Walking has always been my favorite way to exercise. Being outdoors, even on cloudy Northwest days, refreshes my soul, clears my mind, and lets me feel truly alive. When my family was younger, taking a walk often meant going to the mountains for long day hikes or squeezing in a short stroll in a park between family errands. Now that my time is freer, I love to walk for health and exercise, and as a way to catch up with friends or family. But I don’t want just any walk—I want cathedral-like forests, open meadows, tranquil ponds, mountain and water views, birds and other wildlife. And I have found—nestled in the seemingly endless urban bustle from Everett to Seattle and Olympia, and east to Issaquah and Bellevue—more than a hundred small sanctuaries of nature just a few minutes from home. What glorious freedom, if only for an hour or two, to step from the car and immerse oneself in the gentle pace of foot travel.
These 120 walks lie along the shores of Puget Sound and the lowland forests and meadows beneath the Cascade Foothills. They are accessible year-round and mostly child- and dog-friendly, and the majority are easy, short walks just minutes from your home or workplace, be it in Olympia, Seattle, Everett, Issaquah, or any of the cities in between.
Increased traffic congestion over the past 20 years has challenged our goal of offering walk choices within 30 minutes’ drive of the urban centers, but many new greenbelt trails and parks have been created, resulting in an ever-increasing number of trail options.
My criteria for a good walking trail are that it be at least a mile in length, be surrounded by greenery or close to water, and allow no motorized vehicles. Most trails in this book meet that one-mile minimum, and others are part of a larger system of trails within a park where you are limited only by your energy and time. A few small parks, such as Tumwater Falls, Hazel Wolf Wetlands Preserve, and Seattle’s Schmitz Preserve may fall a bit short on trail length but equal others in beauty. All walks are on public land, with the exception of Tumwater Falls and Narbeck Wetlands Sanctuary, which are open to the public daily. All the trails in this book are free for walking, although those on state and Department of Natural Resources (DNR) land require vehicles to have a Discover Pass.
Most important is that every walk travels through natural places—everything from lakeshores and saltwater beaches to meadows and forests.
Since the third edition of this book, maintenance crews and trail volunteers have paved old trails and created new ones. Landslides and floods have closed or diverted others. More railroad right-of-ways have been and are being acquired and converted to trails, and new nature preserves now add green spaces to the local maps. I’ve tried to stay up to date with changes and improvements, but nature and politics rule. Because of this constant growth and change, things may not be as I have portrayed them by the time you take some of these walks. You should always visit park websites and stay informed about any closures before making the trek. With luck, the changes will be for the better. How lucky we are to live in a place where the number of parks, trails, and walks has increased over the years!
The Puget Sound region is crisscrossed with many long regional trails, which are usually converted from abandoned railway lines and are extremely popular with bicyclers. Some of these regional trails have always been included in this book: the very popular Burke-Gilman and its extension, the Sammamish River Trail, for example. Others, such as the Centennial Trail and the Chehalis Western Trail, made the cut because, though they are long, they include many short stretches that appeal to walkers.
To keep this book true to its goal of nearby walks, we’ve eliminated regional trails that are too far afield, such as the Snoqualmie Valley and Preston-Snoqualmie Trails, and others that are just not natural enough, such as the East Lake Sammamish and Interurban Trails.
Popular urban walks such as Everett’s North View and South View Parks; Seattle’s Alki Beach Trail, Lake Washington Boulevard, and Myrtle Edwards Park; Tacoma’s Wright Park and Ruston Way; and Olympia’s Capitol Lake don’t meet our definition of walks in natural places. But they are wonderful places to walk: some of them right alongside the Sound with the scent of sea air, the call of gulls, and views out over the water. An Internet search will direct you to the nearest trailhead or park address.
Not every trail is as safe as a suburban sidewalk. Despite maintenance efforts, mudslides obliterate paths, rain erodes them, and fallen trees block them. Walking in natural places can be risky. Wear appropriate footgear and try to walk with someone else, especially in the more remote parks. Be aware that wildlife, such as coyotes and bears, are occasionally seen on some of the trails that connect by greenbelts to the foothills. For their safety, keep dogs on leashes. Take common sense, a cell phone, and anything else you need. You’re on your own.
I’ve had people beg me, on hearing that I was writing this book, not to reveal “their” special trail or park. One hiker told me, “We don’t want a lot of folks overrunning the trails, picking the flowers, and not picking up after their dogs.” No one wants that, whether they come from nearby or afar. But the more users a park has and the better it’s known, the more likely that it will be protected and cared for.
My experience is that most people who share the trails respect the natural areas and understand the need for preservation and care. When parents feel that way, they encourage the same feelings in their children. There is no “my park” or “your park.” These are all our parks.
Whether parks are signposted or not, the same minimal courtesies are asked of all visitors:
1. Stay on the trail. As one sign in a Bellevue park says, “Plants grow by the inch, and die by the foot.”
2. Keep pets on a leash unless in a designated off-leash area. Always clean up after your dog.
3. Keep children and pets out of salmon-spawning creeks.
4. Don’t feed the waterfowl, squirrels, or other wildlife.
5. Don’t pick the flowers or forage for mushrooms.
6. Take only memories and pictures. Leave only footprints.
With everyone’s cooperation, we can preserve our trails for ourselves and as a heritage for generations to come.
Every weekend, year-round, hundreds of volunteers work on the trails and parks we love. They clear fallen branches, repair drainage, restore the natural habitat, and build new trails. Others volunteer as docents or citizen patrols to inform and aid other walkers. Without volunteers, our region’s parks, wetlands, shorelines, and trails would not be what they are today.
Why volunteer? It’s healthy, fun, and outdoorsy. It’s companionable and educational, and it builds teamwork. It’s great for the economy and helps the environment!
Learning about park and trail volunteer opportunities is as easy as clicking on your city or county website, or asking at your favorite park office. Even the State of Washington needs volunteers for its parks and public lands. Private organizations include the very active Washington Trails Association and Issaquah Alps Trails Club. There is so much that needs doing!