Location: White Center/West Seattle Address: 11050 10th Ave. S.W. Acreage: 33.42 All it takes is some paint on a flat surface to create a fun new activity for kids on wheels. Opened in late 2016, this “bike playground” is modeled after popular ones in Europe that help teach kids how to ride their bikes in… Continue reading White Center Bike Playground/Dick Thurnau Park
Category: trails
Google Playground and Cross Kirkland Corridor
Location: Kirkland/Eastside Address: 7th Ave. S. and 5th Pl. S., Kirkland (between Google Buildings B and D) Acreage: ~ 3.0 I’ve been on a new mission to find cool examples of public-private partnerships that result in public spaces. Did you know that Google’s Kirkland campus has a park at its heart? Opened in 2015, the… Continue reading Google Playground and Cross Kirkland Corridor
Lake Sammamish State Park
Location: Issaquah/Sammamish Address: 2000 N.W. Sammamish Rd., Issaquah Acreage: 512 It doesn’t matter if you live on the Eastside or in Seattle, if you haven’t been to Lake Sammamish State Park you should schedule a trip. This huge recreation area manages to strike a careful balance between people and nature. Ballfields and popular swimming beaches… Continue reading Lake Sammamish State Park
Lewis Creek Park
Location: Bellevue/Eastside Address: 5808 Lakemont Blvd. S.E., Bellevue Acreage: 55 With most of its acres protected as forest and wetland, this hilltop park in the Eastgate/Coal Creek area is fun to explore even in rainy weather. A beautiful Visitors Center (open Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.) has comfy chairs and big windows that look… Continue reading Lewis Creek Park
Big Rock Park
Location: Sammamish/Eastside Address: 21805 S.E. 8th Ct., Sammamish Acreage: 15.9 I love it when a park slowly reveals its secrets, encouraging you to explore. At first glimpse from the small parking area Big Rock Park, in a sort-of rural neighborhood on the Sammamish Plateau, looks a little underwhelming. You first spot a zipline at the… Continue reading Big Rock Park
Fisher Creek Park
Location: Snoqualmie Address: 7805 Fisher Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie Acreage: 24.27 Don’t doubt that this kid-focused park is worth the drive from anywhere in Seattle or the Eastside. My five playground testers today spent nearly three hours here, and I could barely drag them away despite exhaustion. Fisher Creek Park, inside the Snoqualmie Ridge community, is… Continue reading Fisher Creek Park
O.O. Denny Park
Location: Kirkland Address: 12032 Holmes Pt. Dr. N.E. Acreage: 46 O. O. Denny Park holds a special place in my life, because it was my childhood park. I spent hours and hours here as a kid climbing trees, swimming and exploring Denny Creek as it trickles out into Lake Washington. In recent years the neighborhood… Continue reading O.O. Denny Park
Redondo Beach and Pier & Wooton Park
Location: Des Moines Address: Redondo Beach Dr. S. and Redondo Way S. Acreage: 2.79 I’m always curious about little spots of green on a waterfront when I look at a map. A little exploring in Des Moines brought me to Redondo Beach and Pier, arriving just as the sun peeked out from the clouds. This… Continue reading Redondo Beach and Pier & Wooton Park