Tag: King County Parks
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Parks and Flood Recovery
The atmospheric river and associated flooding events this month have impacted King County and other areas across Washington State in ways we have never experienced before. We hope you and your community are safe during this time. King County has created a series of resources and ways to deal with flood damage safely and effectively…
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See, Click, Fix! It’s simple to help us help your community maintain our parks.
As you enjoy the outdoors, we are asking for your help in keeping our parks in excellent condition for our community! With 220 parks, 185 miles of trails, and 28,000 acres of open space, we appreciate any eyes we can get on our facilities. How to Report a King County Parks Issue If you see…
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“We Belong and We’re Here to Stay” – Disability Pride Month 2025 at King County Parks
What is Disability Pride Month? Disability Pride Month is an annual observance commemorating the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act into law in July of 1990. The month has been recognized as a time to celebrate and uplift individuals with disabilities. It serves as a reminder that every person deserves to be seen, heard,…
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Eagle Eyes: 3 Tips for Better Birding
On a sunny, crisp morning at Marymoor Park, a dozen bird enthusiasts gathered for a workshop offered by Eastside Audubon and South Sound Nature School. The group made their way around the Birdloop Trail, which winds its way through over 300 acres of protected conservation area that offers views of wooded brush and marshy wetland…
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The Engine That Powers Your Big Backyard: The King County Parks Levy
The Parks levy is the engine that makes King County’s huge network of green space and recreation possible. It’s a voter approved property tax that funds almost everything to keep our county parks, trails and natural areas open and available to everyone.
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Let’s Play Ball! Improving Sports Fields in King County
From baseball to soccer, lacrosse to cricket, sports fields are an important part of our community. They’re a place to hone new skills, learn the value of working on a team, a place to come together over the love of the game, and an opportunity to exercise and improve mental and physical wellbeing. The 2020-2025…
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Levy Grant Brightens up SeaTac BMX Track
As we enter the time of year where the darkness seems to come earlier and earlier, the City of SeaTac is fighting back with a brand-new lighting installation to illuminate their BMX racecourse. King County Parks awarded a Parks Capital & Open Space grant worth $258,196 to the City of SeaTac in 2023. Last week,…
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The Heart and Soul of King County Parks
Disability Employment Awareness Month: King County Parks’ supported employees are ‘the heart and soul of our division’ Parks employee RJT can always be spotted at the Jim Ellis Memorial Regional Park’s Preston Athletic Fields with a smile on his face and a song ready to belt. RJT, who has worked for King County for…
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Your Guide to White Center Parks
The White Center neighborhood, an unincorporated area located between West Seattle and Burien, is home to a wide variety of parks, trails, and recreation options. Whether you want to gather with friends and family for a BBQ, take your kids to the playground, or go on a trek in local trails to connect with nature,…
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A Father and Daughter Bond Over Volunteering with Parks
Anyssa and Will Eng are a daughter and father duo who volunteer with the King County Parks Volunteer program. After being introduced to forest restoration through the Youth Conservation Corps, Anyssa joined our public volunteer events with her father! We caught up with them to learn more about their experience volunteering as a family.
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Tipping the Scales Toward a Greener Future
King County Parks is committed to restoring and sustaining our natural environment to benefit people and animals alike, but we can’t do this work alone. Across the County, a dedicated network of community partners is investing in education, restoration, and youth programs to ensure our green spaces and waterways are safe and healthy for all.…
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Celebrating 20 Years of Community Partnerships
Since 2003, King County Parks’ Community Partnerships and Grants program has collaborated with 80+ community partners to sustain, improve, and expand public recreation opportunities on properties owned by King County. The projects accomplished by these community partners are vast and invaluable.
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Help King County Parks increase access for everyone
King County Parks wants to hear from people with disabilities about their park and trail access needs. We invite you to complete our survey by March 29, 2024.
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Dockton Park’s New Playground is Open!
The new Dockton Park and Marina Playground on Vashon-Maury Island is now open for fun! Kids and adults alike enjoyed the new playground and planted dozens of native plants at the opening event.
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Youth Conservation Corps: Present and Future Environmental Leaders
Parks summer intern Michael Lu spent time learning about the King County Parks Youth Conservation Corps and wrote up his thoughts for our blog: This summer, I had the pleasure of following around the King County Parks Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) to take pictures and document their work. The YCC is a rotating group of…
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Plan your next adventure with Backyard Fun Finder
Looking for playgrounds to take the kiddos during the last weeks of summer break? Want to find a new-to-you trail? With 200+ parks and trails in the King County Parks system, there’s something for everyone. Explore everything from ballfields, playgrounds, pools, and trails, to lush forests, quiet meadows, and sweeping vistas of mountains, rivers, and…
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White Center Teen Program expands Rec Aide program to Skyway Park
Since 1991, the White Center Teen Program has provided leadership training and first-time employment opportunity to youth in underserved King County communities. Since its inception, the WCTP has hired and trained more than 150 recreation aides to support programs in White Center and Skyway. This summer, 2 teen leaders and 10 Rec Aides supported activities at…
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Parks Mid-Levy update
Four years into our current levy, Parks’ focus on increasing recreational opportunities and making Parks and trails more accessible to all King County residents is reflected in our recent grant-funded projects. Levy Grants in Action Parks Levy Grants are awarded to cities, agencies, nonprofits, and others who are doing meaningful work for the benefit of…
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Connections that bridge: King County Parks’ MET interns
For the second summer in a row, the King County Parks’ Mobile Engagement Team (MET) program is hosting a group of college interns who are passionate about working with parks, government, and community outreach. Galit Berezansky, Malefia Gustafsson, Annabelle “Bee” Kisky, and Luc Tworek have conducted safety and accessibility surveys with pedestrians and disc golf…
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Blooms and Blossoms at King County Parks
As we head into the peak of summer, it’s a great time to view vibrant and colorful perennials that bloom all summer long. Whether you’re a master gardener or someone who loves bringing home a bouquet from your local farmer’s market, the following parks offer a profusion of flowering and showy plants that are certain…
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Bullfrogs in King County Parks
The creaky calls of American bullfrogs resonate over the water all throughout King County, around White Center Heights Park, Marymoor Park, and Cottage Lake Park. Lithobates catesbeianus is a large-bodied frog found near the water’s edge or sunning itself in the center of ponds. For most people, seeing and hearing these amphibians around signals that…
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Refuge Outdoor Festival returns to Tolt-MacDonald Park
Now in its sixth year, the annual Refuge Outdoor Festival returns to King County’s Tolt-MacDonald Park from Friday, August 18 to Sunday, August 20. Geared towards people of color, this 3-day camping festival is open to everyone, including allies. Participants can come out for a day trip, camp out for a night, or stay for…
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Three Short Spring Walks
As the spring weather finally heats up, King County Parks offers some great options to explore hiking in scenic, shaded landscapes. Whether making a short daytrip to Vashon Island or birdwatching in Marymoor Park, these short walks will get you immersed back in nature in no time. To be specific by what we mean by…
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Parks Grants Make a Splash at Evergreen Pool
The Evergreen Aquatic Center is home to an indoor pool that has served White Center and unincorporated King County since 1970. The pool is owned by Highline Public Schools and managed by community-based nonprofit Whitewater Aquatics Management. When this well-loved facility began showing its age and needed major repairs, these partners turned to King County…
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Three Great Playgrounds for Families
King County Parks offer great outdoor recreational opportunities for adults, but many parks also feature fun-filled playgrounds and outdoor opportunities for families with younger children. At these parks, you’ll find standout climbing structures, versatile play equipment, and even opportunities to build biking skills for your littlest ones. Dick Thurnau Memorial Park Come safely learn and…
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Enhancing Bird Habitat at Marymoor Park
Fifty volunteers from across King County came together in February, at the BirdLoop overlook at Marymoor Park, to dig in the dirt in support of bird habitat. King County employees walk towards the BirdLoop outlook at Marymoor Park. For this internal event, volunteers came from across the county and included employees from the King County…
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New Artworks at Skyway Park
King County Parks has partnered with the One Roof Foundation and Seattle Kraken to commission public artwork from Seattle-based artist T.R. Miles at Skyway Park. Miles is known for “Sunshine,” the mural of park scenes at Rainier Avenue and 54th Street in South Seattle. T.R. Miles’s mural Sunshine, located at Rainier Avenue and 54th Street in…
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Three King County Parks Off the Beaten Path
Travel beyond Seattle city limits to the furthest reaches of King County, and you’ll be rewarded with a rich diversity of rural parks. These open spaces and natural areas are great places to birdwatch, mountain bike, and observe a variety of unique ecosystems like bogs and wetlands. Moss Lake Natural Area At Moss Lake Natural…
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Groundbreaking along Foothills Trail
On January 18, King County Parks hosted a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction for the next phase of the Foothills Trail, the bridge over the White River that will connect the trail in Enumclaw with the trail in the City of Buckley. When completed, the steel bridge will create a 22-mile-long, paved,…
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MLK Day Events and Volunteer Opportunities
The mental health benefits of volunteering and coming together in community are known to prevent feelings of isolation, build connection, and ignite passion for common causes. On this upcoming Martin Luther King Day, consider devoting a few hours to your community through service or coming together with others with shared interests. Several local volunteer and…