Category: 26,000 Acres of Open Space

  • 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…

  • 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……

  • Random photo post: I can haz Douglas Squirrel

  • Call for artists: Cougar Mountain art exhibit

    Attention artists! From July to October 2010, King County Parks and the Center on Contemporary Art (CoCA) will present “Overgrowth & Understory”, a temporary outdoor public sculpture exhibit in Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park at the Skycountry and Anti-Aircraft Peak Trailheads. Artists can find more details on CoCA’s website here. The deadline for artists to…

  • If you can’t bring the outdoors to the kids…

    …bring the kids to the outdoors. Am I right? Sarah Wright was out at Island Center Forest with students from the Homestead School on Vashon Island today. The kids were learning about what these lands (natural lands, and parks) mean to all of us and how we go about keeping and maintaining them. To learn…

  • Backcountry trail maps online – get some

    We just loaded our new backcountry maps to the the King County Virtual Map Counter. Drop by the Backcountry page to see what trails we have to offer and where your next hike, bike or ride will be then hit the counter. Enjoy.

  • Random photo post: Tanner Landing

    This park has seen a great deal of improvements over the last couple years including native plantings and massive invasive removals. It is soon to be a gathering destination and will provide access for the larger white water rafting community. Maybe you should come check it out before it’s all the rage?

  • 25 ways to get your spring on

    The Seattle Times was kind enough to compile a list of great outdoor adventures for you, and … oh what’s this? It appears as though there are at least 4 trips that are in King County Parks – Your Big Backyard. Head on out and get to springing at Cougar Mountain with its trilliums, Sammamish…

  • Day Trip: Maury Island Marine Park, work with a view

    People for Puget Sound will be out at Maury Island Marine Park this Saturday continuing restoration efforts at the park, and we would love some extra help. Whattya say? Road trip, boat trip and beautiful Maury Island.

  • Taylor Mountain trip report WTA style

    What’s not to love? Seriously folks there are some killer views along this trail so come have a look. In the meantime read up on what the Washington Trails Association had to say about their trip.

  • King County Parks Flickr Pool

    In case we don’t talk enough about it, we at King County Parks have a Flickr feed, and with that we administer a King County Parks group (this is a pile of KC Parks-themed photos for you non interweb types). We would love for you to contribute, what we assume will be, your most awesome…

  • A leaf to solve our transportation woes?

    Came across this interesting bit of science at Wired.com. Just sayin’

  • 1,000+ trees planted at Island Center Forest

    1,000+ trees planted on Saturday! Thank you to everyone that made it out to help accomplish this goal on a wet and wild Saturday at Island Center Forest on Vashon. To learn more about this pilot carbon sequestration project, visit here. If you are interested in our next volunteer event(s), swing over to the volunteer…

  • 2009 King County Parks Volunteer Thank You

    Parks volunteers come in all ages. They work from Pinnacle Peak in Enumclaw to Chinook Bend in Carnation and everywhere in between. They build trails on Cougar Mountain and pick up litter along Soos Creek Trail. They remove invasive weeds at Marymoor Park and plant native vegetation at White Center Heights Park. King County Parks…

  • Need gift ideas? Looking to make your holiday cards unique? KC Parks can hook you up

    This holiday season, make a difference while giving unique and personalized gifts to boot. Warm and fuzzies all the way around. From designing custom holiday cards to purchasing outdoor-themed t-shirts, King County Parks offers personal, unique green gifts for everyone on your holiday shopping list. Here are a few gift-giving options: Zazzle – King County…

  • Give a gift that will truly keep on giving: donate to the KC Parks Legacy Fund

    This holiday season, consider honoring a loved one by contributing to the King County Parks Legacy Fund, which helps to preserve King County’s open spaces, provide new recreation amenities and ensure ongoing support for King County Parks. You can also recognize a loved one with a Legacy Bench or Legacy Tree. King County Parks will…

  • Middle Fork + Rain = Whitewater Soon

    While most of us are trying to stay dry as the wet season sets in, King County Parks’ partner American Whitewater (AW) is no doubt gearing up for some wet and wild runs on the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River this winter and spring. According to American Whitewater, out here in King County, we’ve got some…

  • The Canyon Creek bridge at Grand Ridge

    Grand Ridge Park is located near the Issaquah Highlands in the “Issaquah Alps” along the I-90 corridor. The park is a 1,200-acre site featuring lush forests, winding creeks, and some 7 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. For several years now, King County Parks has partnered with Washington Trails Association to…

  • Just a reminder…

    King County Parks has a wealth of trails, parks and activities, so whether you are looking for a quiet walk, a swingset, or feeling like getting dirty at one of our volunteer events we have it in spades.  Drop by our Parks Calendar to see what’s happenning this weekend.

  • Random Photo Post: Chinook Bend

  • Random Photo Post: Taylor Mountain trails

  • King County Parks Commercial

    We were given the opportunity to provide a commercial for King County Parks as part of our partnership with the Rock n’ Roll Marathon.  Well given the current economic climate we had to get resourceful, so we decided to produce our piece in-house.  In the DIY spirit this is what we came up with in…

  • Chinook Bend – No access to natural area and adjacent Snoqualmie River during summer work

    A summertime project that will improve conditions for wild salmon and nature lovers alike along the Snoqualmie River will mean temporary access restrictions at King County’s Chinook Bend Natural Area. To ensure public safety, the county’s 59-acre natural area and a 2,000-foot-long stretch of the Snoqualmie River that borders it will be closed to the…

  • Seattle Times on Tolt-MacDonald Park

    King County’s Tolt-MacDonald Park was profiled in this week’s Outdoors section in the Seattle Times. Check out Tolt for a day hike, family event, mountain bike ride, or weekend outing. And don’t forget the yurts! Tolt’s got ’em, so you can get out of town and into nature, but stay comfy, cozy and dry. So…