• Home
  • About
  • Advertise With Us-Contact Us!
  • Deals
Facebook Twitter RSS Email
  • Outdoor Adventures
    • The Best Playground List
    • Hikes
    • Parks
    • Playgrounds
  • Places to Go
  • Rainy Day Play
    • Bounce Houses
    • Indoor Playgrounds
  • Coming Events
    • Calendar
  • Preschools
  • South Sound Summer Camp Guide
    • Full Day Camps
    • Sports Camps
    • Fine Arts Camps
    • Nature Camps
    • Specialty Camps
    • Camps for Kids With Special Needs

Be sure to visit our Premium Sponsors!


Take a Walk Back in Time at Shadow Lake Bog

February 26, 2017 by Tiffany Guerzon

Did you know that there is a 5,000 year old peat bog in Renton? This is a great place to check out with the kids if you want a short outing with a little learning thrown in. Shadow Lake Bog is open to the public daily for self guided tours (see link to pdf below) or, if you call ahead, you might even be able to score a personal tour from a volunteer or staff member.

photo courtesy of Shadow Lake Nature Preserve

We were lucky enough to have a staff member, Isabelle, give us a tour. The trail consists of a half-mile boardwalk which winds through the forest and peat, ending with an observation platform that overlooks the bog. As we walked through the forest, Isabelle pointed out a prehistoric plant and many other plants growing in the area which were used many years ago by Native Americans. The kids especially enjoyed seeing (and smelling) the humongous skunk cabbage. About halfway through the trail, the environment changes from forest to the peat bog. The surface of the bog is covered in little hills called hummocks. The hills are caused by the 17 varieties of moss growing and decaying at different rates. The visible part of the peat is just the top layer of 65 feet of moss- the size of a six story building!

A wide variety of wildlife in the bog area features garter snakes, salamanders, birds and lots and lots of frogs, which live in a man made pond. Isabelle told us that around February, the frogs in the pond are so loud, you can’t  hear much else!

Visiting the bog feels like going back in time, and is a serene, interesting trip. Check the website or Facebook for educational programs, hours and volunteer opportunities.

Address:

21656 184th Ave SE, Renton, WA 98058

Self Guided Tour

Video on the history of the bog

Website

Facebook

Facebook is the best way to check upcoming events.

Comments

  1. sally says

    March 11, 2017 at 5:13 pm

    Every single link was missing the : so they don’t work

  2. Maegen says

    March 12, 2017 at 11:54 am

    Hey, Sally,
    What a bummer. We corrected that link issue after this was first published. You might try clearing your cookies. It sounds like you’re getting served an earlier version of this post. If that doesn’t work, I think I’m stuck. Sorry you got, “Bogged down,” with this one, and thanks for letting us know!

Keep in touch!

Search to find more fun!

What Sounds Fun This Month

Thank Our Sponsors

Recent Posts

  • SnowPlay Area for Sledding and Snow Fun With Kids Open at Mt. Rainier 2021
  • New LeMay Lights Drive Thru Christmas Light Show Near Tacoma
  • Where to Buy Hot Chocolate Bombs Near Tacoma and the South Sound
  • Tacoma Museums Reopening
  • The History Museum in Tacoma is Reopening
Sounds Fun Mom is fun for kids in Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner, Edgewood, Fife, Lakewood, Auburn, Lacey, Olympia, Gig Harbor, Graham, Orting, Eatonville, Enumclaw, Bonney Lake, Federal Way, Kent, Dupont, Port Orchard, and Your South Sound home.

Copyright © 2020 Sounds Fun Mom ~ All Rights Reserved