’s part of my commute to work, is the Chief Sealth Trail. While not maintained by us here at King County Parks, it’s still considered part of the Regional Trails System in King County. With its southern terminus at 51st Ave S and its northern terminus at South Angeline…
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Weekend activity: Explore Tolt MacDonald Park
At less than one hour from Seattle, Tolt-MacDonald Park in Carnation is a true recreation destination. The 574-acre park sits at the confluence of the Snoqualmie and Tolt Rivers in the beautiful Snoqualmie Valley and features stunning views of the Snoqualmie River and local farmland. Here are some activities to explore: Check out the suspension…
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Evergreen Mountain Bike Festival June 11-12th 2016 at King County’s Duthie Hill Park
It’s time for the annual Evergreen Mountain Bike Festival at King County’s Duthie Hill Park. It’s TWO DAYS this year which means more venders, demos, skill clinics and beer than ever before! Check out the list of vendors and demo fleets attending. This is an event for the whole family so bring your munchkins to…
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Photo Diary: Tahoma School District forest ecology field trip at Ravensdale Park
In the past week, every 7th grader (120-190 students per day) in the Tahoma School District participated in a forest ecology field trip led by King County Parks staff. These young arborists spent the day rotating through three unique and interactive stations at Ravensdale Park and the Cemetery Reach Natural Area. At the first station, teachers…
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Password: Margaret’s Way
In case you missed the announcement of our bouncing baby mountain, welcome to Cougar-Squak. What?!? Can this be real? Baby mountain?!? Yes. You know how we know it’s real? Third party validation. In the form of the one and only Seattle Times. Tan Vinh gave one of Cougar-Squak’s trails a nice write up. Mentioned that…
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Updates on Grand Ridge Trail
On Friday, King County Parks worked with Mountains to Sound Greenway staff as well as forty volunteers from Ernst and Young on some major updates on the Grand Ridge Coal Mine Interpretive Loop. The loop trail, including the area around the back country kiosk (pictured) was graveled, a rock curb delineating the kiosk area is…
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King County continues levee work along Green River
Maintenance along levees from Tukwila to Kent means intermittent closures to sections of Green River Trail. Maintenance work by King County continues along a dozen miles of levees that protect the cities of Renton, Tukwila and Kent from Green River flooding. This work requires temporary, intermittent closures of sections of the Green River Trail, which sits…
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Timber! Just Days Away
Have your tickets? If so, what are you hitting up first – the river, a hike, mountain biking with REI, kayaking, bubble football, mustache waxing? Don’t really matter, whatever you choose it all coalesces into one crazy-awesome experience. Don’t believe? Check it. Video never lies.
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Summer Adventure Alert: Snoqualmie River Floating.
In the words of Modest Mouse: we’ll all float on; and in the words of Kourtney Kardashian: literally. But actually, come on out to Fall City Floating on the Snoqualmie River at King County’s Fall City Community Park and get your float on. Floaters can either rent a tube or bring their own. The leisurely…
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Summer Hike Idea: Margaret’s Way
On National Trails Day (June 6), King County Parks and the WTA unveiled the new Margaret’s Way hike in the Issaquah Alps. The hike is a short 15 minute drive from Seattle. To access the hike from I-90, take exit 15 signed Lake Sammamish/Renton Highway 900. Turn right onto Highway 900/Renton-Issaquah Road and go south…
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It’s Only a HOP, Skip and a Jump to Washington Brewers Fest
Come on out to Marymoor Park this weekend and celebrate Washington beer (and fathers) at the 10th annual Washington Brewers Festival. Did you know that Washington State’s Yakima Valley produces 77% of the total U.S. hop crop? Now that’s something to celebrate! Bring your ol’ man to sample some of the 400 beers from…
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Field Notes: Skill, Craftsmanship, Grit, Sweat…Oh Whatever! Hand Me The GoPro And A Saw
In case we didn’t mention this before, we have a lot of acreage to take care of – like 28,000-plus acres. Every day of the week, y’know those seven, our crews are out there — supporting facilities, fields, trails, off-leash areas and one-another. This-here video is a little slice of daily life for our Small…
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‘Bout To Get Turnt Up at Duthie
Specialized Bicycles will be throwing down at Duthie this weekend. You like bikes? New ones. Shiny and all bike-like. Then it sounds like this is your kind of party. Or as they’re calling it – a “dirt party”. Not to be confused with dirt nap. Two totally different things. From their site: Don’t miss the dirt party…
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Cougar Mountain Trail Run Series. You’ve Been Warned 2015
This last Saturday we kicked off the first of our Cougar Mountain Trail Run Series, pulled together by the amazing Seattle Running Club. Weather was perfect, so in classic NW fashion, everyone had a smile on…until they ran it off. So register up and come run your face off in a King County gem. Saturday, June 13, 2015. 8.2 &…
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Random photo post: Grand Ridge boardwalk
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Soaring Eagle gets what it deserves – teenagers
WTA (Washington Trails Association) and King County Parks hosted a volunteer event at Soaring Eagle. A little trail maintenance. Much needed dirty work for a trail system that admittedly can get very wet. That trail had NO IDEA what was in store for it. Teenagers. A murder of them. From the Big Picture School in…
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We Are Slashing Prices on Walks @ King County’s Walking Warehouse!!!
Ohhh this is our wheelhouse right here. We are LITERALLY ready to handle all your walking needs. We got long walks, short walks, meandering, soul searching, hard surface, soft surface, nature, urban, trestles, bridges, uphill, downhill! [inhaaaale] You want walks?!? We got walks. H, you want to throw in a little side step? Maybe some…
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Duthie Hill – Giving back.
3 years of stories, skills, exercise, participating, engaging, being outdoors. Great kid, great partner. http://www.pinkbike.com/v/embed/400855/?colors=C80000
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O Grady Natural Area + WTA =’s more trail
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Timber Outdoor Music Festival 2015 – Secret Early Bird Presale, yo!
We want you to be first in line. Save $20 on tickets to Timber! with our Secret Early Bird Presale. $55 Early Bird Tickets are On Sale NOW! Click Here to purchase tickets But hurry. This special price is only good until March 21! We know you enjoy our events and want to make sure…
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New Maury Island Shelter – Rainier in HD
With some help from our Community Partnerships and Grants program the Friends of Maury Island Marine Park have put together a shelter to weather any storm. View is okay, I guess.
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Let’s add some mileage to Grand Ridge with WTA
Washington Trails Association (WTA) is coming out to help build two more miles of trail at Grand Ridge, and let’s be honest, this network of trails wouldn’t exist without their massive amounts of sweat equity. Seriously – you see a WTA member thank them for their support. Hugging them is just dangerous, they’re always carrying…
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Duthie Hill’s new parking lot will be open this weekend. Stay calm
That is correct. Probably the most anticipated parking lot we have known. Crews are putting on the finishing touches. Saturday you shall bear witness to a whopping 74 stalls, connector trail (to Duthie proppa), bike rack (for those hiking Grand Ridge or if you just want to run the trails pretending you’re riding a bike) and a…
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Trail work at Soaring Eagle Park
Big thanks to Mountains to Sound, volunteers and KC staff for leading in some much needed trail maintenance and building at the park this last Saturday.
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Duthie Hill Park(ing) + connector trail
We’re getting close.