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Hike Report: Flaming Geyser Park

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Flaming Geyser Park in Auburn: A Kid Friendly Hike in the South Sound

Flaming Geyser State Park, located on the Green River near Black Diamond, has over 500 acres of land, including three miles of shoreline along the Green River. This popular day-use park also offers picnic tables, fishing, swimming, trails and even an area for flying model airplanes. A popular natural feature of the area is a bubbling geyser and a flaming geyser.  Unfortunately, the underground methane is depleted and the flame usually isn’t lit anymore but the bubbling geyser still bubbles.  This easy hike is a fun, beautiful way to see the different features of the park.

Go in the main entrance of the park at 23700 S.E. Flaming Geyser Road Auburn, WA 98092. You do need a Discover Pass to park, there is a station where you can buy a day pass at the entrance. Once you drive in, you will see parking on your left and a sign with “Flaming Geyser” and an arrow pointing right. Turn right and follow the road all the way to the end. Park in the lot (don’t forget to display your Discover Pass) and the trail starts at the far end of the parking lot.

At the trail head, you’ll see a white gate and an informational pavilion.

The trail starts out as a wide, gravel path.

Pass the Steelhead  Conditioning pond. The kids might want to check it out, I didn’t see any fish when I was there.

The Flaming Geyser that wasn’t flaming…

Next you can check out the area that has the Flaming Geyser. We didn’t see any flame, but I’ve heard that there is sometimes a tiny one burning. The flaming and bubbling geysers were both  created when coal miners drilling for coal hit pockets of methane. Back then, it is said that the flame shot up 25 feet!

Continue down the path and see the sign for Bubbling Geyser.

For the bubbling geyser, there is a series of wooden steps to get to the viewing platform. It’s a bit steep– but this will be the only climb in this hike. Once you get to the platform, which is built over Christie’s creek, you will have to watch the water for a few minutes and have some patience, but you will see bubbles coming up.  The forest on the way is also beautiful, lots of interesting trees and hanging moss.

There are some wooden steps that are a steep climb
up and then down to a viewing platform.

By the platform is a pretty little waterfall.

The water has a gray sediment. You can read about this on the plaque on the platform.

Once you descend the steps and get back to the main trail, turn right to keep going.

The trail narrows and winds through the forest. You will see some peek-a-boo views of the river along the way. There are several turn offs to get to the river, we turned left at a path that was marked by some big rocks and went down to the riverbank.

After you’ve enjoyed the river view, just make a U-turn and head back the way you came for a 2.5 mile hike.

Once you get back to the bubbling and flaming geyser signs, cross the bridge and hang a right to walk along a paved path by the river with some interpretive signs about the salmon and steelhead trout.

Once you are done, there is lots of open, grassy area for playing, picnic tables, a kid’s play set for climbing and real bathrooms!

Hike Report: Soos Creek Trail from Soos Creek Park

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Soos Creek Trail from Soos Creek Park

Soos Creek Trail is a 6 mile paved path in the Kent/Renton area that winds through wetlands, fields, forest and over Soos Creek. This post  highlights the section that begins at Soos Creek Park, located off of Kent Kangley Road east of Lake Meridian Park. For google map directions, click here.

This section of the Soos Creek Trail is really pretty with more forest and creek views than wetland, and perfect for strollers. It is a multi use trail, so you will see lots of dogs and even horses. Although this path is bike friendly, I would recommend only bringing bikes for the kids if they are strong peddlers. Some of the hills are pretty steep and might prove to be a hard ride for little legs.

This trail head offers a small parking lot and a Port O Potty if you need to make a quick pit stop before starting your walk.

Keep an eye on your kiddos here, there is a crosswalk, but no light.

About .4 miles in you will walk over a pretty bridge, then cross the street to continue.

You might even get to see some horses.This section is really pretty with lots of trees and views of the creek. It also has some rolling hills, one of which is pretty steep.

We saw a few ducks paddling around.

There is another bathroom stop, clearly marked with signs. Hang a left at the roundabout in the path to get to another Port O Potty. After your bathroom break, hit the trail again and continue on until you reach the next trail head. If you make a U turn here, this hike will be about 2 miles in total.

Make a U turn here for a 2 mile walk.

Here’s another report on a different part of Soos Creek Trail–and stay tuned for a post on the last section of this popular spot.

Hike Report: Soos Creek Trail from Gary Grant Park

 

Hike Report: Soos Creek Trail from Gary Grant Park

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Hike Report: Soos Creek Trail from Gary Grant Soos Creek Park 

13660 SE 208th St, Kent

Soos Creek Trail in Kent is a 6-mile paved trail which winds through wetlands, forest, plains and over Soos Creek. There are four different trail heads to access this popular path, on this hike we started at the Soos Creek Gary Grant Park trail head and walked two miles. I like this entrance because it has a bigger parking lot than other trail heads, a bathroom and a children’s playground. This is a multi use trail, so it is great for walkers, strollers, scooters or bikes. Dogs are welcome, too!

 

 

Start your hike at the sign and take the paved path on the left.

 

 

The entire trail is paved, and boardwalks over sections of wetland add variety.

Cross an elevated boardwalk over the wetlands and you will soon come to a crosswalk. Cross the street, and then turn left and continue along the street until you reach the next trail entrance on your right.

Once you get going in this area, there are some rolling hills to give you a leg workout.

At the next fork in the path, take a right. This will lead you over another boardwalk. For a 2 mile out-and-back walk, continue to the next boardwalk and then make a U turn.

Once you are done, the kids can play while the parents relax on the benches near the play area. There is a small area for ages 2-5 and a larger structure for ages 5-12 year old’s.

         

Stay tuned for more posts on other sections of this popular trail!

Hike Report: Take a Walk Along The Cedar River and See the Salmon

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The Cedar River Trail in Renton offers a flat, easy walk or bike ride with views of the Cedar River, fall color and parks along the way. This stretch also offers three locations to view spawning salmon. These areas are staffed by docents from the Seattle Aquarium in October weekends through the 29th from 11-4.

To start your adventure, park at Maplewood Roadside Park and head up the hill to the left of the bridge. Cross the bridge and then hit the trail.

 

The trail is wide –and on a Sunday afternoon– was moderately busy with walkers, strollers, joggers and bikers. We saw beautiful fall foliage and peek-a-boo views of the river.

Soon you will come to Riverview Park and you can see the blue tents from the Seattle Aquarium from the trail. 

Join the volunteer docents at the tent and learn all about the Cedar River Salmon Journey, the salmon life cycle and pretty much anything you could ever want to know about salmon! They even loan out disposable polarized sunglasses  for easier viewing– kids loved these! Stand on the bridge and docents will point out the bright red and green fish in the water. There is also a public bathroom at this park.

Once you are done spotting salmon, continue down the trail to the Cedar River Park, which is just before the highway 405 overpass. On the way, you will pass the Cedar River Dog Park– perfect for giving your furbaby a break from the leash. Once you arrive at Cedar River Park, again, just look for Seattle Aquarium’s blue tent. We got the best views of swimming salmon at this site. This location also features a fish weir, a sort of a holding pen that captures some fish for the hatchery and allows others to pass through which is pretty cool to see. There are restrooms here, too. 

You can choose to make a U turn here or continue on to the Renton Library for another staffed fish viewing location and a fun park. To continue, cross under the highway overpass and then pass Liberty Skate Park and Liberty Park, which has a play structure if kids need to get some wiggles out. Continue on to the Renton library for yet another look at salmon in a more urban environment. For more salmon spotting adventures check our guide here:

Let’s Go Salmon Spotting: Where to Take the Kids to See Salmon Returning to Spawn

Even if you go after the salmon spawning season this 3 mile, flat walk is a beautiful outing in any season.

 

 

 

Hike Report: Deep Lake at Nolte State Park

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Nolte State Park offers an easy, 1.4 mile trail that is family and dog friendly. With an elevation gain of only 52 feet and peek-a-boo views of the lake, this loop makes a lovely walk.

To park in the lot you will need a Discover Pass.  At the entrance there is a booth with an attendant, so be sure and have your pass ready. You can also purchase a day pass for $10, but at $30 per year, an annual pass is a darn good deal.

The trail head is located in between the restrooms and the play structure and is clearly marked. We noticed that they have a receptacle for micro filament recycling (the white container in the picture) –pretty cool!

The gravel path is pretty wide and you could definitely take your all-terrain stroller on this walk, and we saw folks riding bikes, too. There are occasional offshoots from the trail that go to picnic tables or the shore of Deep Lake.  Just stay on the widest path. There are a couple of small hills, but otherwise it’s pretty flat. We saw lots of huge trees, root balls with hanging moss, butterflies and dragonflies.

Although the trail takes you through the forest, you will catch glimpses of the lake.

The trail takes you right back to where you started, and the whole 1.4 loop took us about 40 minutes to walk, with plenty of breaks when the kids were checking out trees or wildflowers or chasing butterflies…  Now that you’ve gotten in some exercise, enjoy a swim in Deep Lake, go fishing, check out the play set or grab a snack at the picnic tables.

The restrooms were really clean and parking was plentiful. This is a great walk for the whole family and an excellent starter hike.

Nolte State Park   36921 Veazie Cumberland Rd SE, Enumclaw, WA 98022

Check out our park and swim report for Deep Lake

 

Hike Report: Twin Falls in North Bend

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This is a great family hike at Olallie State Park in North Bend. There are plenty of shady areas on the trail, places to stop and play by the river, a giant tree, huge rocks, wildflowers and of course– waterfalls!

To get there, take exit 34 from I-90. Turn right onto 468th Ave SE, then left on SE 159th st. This road ends in the Twin Falls trailhead parking lot.

You’ll need a Discover pass to park at the main Twin Falls trailhead parking lot, but if you don’t have one, there is street parking along the road before the entrance. The trailhead offers a restroom and a map kiosk, it’s a good idea to take a phone picture of the map in case you need it later.

Start out on the main trail which runs alongside the river. You’ll go through a swampy area that has lots of different plant life including skunk cabbage and –when we went in May– lots of wildflowers. Along the river part of the trail, you’ll see lots of smaller paths going down to the riverbank. If you ever want to make it to the waterfall, do what I did and tell the kids you’ll go to the river on the way back. If you stop, they might have so much fun playing that your hike will end there!

You’ll cross a wood bridge, then the trail heads away from the river and into the forest.

The trail winds through the woods until you come to a giant rock at the base of a hill. After you pass the rock, the trail continues up, up, up in a series of switchbacks.

Your first break will be a scenic viewpoint of the lower falls. There is a bench there, but as of my last visit, no trash can- so come prepared to pack out what you pack in. The falls are fairly distant, but still impressive! This is a perfect spot for a water or snack break. You can choose to turn around here or continue to the next, closer view of the falls.

View of lower falls from “The Benches”

From the benches you will continue down a hill where you will find Big Tree.  I found out after I took this picture that you aren’t supposed to walk around the big tree, whoops! There is no fence or sign, but I read that hikers walking around the tree compacts to soil, which isn’t good for the tree. So don’t do what I did- don’t let your kid go right up to the tree.

Big Tree

 

The Upper Falls

After you’ve enjoyed Big Tree, take the trail up a few more switchbacks. When you come to a short wooden bridge, you are almost at the next stopping point. You will see stairs off to the right that descend to a wood platform and an amazing view of the falls. The deck is pretty small, so on crowded days, you may have to wait.

We turned around after the second view of the falls, but you can continue up the hill to a bridge which offers a third view of the upper falls. To get back, go back the same way you came. On the way back, we stopped to relax by the river.  We saw a few people playing in the water, but of course, keep a close eye on your kids– the river runs deceptively fast and it is cold!  

Need more kid friendly hiking?  SFM loves the new edition of (my affiliate link)  Best Hikes With Kids.

For still more ideas, see our round up of favorites here! Note you’ll need to wait until summer for many of these; we always recommend checking trip reports at the Wta.org site for latest conditions and tips.

Tiffany Doerr Guerzon

Park Report: Lake Wilderness Park in Maple Valley

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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

Hike Report: Fairy Trail in Black Diamond

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If you’ve never hiked in Black Diamond Open Space,  you should check it out! There are miles and miles of trails shared by pedestrians, bikes, and sometimes even horses. ** This hike is an easy one and is more of a nature walk, suitable for younger kiddos or folks that don’t want too much elevation. This trail is called the Lake Sawyer Railroad Company Trail, but it is nicknamed the “Fairy Trail” because there are fun fairy doors on the trees.

Here is a good trail map. As always, we suggest you prepare for your hike by packing the Ten Essentials.

** Keep in mind that this is a multi use trail, and you should be ready to yield to horse or biker riders.  We heard from one reader who was concerned about hikers with young ones not being able to get out of the way of bikes, so keep that in mind if you decide to try this one.

 

The parking area is located off of Highway 169, at the north edge of Black Diamond near Maple Valley. If you are driving south on Highway 169, there is a small, gravel parking lot on the west side of 169 soon after you pass 288th street in Maple Valley. There is no sign. If you reach the larger parking area on the other side of 169 (like I did) you’ve gone too far. Just turn around and go back.

To find the trail head, take the trail that starts just past the Port O’ Potty. You won’t see any signage or trail markers until further in. When you come to the first intersecting trail, stay straight. At the next intersection, you will see the Lake Sawyer Railroad Co sign on a tree.

Turn left onto Lake Sawyer Railroad Co trail. Once you are on the path, keep your eyes peeled! These fairy doors are tiny, only an inch or two in size. They are stapled onto the trees. Be sure to look high and low! This is a short stretch; once you get to the next trail sign, just turn around and go back.

I’d heard that there is sometimes fairy furniture too, but we didn’t see any. Unlike the Gnomes Trail, which has actual gnome statues, here you will only find the doors to fairy homes. I guess fairies are shy!

We found several painted rocks too!

Just FYI, other than the aforementioned portable potty, there are no facilities. We brought our dog, but there were no trash cans or waste bag stations. The trail is not gravel, so there are roots and rocks, but overall it was a pretty easy walk. If you want to walk a bit more, one offshoot from this trail goes to Ravensdale Creek. (Marked Ravensdale Creek). It will add about a half mile to your trek. As always, make sure this hike is a good fit for your hikers and their needs and abilities.

Enjoy!

Tiffany Doerr Guerzon

PS If you like this hike, don’t miss the Gnome Trail! 

Take a Magical Hike on the Gnomes Trail in Maple Valley

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Update-This popular post was written long before the Covid 19 outbreak. I have no idea if this area is open now. I would encourage you to wait on this fun hike, but if you can’t, please check for closures before you go and practice social distancing. Thanks!

 

Writer Tiffany has found a magical hike for the whole family right in Maple Valley. We’ve settled into a bit of a rainy, windy pattern, but I couldn’t wait to share it. Obviously, you don’t want to do this hike in the wind, so save it for the next bluebird day! :)

** Keep in mind that this is a multi-use trail.  We heard from one reader who was concerned about hikers with young ones not being able to get out of the way of bikes, so keep that in mind if you decide to try this one.

The Gnomes Trail in Maple Valley

This trail is a fun loop within a network of trails called Henry Ridge in Maple Valley. This whole area is so pretty it feels like a fairy tale, which is probably why many of the trails sport names like Once Upon a Time, Lil’ Red and The Lorax.  Huge trees, funky bridges, hanging moss and ferns as tall as a tween are some of the highlights.

The Gnomes trail offers even more fun, with gnomes of all shapes and sizes along the trail, sitting in hollow trees, atop stumps and hiding among the mushrooms. There are also usually lots of painted rocks as well.

The trek is about three miles round trip. Please keep in mind that this is definitely more of a hike than a walk, with narrow trails, loose rocks and some elevation gain. It is easy to get turned around, I found the Henry Ridge map on the Trailforks app to be very helpful.

These trails are dog-friendly but there are no trash cans or waste bag stations. Also, no bathrooms, so be sure to make a pit stop before heading out!

Directions:

From Hwy 169 turn on Maple Ridge Dr and drive up hill . When you see the water tower, turn right onto SE 281st Way where you can park on the street.

 

Head straight down a gravel road past the map kiosk until you see a trail called Stinger on your right. 

The Stinger trail starts with a pretty bridge.

Stay on Stinger until the trail forks. Here you need to go right and you will soon come to a gravel road. Cross the road and see the Once Upon a Time trail entrance on the other side. This trail is absolutely gorgeous. Though you are very close to a neighborhood, you feel miles away. The kids will love the hanging moss, many different colors of shelf fungus and nurse logs.

Take Once Upon a Time until you come to a “T” here you will see the Derailer trail sign on the right. 

The sign has a white plaque with a zig zag on it and the Derailer sign is up above this.

Turn right on Derailer. This trail has all of the beauty above plus cool bridges.

Keep going on Derailer you’ll cross a bridge and then you will come to a fork in which you can go one of three directions. Stay right to continue. You will cross another really cool bridge that is constructed over a fallen tree, after crossing, continue straight uphill. You are almost to the Gnomes Trail now!  You will see a big tree stump with a gnome on top before you see the sign. This trail winds and doubles back then ends up back at a different point on Derailer. Keep your eyes open, there are gnomes everywhere! Big ones, small ones, even gnome- painted rocks if you are lucky!

Once you exit the Gnomes trail, you will be back on Derailer. Go left and walk past the first Gnomes trail entrance then continue back the way you came in.

One more caution: it is pretty easy to get disoriented on these trails. Be sure to have plenty of daylight, a charged phone, the TrailForks app and your patience! Before I discovered the TrailForks app, I got turned around and was able to use google maps to get back on track!

Send us your pictures if you go!

Hike Report: The Interurban Trail in Milton

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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.

70th St trail head

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.

Helpful signs in the path itself let you know you are on the right trail

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.