Location: Tacoma/University PlaceAddress: 6320 Grandview Dr. W.Acreage: 930 This amazing park just south of Tacoma makes for a fantastic year-round outing. My favorite time to visit is on a clear winter or spring day when the Puget Sound seems to sparkle in the sunlight. Chambers Creek feels almost other-worldly with most of its 930 acres… Continue reading Chambers Creek Regional Park
Category: trails
Maury Island Marine Park
Location: Maury/Vashon Island Address: 5900 S.W. 248th St. Acreage: 320 This park is a very special place. But you’ll have to exert some energy to fully enjoy these 300 acres of preserved land. The least energy-intensive way to visit is to park near the viewpoint on S.W. 248th St. at the very top of the… Continue reading Maury Island Marine Park
Judd Creek Preserve
Location: Vashon Island Address: 20900 111th Ave. SW, Vashon Island Acreage: 155 Vashon has dozens of fantastic parks, some on the waterfront like this one and this one, and others tucked away in the forest like Judd Creek Preserve. You’ll find a fantastic short loop trail that winds through the mostly deciduous trees, crossing the… Continue reading Judd Creek Preserve
Seattle Chinese Garden & Arboretum
Location: West Seattle Address: 5640 16th Ave S.W. Acreage: Approx. 12 I’m working my way through our city’s privately managed, publicly open gardens, which landed me on a sunny day on the campus of South Seattle College. Because this isn’t a Seattle Parks department public space, it remains a secret park despite its impressive garden.… Continue reading Seattle Chinese Garden & Arboretum
Dockton Park, Forest & Natural Area
Location: Vashon Island Address: 9500 S.W. Dock St., Vashon Acreage: 193 This is the 500th park I’ve written about on this blog. 500! Now on with the show… I spent a sunny day last year with my family touring a handful of really great parks on Vashon Island, and Dockton may be my favorite. We… Continue reading Dockton Park, Forest & Natural Area
Brightwater Park
Location: Woodinville Address: 22505 WA-9, Woodinville Acreage: 70 As King County’s population has grown enormously over the past two decades, so has its volume of… well, poop. In 2011, the county opened a new third sewage treatment plant, and it’s spectacular. From high-tech odor control to record-breaking membrane bioreactors, the facility itself is as modern… Continue reading Brightwater Park
Cottage Lake Park
Location: Woodinville Address: N.E. Woodinville-Duvall Rd. and 188th N.E. Acreage: 22 This perfect little neighborhood park was buzzing on the sunny winter day I visited with young and old enjoying picnics and play time outside. The 22-acre park was a logging site before it became a resort called Norm’s, which was run by Norm and… Continue reading Cottage Lake Park
Paradise Valley Conservation Area
Location: WoodinvilleAddress: 23210 Paradise Lake Rd, WoodinvilleAcreage: 793 This enormous Eastside park was a completely new find for me recently, a tip from a hiking-loving friend. If you are out of ideas for winter hikes in the lowlands, Paradise Valley is a worthy outing. Mostly flat trails–some a bit muddy–are easy on the knees and… Continue reading Paradise Valley Conservation Area