Having headed up the effort to protect this important Great Blue Heron colony for many decades, I…read morewant everyone visiting Renton's Black River Riparian Forest have a safe experience. This is a magnificent, world-class sanctuary, but it requires local knowledge to navigate safely. 4/30/2026 The cottonwoods have leafed out, making visibility of the full 80-nest colony difficult. However, there is a clear gap in the center where binoculars offer a great view of 11 nests. These herons are a unique, non-migratory subspecies called the Pacific Heron (Ardea herodias fannini). Their population is small and at risk due to habitat loss, bald eagle predation, and human disturbance. What to Expect: Nestlings are currently small and quiet, but they grow quickly, reaching full size with 6-foot wingspan by July or August. The nestlings usually fledge in July (ideally) and sometimes August if they have suffered setbacks from predation (especially Bald Eagles). After fledging, they remain at Black River for about two weeks to hone their hunting and flying skills (landing is especially tricky with those massive new wings). While most disperse to other nearby shorelines, a few may overwinter here, especially if they fledge late in the season. Our Pacific herons do not migrate, instead, dispersing to nearby habitat. Their diets change from fish, frogs, and snakes in the summer, to small mammals such as voles in the winter, so where they disperse to will depend on the food sources. How to Find the Nests: Coordinates: 47°28'31.4"N 122°14'24.0"W From the Kidney Center, cross the short bridge over Springbrook Creek. STAY IN SINGLE FILE and hug the railing -- vehicles pass very close to the narrow sidewalk here. Immediately after the bridge, turn right onto the paved path. At the bottom of the short hill, the paved path veers right, but YOU WANT TO TURN LEFT ONTO THE UNPAVED TRAIL. The Arrival: Walk the equivalent of about one city block. The nests are directly across the pond. Listen for the nestlings' prehistoric-sounding "guk-guk-guk" calls. Safe Parking: Park at Northwest Kidney Center, 602 Oakesdale Ave. SW, Renton, WA 98057. This is the safest access point. This is a private lot but we have not had any issues parking here for a couple of hours. Areas to Avoid: Do NOT park in the small lot at the foot of Monster Road or walk through the upper meadow due to explicit adult meetups. Personal Safety: This is an isolated sanctuary. Women should NOT visit alone. It is strongly advised to stay in groups of 2 or 3. Maintain high situational awareness. Men from the meadow area often watch visitors, especially as the weather improves. If you are being watched and there are only a few of you, it's best to leave (we always do unless there are quite a few of us, and men are in our group). Trust your gut. There are no shortcuts. Stay on the main path to get back to Oakesdale. Bridge Safety: When crossing the bridge over Springbrook Creek, walk in single file and hug the railing. Vehicles pass very close to the narrow sidewalk. Accessibility: The final trail to the viewing area is NOT wheelchair accessible (uneven, unpaved dirt path). Gear: Heavy-duty mosquito repellent during warm weather and binoculars to see the herons are essential.

The Black Riparian Forest is a little get away from the city within a quick distance - perfect if…read moreyou work in the area. When you get down to it, this place really isn't that amazing. Generally it's not worth the drive...but it does have one thing: blackberries. When I asked the City they confirmed that the Black River Riparian Forest is a pesticide free zone and the blackberries are good to go! There are so many blackberries here, especially if you're willing to dress correctly and get in there, that you can get enough for a pie AND snacking while still not being a greedy pig -- there are soooooo many to go around! Lots of wild life in here because of the abundance of food and hiding places. Watch the ground closely - you'll find rabbits that are hoping that you don't see them!!

This easy little trail is great especially if you have an old dog like I do. Kids would love this…read moretrail as well since it involves a stream, some bridges and a little bit of a hill. Not overly exerted on this one. Enjoy.

This place is really great for a super easy, quick walk. Since it's in the valley it's very flat…read moreand great for people with walking difficulty. This trail starts at the Black River Riparian Forest and goes....well, I don't know. I always come here for a super quick walk and have never gone from Point A to B. This trail boasts a pretty long boardwalk that extends into the wetland area, giving you a great opportunity to enjoy nature while also being in a central location that's super easy to get to. While traffic can be heard, it's overall a quiet place to go and the birds seem to enjoy hanging around - definitely awesome during the Spring when everything is growing and green and the animals have their adorable little babies. If you're going to the mall or one of the other many, many business in the area, consider swinging by right quick!

Unless you're actively searching for this trail, you will drive right past it. The entrance of the…read moretrailhead is located in a small area of neighborhood that will require you to park along the side of the road. Once you walk past the closed gate (which is only there to prevents vehicles from driving down the road), you go downhill on a paved road for about half a mile. You can continue left at the fork in the road, or you can continue straight onto the dirt trail. After about another half of mile, there was a downed tree in the way that was jumpable. Along the whole walk, you see May Creek at its finest, and forget that you are in the middle of a neighborhood. Not until the last minute of the hike does the grade change. It's very steep, so if it is at all wet and muddy, you might want to bring some poles, especially the downhill portion. All in all, it was a very easy, VERY scenic hike! If you're looking to get outside without having to drive very far, check out this one.

A MUST when visiting Mt. Rainier / Crystal Mountain resort - it was the perfect way to admire what…read morethe wifey had just accomplished, running down the gigantic mountain, the ride up is about 10 - 15mins, all worth it!!! breath taking views of Mt. Rainier, do dress accordingly, it was pretty windy and about 10 degrees colder up on the mountain. there is a restaurant/restrooms observation chairs and a beer garden at the top! but the view!!! stunning, the greens/whites/ snow peak colors with the sky blue in the background. as usual parking could be hit or miss, they do have several parking lots but the closest one to the gandola ( the paved one ) is on the smaller side, they have other lots designated by letters ( which also unpaved ) Info on Gondola here: https://www.crystalmountainresort.com/things-to-do/activities/mt-rainier-gondola

Came for the day while friends skied. Beautiful, sunny and gorgeous! Snow already melting - this…read moreis the last day of the season. Gondola tickets $54 each and you get 2 round trips.

The Cedar River Trail follows the Cedar River from where it enters Lake Washington in the Renton,…read moreupriver of Landsburg at the boundary of the City of Seattle's Cedar River Watershed. The total length of the trail is 17.4 miles, of which 12.3 miles are paved; the rest are "soft surface" according to kingcounty.gov. It's open to non-motorized use only. Within Renton city limits, equestrians are allowed! This trail follows a historic railroad route between the river and State Route 169, and passes through Renton, Maplewood, Cedar Mountain, Maple Valley, and Rock Creek. We were at Cedar River Park to view the traditional salmon trap call a weir in the Cedar River. It is active sockeye spawning season now and very worth a visit. (See photo) Then we crossed the bridge and continued on the Cedar River Trail for a portion, passing by their Dog Park. Some parts of the trail are quite dull, while other parts are directly parallel to the river and very scenic. On a bike, I'm sure it's a very nice ride with the varying views. On foot, it's a bit more boring. This is more of a 3.5 Stars review (I was on foot), but rounding up because a bicyclist I spoke with said it's a very nice ride on this trail.

This is one of the many start/stop points for the ~17 mile long trail that goes along the Cedar…read moreriver that goes from Lake Washington all the way down to the watershed. Some portions are paved and very accessible while other areas are unpaved. I haven't been on the trail in it's entirety, but the areas I have been to are maintained nicely. Due to the length of the trail and the fact that it connects to other trail systems, there's a lot of bikes on this trail and it seems to be the preferred mode of transport. Like many (if not all) of the trails in Washington, there's a variety of animals and scenery to enjoy and take in while you get some exercise in. There are also a few places along the way that have a variety of parks and rest stop areas. There can be a lot of open space depending on how far you're going -- wear sunscreen!