The coal creek nature area is like a secret forest. Hidden in between Coal Creek Parkway and…read moredifferent neighborhoods bordering Bellevue and Newcastle. The waterfall here is dependent on the weather. Tucked into a small creek/canyon area. The trail is beautiful and loads of ferns everywhere. The green state really shines down in this area too. Of course in the summer it becomes a bit browner. Springtime and the blackberry bushes line certain parts of the trails. Trail access varies depending on where you go. Various signage gives you a history of the area. So lucky to have access to this lovely trail. Get out there and enjoy life. SYOY!

It was a beautiful day for a hike and we decided to check out Coal Creek Falls Trail…read more It was so peaceful and very pretty. Just what we both needed after a hectic work week. What was really interesting to us, was a long the trail there were signs giving the coal mining history along the trail. There are multiple trails to explore and I look forward to coming back another time to explore some of the other trails. They also have horse trails, which is pretty cool. I just need to find a horse and learn how to ride one.

Beautiful park that has something to do for everyone! There are slides, swings, monkey bar,…read morebasketball court, soccer field, lake access, boardwalk. Benches, gazebos, trails! Best part is it has tall trees so even if it's very sunny it still has shaded areas.

What a fun park to have an end of the summer party! My kids and their friends met up for a beach…read moreparty to celebrate the end of summer and start of the new school year. They have reserved picnic spaces but also lots of spaces where you can simply claim to use the day of your gathering. The bathrooms were not the cleanest nor was the lake water as my son left with a stomach bug the next day. The parking lot is a bit of a hike to get to the lake and picnic areas. I highly recommend using a wagon to transport food and drinks. Or you can have somebody pull up in the handicapped parking loop to drop off party supplies.

This is a wonderful park. The terrain is varied and the trails are well-maintained by the City of…read moreBellevue. There's a great waterfall. The trees and other vegetation are beautiful. Some spots have nice views of Lake Washington. There's a nice little picnic spot near one of the west entrances. Parking is limited, but the park doesn't seem to be overused, so it's enough. I like the parking on the west side of the park better than the spot on West Lake Sammamish Parkway, but the latter is good too.

Weowna Park offers a tranquil escape with its flowing creeks and varied terrain, providing a decent…read moreworkout with its changes in elevation. The multiple trail options allow for exploration, although a truly scenic loop within the park itself seems to be lacking. We ended up exiting the park and walking back through the surrounding neighborhoods to complete our loop, which felt a little unconventional, but the residents were surprisingly friendly and welcoming. A significant drawback of the main trailhead is the extremely limited parking. For future visits, I will definitely explore alternative parking options around the park's perimeter, as there doesn't seem to be a strong necessity to begin at the designated main entrance given the park's layout. During this visit, we didn't venture down to the lake or explore all the various routes, but the trails we did experience were peaceful and scenic. There were a few sections that presented some minor challenges due to curvy inclines covered in roots and uneven ground, requiring a bit of careful footing. Overall, Weowna Park offers a pleasant and serene hiking experience. While the lack of a dedicated scenic loop and the parking situation at the main trailhead are points to consider, the park's natural beauty and friendly neighborhood make it a worthwhile destination. Especially for a quick weekend walk. They allow pets, but be sure to keep them leased and bring clean up bags because that's also required.

Right is the middle of Bellevue is the terrific trail system that goes between Phantom Lake and…read moreLarson Lake. Even on a perfect day on a weekend, not very crowded. The trial winds through a few thickets, a small bog, a terrific stand of old growth firs and follows a brook that eventually becomes a glorified trench. Plenty of small wild life includes squirrels, rabbits, red-winged black birds, ducks, sparrows chickadees and woodpeckers. While a few signs warned of bob cat, mountain lion and bears (really, in Bellevue?) what I found in most proliferation was the wild and well coiffed Eastside MILF commonly found gazing in Bellevue, Issaquah and Redmond. Both lakes are quite serene and larger than you might suppose. A great in-city adventure, I got in 5 miles of brisk urban hiking. Check Bellevue Park Dept.for various well marked trail heads.

We really enjoy walking this trail as a family. Wide, well-maintained paths allow for physical…read moredistancing. Variety of landscapes - lakes, some woodland, boardwalk over marshes, blueberry farm..... these all can be found within a short distance. Minimal (maybe none) elevation. Parking and bathrooms can be found at Phantom lake but there are a number of businesses accessible from the trail that would probably let you use their facilities.

If you want a magnificent view or a short hike this place is a must in summer. I brought my baby…read morehere and now she's a grown up we need to visit again. But choose a day that is not crowded and early morning is the best time

Easy hike that ends with the most beautiful view! Might be tricky on the weekend with parking but…read morewe came on a Friday morning and the entire lot was empty. I recommend hiking boots especially on a gloomy day because it does tend to be a little slippery especially going downhill. Everyone was extremely friendly and just let people pass if you feel like you can't match their pace!

A trail is right outside my home! Walk a few feet and take a quick trail run, walk or hike…read more Whatever your mood wants. The level on most trails are gentle uphill. You can take your dog, family or out of town visitors to show them the beauty of our forested natural neighborhood without them being overwhelmed. I personally loved trail running when I was younger and would go out most days . Now I mostly hike or walk the trail to take a break from working remote. I feel lucky to have this beautiful gem so close by! Beware on weekends in nice weather the parking fills up quickly, but you can usually find a spot most weekdays.

Cougar Mountain has some great trails with a variety of difficulty levels throughout. Once a coal…read moremining area, a lot of work has been done over the years to help nature be nature and restore things as they should be, complete with lots of trails so that us humans can enjoy and obverse what's going on in our environment. Trails are well maintained and clearly marked. Please stay on them! Yes, there are some fun caves that are left over from the mines, no I will not tell you where they are, because they are extremely dangerous and you never know when there's going to be a problem. Either way, it's a great place to go as far (or not) as you'd like. Parking can get a little crazy depending on which trailhead you're aiming for and it's good to come earlier in the day. Also keep in mind that Cougar Mountain isn't just some cute, random name. Know what wildlife lives here, how to handle yourself, and remember that you're the trespasser.

I've lived here over 10 years and have yet to write a review for Soaring Eagle! Sad. (Same goes for…read moreEvans Creek but I rectified that just now). Soaring Eagle is a very convenient spot for us to go hiking. Close to home. It is now connected to multiple parks and preserves, so if you want to make it an extended and quite a long hike, you can. We normally just go for a 2 to 3 mile quick run or hike when we are looking for a little extra exercise. Although not super hilly, this area is quite forested and the tree roots are quite the tripping hazard. Just something to be aware of when going on a trail run.

Nice trails here. Wide open middle trail. Signage at beginning tells of recent bear sightings. A…read moremomma and cubs currently lives here. We didn't see anything. Thank goodness. The main trail has various other side trails which venture more into the forest area. Not too overgrown but nice and shady. You share this trail with bikers too. No bathroom. So only 4 stars. Fairly decent sized parking lot. Pretty trail. On that note...peace out and SYOY.

This is a great spot and so close to town. There are a lot of different parts of the trail so make…read moresure you follow the signs or use a map on your phone. The trail was fairly busy but there was plenty of parking, especially because there are different lots/different starting points. Decent amount of elevation and really beautiful scenery. A few parts of the trails were closed.

Love this for a casual walk or a serious hike. It's stunning features and different levels to test…read moreyour walking strengths. Two different access points either the top of the hill or the bottom. We've done both and can be as challenging as you choose! Rain or shine, visit this place!

We've enjoyed hiking here on several occasions. Great for hike with wonderful views. Did this one…read morea couple of Mondays ago. It was foggy initially, but it lifted to reveal Mt. Ranier. But my favorite was as the sun shone through the trees! Highly recommend. Parking does fill up quickly.

very beautiful hike! Not too hard on the legs, but steadily goes up in elevation with nice rest…read morestops under the shade. Came out in a very sunny day, so I loved to watch the paragliders flare as they prepared to land. Hard to find where they do that, though, bc hidden behind the big ahh trees lolol ! I gave up after like ( minutes, but at least there are business cards and flyers everywhere at the start point so you can contact them then and there. I like that there is evening seating arrangements at the ground level where you are about to enter or exit from the hike for people to dine. Parking was :/ , though, so had to go to a nearby house where they charged $10. They take cash, Venmo, or Zelle, so thank goodness that there was space there because the lot for this hiking trail is extremely limited!

Really enjoyed this hike but it's definitely challenging, especially going up to West Tiger…read moreMountain, intense incline but amazing views up there. I would suggest having trekking poles. There were lots of trail runners so keep an ear out for them. If you go go West Tiger to the summits, you'll get a 360 degree view of everything in the area, including Mt Rainier, every other mountain range, downtown Seattle and Bellevue, the lakes, and everything in between.

It's always an odd concept to review a TRAILHEAD instead of a trail, but I suppose it's worth…read morenoting that there's a decent-sized parking lot for Tiger Mountain hikers. Easy to find. Gets full FAST because of how popular this area can be. Not sure what the backup options are. Trailhead restrooms are nasty as expected. I'd suggest going potty deep in the forest, but my partner and I each touched something allergy-inducing during our hike. Anyways, signposts are clear when finding your desired trail, i.e. Tiger Mountain Trail, Around the Lake Trail, etc. Beautiful sequoias and other greenery I don't know the names for. Despite how busy it gets, the atmosphere was still serene and didn't FEEL crowded. High Point Trailhead is a great place to begin many adventures over a long period of time, and I'll definitely be back the next time I take a trip to Seattle.