Tiffany has the scoop on a fun new park for kids near South King County!

Lake Wilderness Park in Maple Valley recently installed new play equipment and I took my son and his friend to check it out. This 117-acre park already has so much to offer; the new play area is the icing on the cake.

From the main parking lot, take the paved path on the right (if facing the rear of the lot). This path takes you over a bubbling creek and past a baseball field and then you will see the playground right in front of you.

There play area is enclosed by a curb and covered in bark mulch.  The smaller play structure has two shorter slides for the littles plus a “tent” with a climbing wall and space to crawl inside.

The larger structure offers two bigger slides plus lots of places to balance and climb.

A separate swing set has a glider, regular swings, baby swings and even an oversized baby swing. The biggest hit seemed to be the spinner, all of the kids were on it going around and around at one point!

In addition to the play equipment, there are paved paths for bikes or scooters, picnic tables, BBQ’s, large grassy areas, bathrooms, faucets for watering your dog and dog waste bag stations.

The lake is just a few steps away and there are tables and benches to sit and watch the ducks, geese and even the occasional bald eagle–but please don’t feed the waterfowl! Picnic shelters and picnic sites near the lake are available for rent. The lake has a roped off swimming area with seasonal lifeguards (check website for dates and times) as well as concessions and boat rentals.

Lake Wilderness Park is open from 7 a.m. ’till dusk. Bring a picnic and spend the day!

Check the website for driving directions and other info!

Tiffany Doerr Guerzon

If you are looking for a paved, stroller-friendly and mostly flat walk in the Milton/Fife area, then this hike is for you! The trail head is actually located in Fife at  1705 70th Ave E, Fife, WA 98424. Here you will find a small parking lot, bench and trash can–but no bathrooms. This is the south end of the 2.5-mile trail and the first quarter mile is close to busy 70th Ave so there is quite a bit of traffic noise.

After about a quarter mile, you will enter a quiet, forested area that is really pretty. The trail runs next to Sweetwater Creek, but I wasn’t able to see the water.

About 3/4 of a mile in, there is a Port-O-Potty on the left, as well as a picnic table and benches. This was the only facility that I saw, so take note!

Soon after you pass the Port-O-Potty you will cross two streets fairly close together to continue on the trail. These are well marked and you can push a button to turn on a flashing light and cross safely.

Kids will love this, and if yours are anything like mine, each one will want a chance to push the button! There are two of these crossings on the way in, and you will come back the same way so there are two more chances for button pushing on the way back.

We saw some pretty scenery-lots of huge trees with hanging moss and ivy. We met a few dog walkers, joggers and bikers but it wasn’t super crowded on a weekday. I imagine there will be more traffic on weekends.

There was also a nice mix of coniferous and deciduous trees and some leaves were already dropping during my August walk. I’ll bet this makes a fabulous autumn walk. It is dog friendly too!

This out-and-back trail is 2.5 miles long, so be sure and turn around early if you don’t feel like a 5-mile hike. I went twice and both times I turned around at the 2-mile mark. This path is great because if you or the kiddos get tired, just make a U-turn!

Check photos and a trail map here.

 

 

 

Dash Point State Park in Federal Way (not to be confused with Dash Point Park and Pier in Tacoma) has lots to offer: campsites, hiking trails, beautiful views and a sand beach. Great for wading, splashing and sandcastle building, this beach is the perfect family outing on a hot day.

Even the drive into the park is pretty, as the road winds through a serene forest. Once you get to the  entrance, you’ll see a sign at the T intersection pointing the way to the beach. A paved lot offers plenty of parking, but you will need a Discover Pass. You can buy a day pass for $10 (put cash in an envelope provided at the self service station-no change available but you can write a check), or if you have an annual pass, place it in the windshield. An annual pass is $30, pretty good deal!

From the parking lot, it is a very short walk over a bridge and through a short tunnel (which my kids thought was really cool-they did lots of yelling to hear the echo) and you are there! A building on the right offers bathrooms with flush toilets and there is also an outdoor shower for rinsing off sand.

The time we went, noon on a weekday, the tide fairly low and we could walk a long way out into the water and still only be in only up to our knees. I read some reviews which stated that if the tide is high, there is less beach- so check the tide table before you go. The sand was very clean and the kids found tons of shells. The kids splashed and swam and of course built sand castles.

What I really liked about this beach was that it is bordered by forest, so there is plenty of shade. Perfect for keeping babies out of direct sunlight or just cooling off. There were also many large driftwood logs which made for good seats and towel hangers.

This beach was totally worth the drive, and you can’t beat the view!

Calling all spelunkers! The lower Ape Cave at Mt. St. Helens is a 1.5-mile out-and-back walk through a fascinating geologic formation. This is a moderately easy hike for adults and older kids. There is almost no elevation gain, but the floor is uneven and slippery in places, making it more difficult to traverse than a regular trail. If you bring toddlers, be prepared to lift and carry them at times. Because of the tripping hazard, I wouldn’t recommend bringing babies in backpack or front packs, but we saw plenty of people who did just that. Use your own judgement when bringing very young children.

The Ape Cave, located near Mt. St. Helens in Cougar, Washington is not a cave, but is actually a 13,042-foot lava tube–the third longest lava tube in the United States. This unusual formation was created when lava flowed down the south side of Mt St Helens 1,900 years ago. The name has nothing to do with apes, much to my son’s disappointment, but is named after a group of explorers who found the cave, called the Mt St Helens Apes.

There are two hikes within the Ape Caves, the lower and upper caves. The lower cave is much easier and suitable for families. The upper cave requires physical agility as you will need to climb over large boulders and even scale an 8-foot lava wall- not recommended for young children. This post only covers the lower cave.

Getting there: From I-5, take exit 21 and follow SR 503 to Cougar. Once you drive through Cougar, follow the signs to Ape Cave. We drove in from Kelso and used google maps.

What to bring:

5 dollars cash to purchase a parking pass if you don’t have a Northwest Forest Pass. There is no place to get change, you put the money in an envelope and tear off a ticket to place on your car windshield. You can also purchase an e-pass from home before you go, print out and bring along on your trip.

Plenty of light. Two light sources per person are recommended. Headlamps are great for keeping your hands free, but make sure you have good quality ones that can rotate and point downward and have very strong light. I had a headlamp that wasn’t strong enough that I just put in my pocket because it didn’t help me at all. Same goes with flashlights. Dollar store lights or iPhone flashlights will not emit enough light. I found a strong flashlight worked best because I could point it at the ground which was very uneven. Several groups in the cave had the rental propane lanterns (available for rent at the Ape Cave Headquarters near the entrance for $5) which worked really well.

A backpack. You’ll want your hands free.

What not to bring:

No pets!  Animals are not allowed in the caves because of the delicate ecosystem. We saw folks that had to leave their dogs locked in the car because they brought a pet. No smoking, food or drink (except water) allowed inside. No open flames, flares, fireworks or firearms. Littering inside the cave carries a $200 fine and you cannot take any rocks away with you. Also, don’t touch the walls. The “cave slime” that grows there takes years to regrow.

What to wear:

I recommend long pants, preferably jeans, because there are some areas in which you will climb over rocks. Bring a sweater or sweatshirt as well. The temperature stays a constant 40 degrees, and with the uneven floor, you can never really walk fast enough to break a sweat. I also recommend a hat, not necessarily for warmth, but because water drips from the ceiling.

Some reports advised bringing gloves. I didn’t feel the need for gloves, but one of the teens I brought said her hands got really cold.

Wear sturdy shoes! The floor is very uneven and wet in places. Athletic shoes with a good tread are just fine. If you have hiking boots, you could wear them, but in my opinion boots are not necessary for the Lower Cave. We saw people trying to walk in flip-flops, and it wasn’t pretty!

Parking and fees: There is a parking lot at the Ape Headquarters Center for which you will need a Northwest Forest Pass. You insert $5 cash in an envelope and put the ticket on your windshield.  At this lot, there are bathrooms (vault toilets- really stinky!) and souvenirs/lantern rental at the Ape Headquarter Center.

During the winter months, this area gets snowed in and you will need to park about a mile away at the Trail of Two Forests lot, get a Sno-Park Permit, then hike in. 

From the parking lot a short, paved walkway will take you to the cave entrance. Be sure to check out the station staffed by a ranger with lots of info on the caves and bats. Before you enter, stop at the shoe brush station and clean your shoes. This helps cut down on the transmission of the fungi which causes White Nose Syndrome– a disease that harms bats. You will also need to use the shoe brushes after exiting the cave.

Enter the cave via a stairway. Once you get to the bottom, if you continue straight ahead, this takes you to the easier, lower cave. There is a sign with arrows pointing to the upper and lower cave areas but it is tucked under the staircase and we didn’t see it until we were heading back.

The cave is huge and I never felt claustrophobic at all. I found I had to keep the flashlight pointed at the floor while walking because it is extremely uneven. But my adventurous kiddos had no problem and were way ahead of me the whole time. We stopped every few minutes to just look around at the walls and ceiling. It never got boring because the inside of the tube looks different every few feet.

 

In addition to the uneven floor, there are a couple of areas in which you will need to climb down or over large rocks. They weren’t huge, but they could present a problem for really little kids. That being said, we saw plenty of parents lifting toddlers over rocks.

Two interesting features are the “railroad tracks” near the entrance, where a smaller tube within the tube formed, leaving a ledge on either side. Also of note is the “meatball” which is a ball of lava that floated through the tube until it got stuck. When you see the meatball, you are almost to the end.

The tube eventually narrows then dead ends. At the end, there is a tunnel that a small person can army- crawl into. There is nothing on the other side, so you have to back out. Your kids will probably want to go in the tunnel (like mine did) but I don’t recommend it!

This is the end of the lower cave. From here you just turn around and walk back. We really enjoyed the walk back because we were more familiar with the terrain and could really enjoy the scenery.

My whole family really enjoyed this trek, my 13-year-old even called it the highlight of her summer! We didn’t see any bats, much to my kids disappointment. We went on a Sunday and it was very crowded. It would probably be more peaceful on a weekday. The little store offers a free brochure called Exploring the Ape Caves which I recommend picking up before you go in, it has a helpful map.