SMALL but effective!…read more Depends on what you're visiting for. We stopped by with a pizza and a few beers just to chill out for a second before walking back to our airbnb. I love that there's a few different little waterfront parks on the west side of Mercer Island. Gives a few different options ... & they all feel pretty private too, which is nice! Seems well kept up enough. Worth a little stop to chill for a second if you're on the island!

Five stars. For the size and lovely location, this park is five stars. A small parking lot. Small…read moregrass are. But the views? HUGE!!! Amazingly huge. From I-90 to Seward Park across the lake. Wow. A regular stop for me when I take a walk on the Island. Excellent place to chill. SYOY.

This is a great little spot to meet up with friends to begin a bike ride. It's conveniently…read morelocated right off I-90 and not often very busy. Small grassy area, play area for kids, basketball courts nearby. I often see men playing soccer in the grass. It's also pretty private so maybe a good spot for a romantic picnic as well.

This park is great due to its location since it is convenient if you want a meeting place for…read moreeveryone to get together at to bike across I-90, easy to get to since the exit is actually right next to the park (if you are heading East, heading West it's about half a mile) and it's never really crowded. There are basketball courts right across from it, a playground, LOTS of shady areas to take a nap at (I wouldn't suggest doing any "questionable" stuff here since cops drive by often and it is surrounded by a neighborhood with houses having a PERFECT view of the park) and best of all, in the summer they have these volley ball tournaments or whatever. It's like all the super cute or good looking people nominated this place to play volley ball so not only do you get to watch a good game but pretty people in very little clothing as well! Not that I am trying to objectify people but c'mon, you know you wanna look too lol.

This is suppose to be a waterfront public park in the city of Lake Forest Park but the town has…read moredone NOTHING to maintain the property and you can't even see the Lyon Creek because it's totally grown over by weeds and invasive brambles. The existing trees that aren't dead, are way overgrown and very little of park is accessible because of this. The beach sedimentation has built us so much along the entire shoreline and they don't want anyone swimming here at a Waterfront park. What kind of waterfront park says NO to everything. The benches on the property are all facing weeds so can't see beyond to see all of the water. Please call the City of Lake Forest Park to ask them to get this park cleaned up including dredging the shoreline!!! So sad to see what a mess this place has become. City Hall: 360-368-5440

Secluded small park off the Burke-Gilman, right next to the Sheridan Beach Club. Perfect for a…read morerest while running/biking/walking/rollerblading through Lake Forest Park. The park is small, but serene. Most of the space follows Lyon Creek under overhanging foliage, with a bench and boardwalk to enjoy. Where the creek meets the lake, there is a small dock and bench to frequent. Have not seen any salmon running up the creek as of yet, but that would make my day. Overall, it is small but extraordinarily peaceful and well restored. Good vibes only.

What a great way to go on an urban hike, especially right now, as time is mostly spent inside for…read moresheltering-in-place. We decided on a nice, sunny day to get outside on a Saturday, but wanted a place with plenty of space to do so and in an area that many don't flock to, in order to practice social distancing. Therefore, Lake Hills Greenbelt is the perfect place for doing just that. We drove to the Larsen Lake Blueberry Farm in the Lake Hills neighborhood where you can access the Lake Hills Greenbelt. Past the blueberry bushes, there's a trail that will ultimately take you miles and miles around Bellevue. It's amazing how much walking we did. We went from the trail at Larsen Lake Blueberry Farm and followed the greenbelt for five miles. You can loop around, which is what we ultimately did after it started to get dark and rainy. But you can go even further, all the way south by Mercer Slough and the Coal Creek area and upwards towards Redmond. The trail took us through other parks and trails and many different Bellevue neighborhoods. The trail is easy to follow, as it's well-paved and doesn't have many hills. Signs along the path will lead you to all different routes. There's plenty of beautiful greenery around, including nature restoration and wildlife areas. You'll hear and see many birds and critters around, especially since it's much more quiet these days. I recommend walking this greenbelt if you're looking for an easy urban hike around Bellevue.

Consisting of over 3 miles of paved trails surrounded by 172 acres of wetlands, the Lake Hills…read moreGreenbelt Park in Bellevue, WA is a great place to take a leisurely, non-elevated urban hike. Our family had a chance to enjoy a beautiful Saturday afternoon in the Pacific Northwest in the park, walking back and forth between the two small lakes that it connects, using the Lake to Lake Trail. We started out in the south part of the park, parking the car in the large paved parking lot and walking to the small pier overlooking Phantom Lake (63 acres, max depth of 45 feet, so named because like a phantom, it appears, disappears, and reappears during the seasons ). This area has the oldest and tallest trees in Bellevue, which we got to admire as we started our walk. There are owls and bats here, with signs warning about the owls if walking during twilight. One passes by the tBug Bellevue Community Garden, which was being prepared for Halloween festivities. At the North end of the park is Larsen Lake (10 acres), being surrounded by Larsen pick-your-own blueberry farm. You are allowed to fish in both Larsen and Phantom Lakes, but boating is not allowed. Indoor restroom facilities are available on both ends of the park.

I parked over the lake in the nearest Park's entrance parking lot with a good view. The only thing…read moreis that you will have to take the stairs to get you to the trails that conect to Frink Park or you can always make a quick stop over the lawn to play a bit and watch the beautiful trres in this garden. Just remember that you can take a pic at the top of the stairs :) Trails are almost quiet so you can breath and admire nature. Bring bags for your dog. There aren't stations in the Park.

Leschi Park is across the street from Leschi South Moorage along Lakeside Avenue S. Leschi Park…read moreitself is NOT along the water, unlike the several photos posting water views. That's the moorage itself. Don't expect to pack a picnic with a view of the water. That doesn't mean Leschi Park is anything to sneeze at. It's sizable with a portion that is well manicured and good for a picnic. There are several benches in this area and some portions are shady. When we went, the rose hedges were blooming and quite pretty. There's also a sequoia that was dedicated to the head gardener from 65 years ago. There are a few tennis courts too. The parts that I like more are the trails that have a forest vibe. Leschi Park is adjacent to Frink Park; together, they form a very large area to explore. I didn't find much signs or maps so I just used Google maps to choose walking paths. Cell signal was solid inside both parks. On a hot day, these two tree filled parks provide lots of shade; they would be an excellent place to visit.

Our favorite local park given it's directly in our neighborhood and usually not that crowded given…read morethere are only 3 regular parking spaces and one handicapped parking space. Extremely clean and well maintained. No restrooms and definitely on the small side, but a relatively large flat lawn, a loop walking trail of sorts (probably about 200m), and a young children play area (swings, short slide, slack rope, etc.).

Bridle Trails Corner Park can be found at the intersection of NE 24th Street and 134th Avenue NE in…read morethe Bridle Trails neighborhood. It's just up the road from bustle of businesses and suddenly there is lots of woods. This park features a picnic area, loop pathway through forest, wildflower meadow, native gardens with wetland views, large grassy area, and a small play area with natural type of play elements. It's not a large park but nice for the neighborhood. It is part of the larger "Bridle Trails Park foundation" which collectively offers more than just the Corner Park here. Some of what they offer are Nature walks, Halloween Scavenger hunts for families, and "National Public Lands Day" among other events to get you out. Again, perfect for families in the area already. Corner Park is just a part of a big system, could be a nice spot for a little walk.

I visited Pfingst Animal Acres Park for the first time yesterday evening…read more The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council was hosting a Concert at this park featuring Portage Bay Big Band. This park is so pretty, with many tall trees and a rushing stream that apparently is sometimes home to salmon. There is a very short walking trail at this park. My new friend Heather J and I walked along the short trail and up to the pretty stream before the concert started. Heather J is great! I am very glad that we have become friends. I previously lived in Lake Forest Park for 4 years, and I had no idea that this park was here for that entire time! The hosts of this event were very gracious and so sweet and welcoming. Parking here was fairly plentiful, although I took an uber to this particular event. The event was well-attended though, despite the intermittent sprinklings of rain yesterday evening, so both parking areas ended up mostly full by the time that the event was underway. Quite a few people arrived late to this event, so I think if you arrive early like I did to an event here that you would have a good chance of finding parking right in front of this park. I brought a couple of outdoor cushions with me, and Heather J and I sat at one of the 4 (?) picnic tables there. However, many of the attendees to the event brought outdoor chairs, and I feel like this might be the way to go if I attend another event here, since getting a picnic table to sit at is definitely not guaranteed. This was a free event, but donations were requested. I did put a small amount of cash into the donation box. There were no food trucks or any other food for sale at this event. I brought 2 Bobo's Oat Bars from home, one for me and one for Heather J. The Oat Bars are gluten-free for me and vegan for her. If you are considering attending one of the events here, you may want to consider bringing a small snack or two. The garbage cans for trash (from snack wrappers, or from anything else) are located between the park area and the street. My uber driver on the way home was super friendly, and he was so interested in maybe taking his nephews to one of the events at this park that I shared the event flyer with him and he took a photo of it on his phone. So, I made sure to take a photo of the event flyer to post here, too, just in case anyone else is interested. I am also posting a photo of Heather J and I that she took on her phone and kindly shared with me, with the band stage and a small section of this park in the background. Such a nice park. It's fun to explore previously undiscovered outdoor spaces in my local area.

I visited this park with my daughter after she told me about the huge Rhododendrons growing there…read more She was right! The Rhodes are Ginormous! If you are looking for a hike, it's not here, but a beautiful and interesting walk, this is a great place. The far side of the creek ignited our curiosity with its stone built ruins, beautiful trees and the aforementioned Rhododendrons. I wish that I'd brought my camera! Sorry!

Cherry Crest Park is such a cute little neighborhood park! I've visited a few times now and it's…read morehonestly just a really nice place to spend some time outside. There's no parking lot, but there is street parking along the sidewalk. I've noticed there are usually plenty of spots available, which is nice if you're driving over with the family. The playground is adorable with swings, sand diggers, and an adorable frog and dragonfly! There's also a large basketball court, tennis court, a nice grassy area that would be perfect for a picnic, and several picnic tables. The tables were pretty dirty when I visited though, so I'd definitely bring a cloth if you plan on using them. And you don't have to have kids to enjoy this park! I brought my book and found a nice spot to sit for a while, and it was honestly such a peaceful little place to slow down and enjoy the trees and greenery. Overall, a really cute park if you're looking for somewhere to take the kids or just want a little excuse to get outside and connect with nature for a bit!

Such a nice park. Great for all ages. Mini excavators in a sand pit, wood chips surrounding swings,…read morea chain climbing ladder, and a structure with slides and a variety of climbing elements. Cute little dragonfly seesaw. Bring a painted rock to add to Roscoe the rock snake!