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Join King County Parks at the Burke Museum’s International Archaeology Day
King County employs archaeologists, historians, and preservation planners to ensure that work on County land doesn’t violate federal, state, or local laws and regulations related to archaeology, the historical built environment, and traditional cultural places. Archaeologist Brandy Rinck, who works in the Cultural Resources Program at Parks, reviews projects and… Read More
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Major updates to Skyway Park, with more changes to come
King County Parks celebrated the end of construction on major updates to Skyway Park with a community re-opening on October 9. Executive Dow Constantine, Councilmember Girmay Zahilay, and Director Warren Jimenez came out for the gathering, along with Andrew Bloom from the Seattle Kraken, Honorable Richard A. Jones and Mari… Read More
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King County Parks acquires more than 100 acres on Vashon
March 9, 2023 Update: Please join King County Parks at a virtual open house on March 22 at 6 p.m. to hear about this property. Register now. We are elated to announce a 110-acre Vashon property, rich with community events and ecological habitat, has been purchased by King County Parks… Read More
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Celebrating the launch of King County Parks’ Mobile Engagement Team and its first cohort of interns
This past summer, King County Parks launched its Mobile Engagement Team (MET) with a small group of college interns from the University of Washington (UW). Under the supervision of DNRP staff member David Lee, UW students Jaykub Rafael, Nathan Frarck, and Michelle Pollowitz engaged with communities at several parks in… Read More
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Checking in on the Jobs and Housing Program
King County launched the Jobs and Housing Program using federal COIVD-19 recovery dollars in 2021 to connect people experiencing homelessness to jobs, case managers, and housing support. Participants spend about a year as a King County employee, developing the experience and skills to then secure permanent employment. Parks was the first… Read More
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September 22 is World Car-Free Day!
World Car-Free Day is an annual challenge to discourage the use of private vehicles and encourage other transportation alternatives. Celebrated all around the world (it’s in the name), the event was established to highlight the environmental impact of car emissions. Also, in Washington state, this day coincides with the Week without… Read More
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Shape the future of your local and regional parks!
Help direct $100 million in funding Join our King County Parks Levy Grants Advisory Committees Community members may be eligible for a stipend for serving on a Parks Advisory Committee. Want to be a committee member? Submit an Interest Form by September 1, 2022. Read More
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Dockton marina is open, more to come!
*This page was last updated on November 7, 2022* Interested in moorage information or other questions about mooring boats? Check out our new Dockton Marina webpage for the latest information. Phase 1 of Dockton Marina construction is complete, and the marina is reopen! Moorage and use of the pier are… Read More
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Happy anniversary, 3 Million Trees!
Not only is today Earth Day, but it also marks the 1 year anniversary of when King County Executive Dow Constantine announced the launch of 3 Million Trees. Time flies when you’re enacting change! To refresh your memory, the 3 Million Trees initiative is our five-year goal to plant, protect,… Read More
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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… Read More
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Bird-friendly planting: An ode to evergreen huckleberry
Did you know that February is National Bird Feeding Month? The origins of this date back to 1994 when February was recognized as one of the toughest months for wild birds in the United States to access food, water, and shelter. With the help of the flora and fauna experts… Read More
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New year, new Land Conservation Initiative tools!
We’ve been working hard to save King County’s last, best places. Six years ago, we kicked off a regional partnership called the Land Conservation Initiative (LCI) to protect 65,000 acres of the most important remaining green spaces and reaffirmed our commitment to ensuring equitable open space access for all. Finishing… Read More
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When the weather gets rough, we get to work.
Living in this lush, temperate county means lots of rain and occasional snow. While that means the trees, plants, and fungi that make up our parks and trails are well-watered, sometimes the precipitation can be intense and cause flooding, freezing, or other inclement weather issues. So what happens over at… Read More
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Now open! Miles of new Eastrail connecting to three waterfront parks
On November 10, KIng County Parks opened the widest trail in King County’s Leafline Trails: a new 2.5-mile-long segment of Eastrail, connecting Renton and Bellevue. The 20-foot-wide trail – featuring a 12-foot-wide center path and ample gravel shoulders — allows for more space between walkers, runners, and cyclists. It is the newest segment of the emerging Eastrail, which will ultimately offer 42 miles of uninterrupted… Read More
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Investing in Sports Fields
Whether it’s maintenance to keep fields safe and open, artificial turf that can be used in the rain, or lighting that makes them usable year-round, sports fields need continuous investment. To help address this, King County Parks has awarded more than $2 million in Youth Sports Grants for field renovations.… Read More
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Salmon Habitat Restoration: Newaukum Creek and Beyond
Newaukum Creek flows from the forested foothills of the Cascade Mountains, through the farmland of south King County, and empties into the Green River before draining into the Puget Sound. The stream provides critical habitat for salmon to lay and fertilize eggs, and for juvenile salmon to grow to a… Read More
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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… Read More
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Explore the Leafline Trails Network in King County
The Leafline has over 300 miles of flat, wide, mostly paved trails in King County alone! Learn more about this amazing four-county trail network. Read More
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It’s here!!! Lookout Tower at Pinnacle Peak Park
What’s 30 feet in the air and gives you an extra workout at the top of Mount Peak? Why, that’d be a replica fire lookout tower in Pinnacle Peak Park in Enumclaw! Community Meeting – June 9, 2022 To improve the view from the new tower to Mt. Rainier and… Read More
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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… Read More
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What I Learned This Summer: Go Touch Some Grass
This is a blog post that one of your Youth Conservation Corps interns, Mindy (she/her) from Renton, WA, wrote during the program this summer. What does it mean to “touch grass?” “Touch Grass, or Touch Some Grass, is a popular online insult and alternative way of telling someone to ‘go… Read More
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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! Read More
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Dockton marina renovation, here we come!
*This page was last updated on September 15, 2021.* Moorage renovation began Sept 10 This phase includes the bulk of the renovation work: Removing and replacing creosote-treated piles Installing a new pump-out station Repairing cross-bracing Replacing the access dock, center moorage, and walkway Installing a new fire suppression system Installing… Read More
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Meet the King County Parks Youth Conservation Corps!
This summer, King County Parks welcomed its first Youth Conservation Corps for a 7-week paid internship. This brand-new program is an opportunity for local high school students to explore environmental career pathways through hands-on workshops and restoration projects. High schoolers completed applications and interviewed for the 10 open positions. The… Read More
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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… Read More
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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. Read More
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What’s happening at Dockton Park?
There’s a lot of excitement coming to Dockton Park these days. Here’s the latest on the much-anticipated moorage renovation and the play area replacement projects! *This page was last updated on July 1, 2021.* Moorage Renovation Starting mid-to-late July, we will enter the next phase of construction on the dock,… Read More
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Building Great Places to Ride
Over the years, we’ve worked closely with Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance and Vashon Mountain Bike Association to build great places to ride. Now, mountain bikers of all levels have somewhere to practice their skills and enjoy the outdoors on two wheels. Learn the story behind some of our most-loved trails… Read More
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Parks Playlist: 2020 In the Rear-view
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Soccer for Social Change
Soccer-loving kids at Gildo Rey Elementary, Alpac Elementary, and Washington Elementary have new places to play year-round, thanks to Washington Youth Soccer Foundation (WSYSF) and Youth Sports Grants from King County Parks. To create these mini soccer pitches, WSYSF painted an acrylic surface over existing concrete sports courts. Now, they… Read More
