Category: 180 Miles of Backcountry Trails

  • Random photo post: Pinnacle Peak

  • 2010 Volunteer appreciation

    Yes we know it’s 2011, but it does take time to crunch the numbers, and man these are some numbers. Seriously, volunteer work helps keep  these parks clean, open and safe. Volunteers enhance parks, trails, natural area, and recreational amenities all throughout the county. Thank you everyone, for your time and dedication in helping make…

  • Field Notes: Employee Appreciation

    Today, we here at King County Parks took a moment and gathered our staff from all corners of the county to celebrate a few of our own. We honored 34 staff members who have given 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10 and 5 years of service to King County. You know where this is going.…

  • Rain or shine…

    Sweat equity works, people. Washington Trails Association volunteers and King County Parks staff are right now working on the first half of a 600-foot-long elevated boardwalk at Grand Ridge. When completed, this nifty piece of engineering will allow you to get to Duthie without resorting to some kind of MacGyver-inspired pulley system to retrieve your…

  • Cougar – still wild

    At least once a year I pull the kids out of Ballard to get them to Cougar Mountain. They are still too young to appreciate its history, but they dig the fact that the last time we were here they saw a momma bear and her cubs, and this year’s trip was highlighted by the…

  • Today’s ‘Parkon’ Deal of the Day

    Select from your choice of 200 parks, 26,000 acres of open space or 175 miles of regional trails. This offer is brought to you by King County Parks | Your Big Backyard. Fine print No expiration date, and you can revisit any park or trail multiple times. Spread the love and share this deal with…

  • Saving lives one park at a time

    The New York Times has stumbled across something. It’s called the outdoors. We are huge fans, as a matter of fact *we maintain a healthy chunk of them, so why not come check them out and live a longer/less angry life in the process. * We’re not doctors we just play them outside.

  • Random photo post: Horseback on Grand Ridge Trail

  • Grand Ridge: WTA Bridge dedication

        The ceremonial breaking of a granola bar made it official: Grand Ridge‘s bridge over Canyon Creek is now the WTA Bridge. This is our way of thanking the Washington Trails Association for their hard work and dedication. Our partnership with WTA has helped build and maintain a significant number of the backcountry trails…

  • United Way Day of Caring

    Friday is United Way’s Day of Caring. Will we be seeing you, did your company sign up to participate? In previous years Microsoft, Group Health and a number of other local companies have participated. It’s a great way to help us remove invasives, pot/plant trees, and clear trails in our 26,ooo acres. Plus it’s a…

  • PARK(ing) Day, Sept 17th

    Let’s be honest. Parking spaces are boring unless you’re tailgating at a Lady Gaga concert. Tomorrow, we will be putting the awesome in a parking space downtown in honor of PARK(ing) Day. Come learn about what your 26,000 acres has to offer and play to win some cool swag. Bring your feet because we’ll have…

  • Add some learnin’ to your next Island Center Forest visit.

    King County Parks in partnership with the Friends of Island Center Forest, which =’s the Vashon Forest Stewards, Vashon Island Horse Assoc, Vashon Audubon, and the Vashon Land Trust commissioned Vashon resident Sandra Noel to create 6 new interpretive signs along the trails at ICF.  They were created to help educate visitors about the site’s…

  • Field notes: Duthie Hill entrance = safer…more safe…less dangerous!

    We’re at work, so you can drive safe: King County Parks and Roads Divisions worked together to widen a once narrow park entrance. This enhancement to the entrance to Duthie Hill Park makes accessing the popular mountain bike park easier and safer…more safe. This means less awkward polite waving and entryway politics. To answer your…

  • Get the kids out this weekend.

    I have been shooting folks in our parks for about four years, and I have to say this might be the most geniune grin I have seen on any youth I have shot in one of our parks. Got me thinking that all it really takes sometimes is to just get out with the kids…

  • Random photo post: Black Diamond Natural Area

  • You’re either Vash-on or Vash-off…

    …as the locals are fond of saying. To understand it, you need to spend some time on the island, and while you are there, swing by Island Center Forest and observe all that is the new ICF interpretive signs. Glorious! The kiosks were constructed by our partner Vashon Forest Stewards, and the art courtesy Sandra…

  • Races, treks, and tidepools, oh my!

    Forecast for weekend weather looks great, soooo whatcha gonna do with all that sunshine? We’ve got heaps of options for the offering here at King County Parks! FSA Grand Prix Marymoor Velodrome Fri, July 23-Sat, July 24 Super speedy bike races. More info here: http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/dnrp/newsroom/newsreleases/2010/july/0721Velodrome.aspx The Long Walk A trek from Fremont to Snoqualmie Fri,…

  • Duthie = media hog

    Check out the latest appearance of Duthie Hill Mountain Bike Park in this trailer for Howell at the Moon Productions “Pedal Driven“. EPIC!!!

  • Thanks to our summer AmeriCorps volunteers

    AmeriCorps volunteers wrapped up a week-long stint of removing Scotch broom at Ring Hill Forest last Friday, and we just wanted to say thanks. With partners like these we keep the invasives at bay. AmeriCorps – heck, yeah!

  • Overgrowth and Understory: Art at Cougar Mountain

    Overgrowth & Understory is a temporary outdoor sculpture exhibition at Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, which opens July 10th and runs through October 2nd. Join us on opening day at the artist reception! Overgrowth & Understory – Artist Reception Anti-Aircraft Peak Trailhead Saturday, July 10 3 – 5  pm Featuring 16 pieces placed near the…

  • Positive reinforcement…

    We might be a government agency, but we aren’t a faceless government agency. You see us when you are in the parks or on the trails. We pass you on the trail and smile after hours of back-breaking trail maintenance, or prepping a ball field in between games during your child’s tournament. We are out…

  • Duthie Hill Dash – XC Mountain Bike Race this Saturday

    Saturday, June 19 – 9 a.m. Subway’s Washington Games presents Cross-country Mountain Bike Race Come watch riders of all ages careen down a course through Duthie’s much-celebrated new mountain bike park. Featuring more than five miles of trails that are suitable for riders of all experience levels, Duthie Hill’s mountain bike park offers banked turns,…

  • Parks what? Trails what? Activities what? KC Parks map ONLINE.

    Yeah, you heard right: We finally have a map online that covers nearly all 26,000 acres of your King County Parks and all we have to offer within that massive chunk of land. Want to know how to ride the trails from Seattle’s portion of the Burke-Gilman all the way out to Issaquah? Have a…

  • You like maps? We like maps.

    We have our maps, and then we have our online maps. Check back next week to see what we have to offer.

  • 3 Day Weekend + You = Get out and play!

    It is hard to tell by the weather we’ve had recently, but IT IS ALMOST SUMMER! Memorial day weekend is coming up, your first big weekend of summer, so what are you going to do? We say grab the tots, some gear, plenty of water, and go play in your big backyard! A few suggestions……

  • Things are afoot…

    Alright well we are still recovering from an action packed weekend, what with our Duthie Hill grand opening, and our first annual Big Backyard 5K. This was all just the kickoff to one crazy summer crammed with concerts, Cirque, movies, trail running, trail art, mountain bike races and so much more. Oh! and none of…

  • It’s on like Donkey Kong this weekend!!!

    It has been crazy here prepping for this weekend, and now it is finally upon us. Welcome to the awesome storm that is the weekend of May 22nd, 2010. Duthie Hill Mountain Bike Park grand opening. Saturday May, 22nd 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Ribbon cutting at 11:30 a.m. Raffle, beer garden and BBQ. Directions…

  • Cougar Mountain Running Series

    Cougar Mountain Trail Running kicks off May 15 click here for more info and to register. Race #1 (5 miles): Saturday, May 15, 2010, 9 a.m. Race #2 (7 miles): Saturday, June 12, 2010, 9 a.m. Race #3 (10 miles): Saturday, July 10, 2010, 9 a.m. Race #4 (13 miles): Saturday, August 14, 2010, 8:30…

  • Duthie Hill Mountain Bike Park screen time

    King 5’s Evening Magazine aired their first Duthie Hill Mountain Bike Park piece last night. Click here to see it in all its glory. Remember kids don’t try these moves at home…do it at the park.

  • Random photo post: I can haz Douglas Squirrel