This hike was literally right out my front door. I had been enjoying hikes on the nearby mountain…read moretrails of Tiger and Cougar, that i hadn't taken the time to explore all the wonderful and beautiful trails and lakes so close. Well! That's begun to be remedied. Lots of connecting trails all through the Sammamish highlands, Klahanie, and Issaquah, right through suburbia. Lakes, streams, and wildlife. Work out stations along some of the trails. Easy to get as many miles as you desire to walk, up and down through the woods, houses, and mountains. It's a blessing to have trails like these so close, on days you don't want to adventure far. Looking forward to some urban forestry tomorrow. Yelping on, God bless, and Cheers!

- The horse Trail -…read more Hubby and I decided to take an afternoon hike here, and we had no clue it's a state park and a discovery pass is required. We parked at the parking lot closer to the entrance, and we bought an annual discovery pass. Other than the starting incline, there is nearly no inclination for this trail. It's rather family friendly if your kids aren't afraid of horses or horse poops as I saw two horses and gazillion poops. It's funny how there is a sign that identifies the differences between horse poop and dog poop lol. The whole trail is shaded except for a small part. There are three recommended routes and the signs are quite obvious, but it's also easy to walk elsewhere as there are so many routes in this park. We were going for the middle length route, but ended up finishing the bigger loop instead and it took a bit more than an hour. There were also tons of salmonberries next to the trail that's perfect for a healthy snack for your "hike" xD!

Bridle Trails State Park is a great state park that's perfect for horses and everyone else!…read more Although this state park is used for riding your horse along the trails, I say it's a great park for everyone else who wants a stroll through the forest along the Kirkland-Bellevue border. Because it's a state park, you must pay for a $10 single-day pass unless you have the Discovery Pass. There are two parking lots to the area, one parking lot is closest to the entrance to the trails and the other parking lot is smaller, which is closer to the bathrooms and where community events are held as there's a stage. I've been here a few times and it's always a nice way to enjoy a nature walk. In my most recent visit, I came here on a hot day with my dog as Bridle Trails State Park is mostly shaded from the trees. There are three different trails, and if you're looking to spend more time here, take the Coyote Trail, which is about 3.5 miles long. It's not entirely flat, with some hills here and there, but it's a super easy trail, along with the other trails here. I saw a lot of families and horses here. And speaking of horses, be aware that there will be horse poop on the trails. The reason why it's not picked up right away is because unlike dog poop, it decomposes within a short time. Dogs are allowed on the trails as long as they're on leash. At the area where events are held are where bathrooms and a water fountain is located, along with benches. It's nice to live nearby Bridle Trails State Park and enjoy the trees, green space and well-maintained trails that provide shade for those scorching days we're not used to in the Seattle area. That right there is reason enough to visit Bridle Trails State Park.

Can't even begin to explain how much I love this park. Wide grassy lawns, historic open barns, a…read morestunning suspension bridge, river access, trails. It truly has everything and is completely beautiful. There is tons of parking and it usually isn't too busy. They have yurts, tent camping, and drive in camping. All gorgeous spots. There are 3-4 amazing river access spots. The river has deep spots, shallow, fast, and slow, making it perfect for any speed of swimmer to hang out. There are usually people in floaties and on paddle boards enjoying the area. The view from the suspension bridge that connects the two sections of the park is stunning. It reminds me how much beauty Washington has and gets me choked up just thinking about it. There are endless cool trails to explore, all leading to fun little adventures and scenic views. This is the perfect park to just spend a day getting lost in nature, swimming, having a picnic, or having a leisurely campout.

This park has everything in it. You come to camp and you get to cross the bridge to place your tent…read moreor glamour in one of the cabina which by the way, have very good size for a small family. Or you can come with your car or truck and stay on one of the spots at the beginning. Either way you'll have quick access to the Snoqualmie River with splendid view. You can also fish and have a good time with your kids in this small beach. When you cross the bridge be mindful for other people coming the other way or behind you. There is a sign that you must have some feet in between groups. You'll get to the trail which is at your right. Watch out for bears with cubs. It is a nice trail with pepples at the beginning. Not a good idea for strollers but still can have a great time at the lawn. Easy parking near the baseball field. Good way to spend family time on a weekend.

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.

Stunning, yes, but not the best that I have seen in beautiful Washington state. Made for a nice…read morestroll until the mini bouldering to sit on a rock that was in front of the waterfall view. I like that there is an overlook spot 0.8 miles away from the parking lot that provides ample space. The mini hike from the parking lot to the front seats (or rocks?) of the waterfall was a little over a mile or two, which went by so quick because not much of a change in elevation.

Great hike! 11 miles RT if you go to both the front and back sides of Otter Falls. Elevation gain…read moreis completely minimal and dogs are allowed - it says they must be on leash but all except two dogs I saw were actually on leash. The trail is so flat a wheelchair could make it except for the numerous creek crossings that were a little dicey depending on your footwear. Note that there is some washout leading up to the trailhead so unless you have a tall truck you will need to Park about a 1/2 mile away and climb over the rubble. Most of the road leading up to the trailhead has already been patched so our little car made it without issue. I wore my trainers since this hike was rated as easy. My feet were definitely sore later in the evening. Anytime you plan to walk 11 miles there will likely be some pain somewhere in your foot so don't be deterred! Had I worn my hiking boots I probably wouldn't have the soreness in my ankles but hiking boots are definitely not required for this hike. I have the kind of knees that will sometimes hurt on the way down from hikes with large elevation gains but because this one is so minimal I was able to jog from the trailhead back to the car after the entire hike. This trail was not heavily trafficked and provided a wonderful excursion for the day. We started the hike at 11:15am and arrived at Otter Falls around 1pm for lunch and relaxation. There's not much to sit on unless you want to sit where the falls are on steep granite. Again my trainers were not grippy enough to hang up there for long. Hike boots would be great for this part. We lounged around at the falls, continued on to the backside to see the view from the footbridge, and got down about 4:30pm. Note that this hike was a little buggy (annoying flies and other buzzes in your ears but I didn't need mosquito spray.)

This is a pretty easy trail for beginning hikers or ones that want to hike, but have to give…read morecertain parts of their body time to heal and / or not be too strenuous on. Another great point about this trail is that it is dog friendly. Throughout the trail there are small inclines, but no switch backs and the inclines are no more than walking up hills in Seattle. Close to the beginning of the trail there is a choice to go towards Quartz Creek (to the left) or Snoqualmie Lake. You want to go straight ahead to Snoqualmie Lake. There are certain parts of the trail that you can stop at and turn back with still feeling that you have had a sufficient hike. The first point would be Marten Creek, which has a wooden bridge over it and a waterfall to your left. At this point, you have hiked in about 3 miles. Another couple miles up is where you will encounter Big Creek Falls. Which is amazing. The trail does continue on, but Big Creek Falls is usually where most people stop. One point, a little after Marten Creek, it looks like the trail ends. If you go to the right, you can tell that it will lead you right back to the trail. To the left is a pile of rocks. You will want to climb up (not much of a climb or hard to do) through those rocks to continue on. After you reach the top of them, you will see the trail again. Throughout the trail there are a few smaller creeks that you will have to walk over, but no more than a foot wide. Round trip is about 10 miles, if you go to Big Creek Falls, and definitely worth all the miles you walk. Elevation gain is about 700 feet. Directions: Head out I-90, to North Bend take exit 34 Edgewick Road, turn left under I-90, go past the Texaco gas station and turn right on Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Road (FR 56), drive the gravel road 12+ miles, just after crossing the Taylor River bridge there is a fork in the road stay left on the Taylor River Road (FR 5630), continue to the gate and park in the lot.

The waterfall dried up omg, so I just saw dry land and rocks for the end of my bike. I should have…read moredone some reconnaissance online bc yeah...this is a bit of a moderate / hard level of a hike. Got me going a bit steep at over 1500 feet in elevation then 6.56 miles when at the top. Connector trail broken, so yes, u got to take the harder route that had me high-key low-key lowkeyhighkey bouldering. Tooooo many bugs and insects. Eff them wasps and bees, bruh Bring your discovery pass or u can buy online here. Plenty of parking, yes. Bring bug insect repellent. Do not forget a portable charger bc I was here for a couple of hours. Do not come by late summertime like I did if you want to see a waterfall. Went here raw and blindly went in, so surprised myself by the end of this hike. Free will

This was neither my favorite waterfall nor hike. I wondered why I hadn't put this one on my list…read morepreviously. My mom found this one and decided she wanted to see the falls over the view from Little Si, so that is where we went on a very rainy weekend afternoon! There were breaks of sunshine, so the hike wasn't completely miserable. However, the many many wet rocks were not fun to maneuver around for a large part of the hike. If you are someone who has knee, foot, or ankle issues at all, I would avoid this hike. My ankle was in pain for several days after doing this hike. The rocks were just awful and really not worth it for this particular waterfall. The little flowers and mushrooms growing all along the path were nice little Easter eggs, and the view of I-90 and the surrounding mountains below from the midpoint were nice bonuses. Parking was plentiful and required a WA state parks pass - luckily now you can go online and pay for one/write the info on a slip of paper to display on your dash. Gone are the days of money in an envelope for the ranger!

Great views! Started around 9 AM on a Saturday and wasn't too too crowded. Definitely started…read moreseeing more people on the way down though. I also slipped on my butt like two steps away from the trailhead :( Parking lot pretty big but I believe it fills quick. The trail gets quite narrow in some spots. Hiking shoes and poles recommended!

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!

Another five star day in this trail. The road to this trail is gnarly! Like boulders, rocks, holes…read moreand rough going even for four wheel drive vehicles with excellent clearance. Easygoing and slow for sure. The trail is moderate to challenging with equal parts up and down. It's always fun to walk small portions of the PCT. Really wish I'd brought or worn my bathing suit to take a dip in the lake. Do it! Hike and enjoy your life. SYOY!

Mirror Lake was quite serene, and on this occasion, we passed very few folks on the trail…read more The path to the trailhead is a rather long (4 miles) gravel road with lots of potholes. Parking at the lower trailhead was, unfortunately, rather haphazardly. If you have a high clearance 4x4 vehicle, there is another parking area up the path. It is a rather short trail with a nice payoff. If you walk a bit past the lake, you'll see the waterfall. There was plenty of bear grass and wildflowers on the south side past the waterfall. While you can hike a loop to the parking area by going past the waterfall into the valley area, it is mostly a rocky path with much less shade cover. It's just not as appealing as the way up. One star removed because of the long pot hole filled gravel road to the trailhead for a rather short trail.