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.

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.

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.

If you're looking for a leg destroying workout, look no further. There's two ways to approach, from…read morebelow at street level with a small gravel parking lot or above as you need to walk a short path to get to it from the nearby park. Your quads will be on fire after a while. The next day (or 2 or 3) your calves (and/or knees) feel like jelly. I don't understand people running downwards and using gravity to their advantage. Run upwards for a high intensity cardio sesh! The steps aren't uniform, with different lengths and angles, so it'll keep you on your toes...literally. Do at least 5 rounds to get a solid burn.

Monkey's secret place to get my head straight during the most difficult time…read more Shaded and sunny, well kept and clean, it's a great place to burn calories and get those hiking legs warmed up. Small dirt parking lot at base and street parking across. No toilets or water fountain, so do bring your hydration needs. GMonkey may want to walk in his footsteps next time...

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.

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!

DO NOT google maps to Franklin Falls Trailhead. It will lead you to a ski resort. Instead map to…read moreFranklin Falls. It's a two-mile hike, but it felt much longer! After Snoqualmie Falls, Franklin was a little underwhelming. It is an easy hike as it is mostly flat. The waterfall is nice, but nothing compares to Snoqualmie.

This is a fantastic hike in the Greater Seattle area, which rewards you with an up close view of…read morethe falls from the base, where you can bask in the cool gentle mist before beginning the trek back. I typically stick with hikes that are considered "easy", popular with families, and don't require hiking boots. This one fits the bill. At about 2 miles roundtrip (out and back), the trail is made up of well-kept dirt pathways and you'll experience a gradual incline of only about 400 feet. There were several short sets of wooden steps along the way, which were pretty easy to navigate since they were of even height and not too tall. Just be careful towards the end while heading down to the base of the falls. You'll go down a set of stone steps, then the pathway narrows and becomes pretty rocky with a jagged surface, so watch your footing and take it slow. You can also hang on to the rock wall on the right side for balance. I saw some people equipped with their hiking poles and hiking boots which would come in handy for this small section of the hike, however I was able to traverse it with my running shoes, taking small steps. I was grateful there weren't many bugs and the hike is mostly shaded by all the trees above. It was over 80 degrees on the day we went, but it felt like the 70s since we were never really in direct sun. The trail runs parallel to Denny Creek below, so for the duration of the hike, you can hear the tranquil sound of the flowing water. There are two sections of parking which cost $5 per day, unless you have the "Washington Forest Pass" or "America the Beautiful Pass". Toilets are located near the parking lots, but there are no sinks, so make sure to bring some hand sanitizer. During the summer, weekends can be pretty crowded, so I recommend going on a weekday for a more relaxed atmosphere. We went on a sunny Monday and there was plenty of parking left even when we headed out around noon.

We were already in the area and decided at the last minute to swing by Snoqualmie Falls around…read moredusk, and honestly, that ended up being the best decision. It was absolutely beautiful. The falls themselves were stunning, especially with the evening lighting and mist coming off the water. One of my attached photos in particular from the lower part of the walkway came out amazing. The views from both the upper and lower viewing areas were gorgeous. It was a little crowded when we went, but parking was surprisingly easy to find. The upper walkway/viewing area definitely had a lot of people though. There was also a family there taking wedding photos while we visited. They weren't rude or anything at all, but they were using quite a bit of the viewing space, and I personally didn't want to accidentally end up in anyone's wedding album Because we came later in the evening, the café was already closed, so we didn't get a chance to try any food or drinks there. Overall though, it was such a relaxing and beautiful stop before heading home for the night. Definitely worth visiting if you're nearby, especially around dusk.

This place is absolutely mesmerizing. Whether the river is full or not, it's always incredibly…read morebeautiful and makes for a fun, short hike. My pup Hope enjoys it every time too! I've brought countless friends and family here to soak in the greenery and take in the breathtaking views. The area is well maintained and always bustling with visitors. The restaurant on site is also excellent and a great way to wrap up the experience.

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!

Easy hike, beautiful scenery. Tranquil water. Kid friendly hike. Easy access to water to kayak.read more

The trail has many rolling hills you will climb as you get to the falls. There are neat wooden…read morestairs and wooden platforms from where you can view the lower falls. If you continue to the upper falls you will cross a beautiful wooden bridge. 2.68 miles, 614 elevation gain, 1 hr 9 minutes to complete.

To kick off the New Year, I decided to be active and hike one of my favorite nearby Seattle trails…read more This one has it all: not too easy nor hard (580 foot elevation gain, ~2.5 miles round trip), riverfront views, a humongous 700 year old Douglass Fir, two massive boulders you can climb up, many natural swimming pools, and three viewpoints of a gorgeous cascade. Twin Falls appears to be a single fall but you have to go up to the third upper viewpoint with a bench to see the twin. You can go further and it continues into Ollalie State Park and joins Iron Horse Trail. Go early because it's a popular hike with a medium sized parking lot at the trailhead. Just be sure to remember you WA state Discovery Pass to display on your car. The trail is near Snoqualmie Pass but doesn't have all the snow other nearby trails get causing them to close seasonally.

Gorgeous place! We were able to go snowshoeing for free! Plenty of parking on the side of the road…read more Highly recommend bringing hiking poles since it's super icy this season!

Definitely arrive early because the lot with fill up fast! A NW Forest pass is required for…read moreparking. This trail is very rocky so make sure to have good hiking shoes and trekking poles. There was also lots of bugs on this trail so definitely pack bug spray as well. The view is beautiful, a little crowded but I came around 7:30am so it wasn't too bad.