 MIKE MCQUAIDE
Kelly Coleman enjoys the views of the Cascade foothills from Rattlesnake Ledge. |
Walking trails on the Eastside
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This easy forest trail, named after an early photographer, offers a tempting stretch break while traveling on I-90. Classic Nursery Salmon Trail (Redmond) This lovely spot offers a look at how community efforts can help restore a stream and make it more hospitable for salmon and other wildlife. Coal Creek Park Primrose Trail (Newcastle / Bellevue) This sometimes-steep trail (not recommended after heavy rains) leads down into a verdant stream canyon. Farrel McWhirter Park (Redmond) This 68-acre park features a second-growth forest of conifers and deciduous trees. Kelsey Creek Community Park (Bellevue) A 150-acre Brigadoon of forest and wetlands lies in the heart of Bellevue and offers a glimpse of this city's recent rural past. Lake Tradition trail (Issaquah) This trail lies within the 4,500-acre patch that makes up the Conservation Area on Tiger Mountain. Lodge Lake Trail (Snoqualmie Pass) After this outing, you can truthfully say you've hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, although a mere two miles of it. Marymoor Park (Redmond) Archaeological research in and just outside the park has uncovered artifacts including stone tools used for hunting and fishing. Mercer Slough trails (Bellevue) Come explore more than 320 acres of wetlands, meadows and forests on the eastern shore of Lake Washington. Moss Lake Natural Area (Duvall) This 320-acre gem features a variety of wetlands and an open forest of conifers, alders and cottonwoods. Pioneer Park Trail (Mercer Island) These 120 acres of forest in south-central Mercer Island offer a glimpse of the island's appearance before bridges made it more accessible. Preston-Snoqualmie Trail (Preston to Fall City) The beautiful forest along the trail offers an unusual variety of flowers, shrubs and trees. Rattlesnake Ledge Trail (North Bend) This popular trail up Rattlesnake Mountain, the easternmost peak of the Issaquah Alps, is a definite hike. Redmond Watershed Preserve (Redmond) After extensive trail-building activities, this 800-acre nature preserve now offers a maze of trails. St. Edward State Park (Kirkland) Located on the grounds of a former seminary, this forested area is a 316-acre local treasure. Swamp Trail on Tiger Mountain (Issaquah) This endearing child-oriented path (ages 4-8 years) is one of many trails that starts at the High Point trailhead on Tiger Mountain. Totem Lake Wetlands (Kirkland) This 24-acre nature refuge tucked next to a shopping mall holds several open bodies of water fringed by cattail and hardhack marshes. Weeks Falls Trail (East of North Bend) At the east end of Olallie State Park, this elongated trail loops through a forest dominated by cedars and hemlocks to an overlook of Weeks Falls. Wetherill Nature Preserve (Hunts Point / Yarrow Point.) Tucked at the south end of Lake Washington's Cozy Cove lies a 16-acre plot of land donated to the public in 1988 by the two granddaughters of Seattle pioneer Jacob Furth.  |
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