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.

- 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.

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.

There are 2 parks, this is the lodge side which has a covered lodge and a picnic shelter. It's near…read morethe water with walkable trails leading to the sports area. There is a dog leash area. Parking is good for usual days but if there is any event, you may end up parking on the street.

Woo park! I like to…read morewander around and breathe in the smells of lake 'n trees. My father likes to go fishing. Sometimes on land, sometimes in a little inflatable boat. This is a pretty neat spot for all these things! Amusing thing? There was one other foursquare user checked in at the same time as me!

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 30 mile trail that goes from Redmond and north to Seattle and it's great for walking and…read morerunning and bike riding! It's absolutely gorgeous today 8/18/25 and I got some major steps in!! I also saw a lot of cute dogs and boys on bicycles

Sammamish River Trail, Bothell, WA - Sunday, August 17, 2025…read more The Yelp location for this trail is in Woodinville; however, I caught it in Bothell. I rode for about 6 miles in the direction of Redmond and then turned around and rode back. It's a nice paved trail that runs along the Sammamish River. I passed a couple nice family parks along the way. It was pretty busy, since it was a Sunday. There were cyclists, runners, walkers (some with dogs), and skate boarders and roller bladers that I saw. Some cyclists were going pretty fast, which can be a recipe for disaster, especially on blind curves. So beware of that possibility. Better safe than sorry.

The Mercer slough is a lovely place to walk...if the temperature has consistently been under 45. Ya…read moreknow what a slough is? It's a swamp/marsh/wetland/mosquitoes-will-murder-you place. Overall it's a beautiful place to walk. The trails are well maintained and there are some great views. This area has a few different trails to choose from that appear to be mostly loops. It's close enough to the freeways that you get a good amount of traffic noise, but if you go early in the morning it's not too bad. The mosquitoes are most certainly the worst part of this area. Either way, I think it's great we're letting nature be nature.

Since moving back to the Far East (aka Eastside) I was worried about places to walk our…read morenot-so-dog-friendly dog. Admittedly, having Green Lake at our front door was both a blessing and curse. Now we live right across the street from Mercer Slough, and it's been great! Nature right at our front door without the crowds!!! If you walk/run the perimeter it's about a 10k. Inside you'll find trails that are great for just about everyone. Beware you may see garter snakes, but also the occasional otter, beaver, and rabbits too! It's also great for birdwatching. Parking is VERY limited, especially with sound transit light rail being built by Bellevue Way. There is a small parking lot off 118th Ave SE, and some parking along that road, but check the road signs. There is also an Environmental education center and event spaces available. Overall, I enjoy being able to just go across the street and walk my pooch without fear of being run over by bikers and skaters.

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!