Category: Hiking
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Adaptive Adventures: Making the Outdoors Accessible
This spring, the Healthy Communities and Parks Fund (Tier 1), awarded nearly $200,000 total to 14 different organizations working to improve access to parks, open space, and recreation in underserved communities of King County. One of those organizations is Needs of the Community (NOC) Society, who received almost $15,000 to provide free and accessible travel…
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Two Taylor Mountain trail bridges checked off the ‘To Do’ list
Last week, King County Parks wrapped up construction on the project to install two new trail bridges at Taylor Mountain Forest. Part of our effort to improve trail sustainability and protect the forest and salmon habitat, this work replaced old, undersized culverts along gravel maintenance roads that make up part of the park’s trail system.…
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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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Construction update: Taylor Mountain Trails
Pardon our dust, we’re building 2 new bridges! If you’ve been to Taylor recently, you might’ve noticed some things happening in the parking lot and along Road A and some other trails. That’s because construction is underway to install two new bridges that will replace old, undersized culverts on the gravel road system. Once this…
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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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Your Big Backyard is Getting Bigger
King County Parks had a busy year making good on the levy promise to bring 2,700 acres into the King County system by 2020. By the time 2019 rolls around, Parks will be on the lookout for a mere 500 more acres to reach the goal. As an added bonus, scooping up lands happens to…
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Ring around Ring Hill Forest
Sweater weather. Wool sweater weather. I pulled on my woolliest sweater and headed for the woods psyched because I’m a newbie at King County Parks and knew there’d be something among the trees about which to Plog. The week before, I met the field crew who takes care of the parks in northeastern area of…
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Maury Island gets some WTA love
Last month, Department of Natural Resources and Parks Director Christie True paid a visit to a group of Washington Trails Association volunteers who spent a “working vacation” week building a new multiuse trail at Maury Island Marine Park. Every summer WTA sponsors working vacation trail projects in the high country and wilderness areas of…
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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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Protected: Park. Ride. Hike. Trailhead Direct to your next hike!
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
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Grand Ridge: Water Tower Loop
Today we officially opened the Water Tower Loop on Grand Ridge. Brought to you by your friendly neighborhood REI, Washington Trails Association, and of course, your King County Parks. WTA has been with Grand Ridge for over a decade! They’ve helped us shape and maintain it, and thanks to generous donations from REI, they added mileage to…
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Moss Lake and the Sphagnum Bog
Moss Lake is a wonderful little spot located in the foothills of the cascades. This sphagnum bog (click for a definition of “sphagnum bog” ) offers an amazing variety of plants and wildlife all within 370 acres. I highly recommend making the drive out to this little hidden gem to explore. The variety of ways…
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Big Bend, Little Stroll
Big Bend Natural Area is a site most of us are probably unfamiliar with. It is located between the Cedar River Trail and the Cedar River, just downriver from the Landsburg Dam/Sockeye Hatchery. Take a quick jaunt down the Cedar River Trail to find this tucked away spot in one of the “S” curves of…
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Random Photo Post: Shy Bear Trail, Cougar Mountain
Every year for the holidays, anonymous elves decorate a tree in Cougar Mountain Regional Wildlife Park. Thank you, elves, for making our holidays a little brighter (and for leaving no trace when it’s over)!
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Taking care of our forests: Black Diamond, Ravensdale Retreat and Henry’s Ridge
King County Parks estimates that about 25,000 of our 28,000 acres of open space are covered by forests. In some places, our forests are vast canopies of big ol’ evergreens, loads of ferns, and happy critters all around. Many times, however, our forests have had a checkered past. They became “ours” because the land had…
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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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Friday – Avoid the #mallbrawl, #OptOutside with us
Our friends over at REI condensed our mantra into a hashtag. Words to live by. Also the hashtag that can spare you mall jail. You know. Yer all enjoying your pumpkin spice latte, with your 60 inch 4K TV on your shoulder, when some joker brushes past you and he’s got the gall to grab the last 3D-printing-self-replicating-housekeeping-drone…
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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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Alert: Cougar spotted at Maury Island Marine Park
Plenty of folks who live on Vashon-Maury Island have seen their share of deer and coyotes nearby, and there’s even a bear sighting or two every now and again. But a mountain lion? On Vashon? There are multiple reports of one or more mountain lions roaming Vashon-Maury Island recently, including a close encounter with a big cat earlier this week at…
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Monday Motivation: Photos from the Cougar Mountain Trail Run Series
On Saturday, King County Parks set up an outreach booth at the Cougar Mountain Trail Run Series. The day was filled with inconsistent weather, mud splattered legs but an overwhelmingly positive energy. I am not a trail runner, nor have I ever been (I actually despise running) but after talking with so many passionate athletes,…
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Go check out ParkFinder: the new interactive map to locate King County parks and trails
YAY for GIS! Now you can find ALL of our regional trails, backcountry trails, natural areas and parks on an interactive and easy-to-use virtual map. You can even search specific amenities and activities such as picnic locations, fishing locations and soccer locations. Go monkey around with it: http://gismaps.kingcounty.gov/ParkFinder/
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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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Fourth of July reminder: bubbles > fireworks
http://media1.giphy.com/media/47KjwlPVpnQOs/giphy.gif People of King County: please realize that you do not have fire resilient powers! Your plastic shields WILL NOT protect you. We want you to celebrate Amurica this weekend but please do it safely. This is just a friendly reminder that it is ILLEGAL to set off fireworks in any of King County’s…
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Hike idea: Harvey Manning Trailhead to Coal Creek Falls
Yesterday, 6/29, Anti-Aircraft Peak Trailhead at King County’s Cougar Mountain Wildland Park was renamed in honor of Harvey Manning, the longtime open space advocate and hiking guidebook author. Cougar Mountain is the westernmost outpost of the “Issaquah Alps” – a phrase Manning coined. He was a founding member of the Issaquah Alps Trails Club, and…
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Inspiration for your three-day weekend: explore Soaring Eagle Park!
Take advantage of this three-day weekend and hike Soaring Eagle Park! Celebrate the red, white and blue by enjoying the gorgeous weather and the great outdoors. Soaring Eagle Regional Park is 600 acres of mature forests, wetlands, and wildlife habitat. The park features 12 miles of trails that are regularly used by hikers, mountain bikers…
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Harvey Manning Trailhead Dedication, June 29
Please join King County Deputy Executive Fred Jarrett and longtime Cougar Mountain advocates and enthusiasts on Weds, June 29 at 11 a.m. as we celebrate Harvey Manning and his infinite contributions to Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park. We will be unveiling the newly renamed trailhead to honor Manning’s legacy of protecting Cougar Mountain. Among the…
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3 underappreciated trails to check out on National Trails Day!
June 4 is National Trails Day and needless to say, we’re hyped. Take this day to get outside and explore the diverse trails in King County. Here are three underappreciated trails that need a little love: Spring Lake / Lake Desire Park Meander along the 3 miles of trails between Spring Lake and Lake Desire.…
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Memorial Day Weekend Getaway: Dockton Park and Forest
Pack a lunch, hop on a ferry and spend the day exploring the 152 acres of working forest, saltwater shoreline and natural park lands located on the south-central part of Maury Island. Begin the day hiking around the trails in Dockton Forest. With nine miles of hiking, running, mountain biking and equestrian trails – all…
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The 2016 Cougar Mountain Trail Run Series begins this weekend!
Saturday, May 14 marks the first race in the annual Cougar Mountain Trail Run Series. Since 2003, participants have raised over $155,000 for King County Parks. Way to go, runners! There are a total of five races throughout the summer and fall. Participants have the option to run one race or challenge themselves to complete…
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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…