Explore King County Parks – Your Big Backyard to find fun activities this spring and summer
Celebrate King County’s natural beauty and late spring’s warming weather by participating in some of the many upcoming activities at King County Parks.
Whether it’s attending an open-air concert at Marymoor Park, participating in a trail run at the 3,000-acre Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, or volunteering at a habitat restoration event, King County offers many fun activities for the whole family.
Here’s a partial list of what’s happening in the coming weeks at King County Parks – Your Big Backyard:
King County Trails
National Trails Day – June 6
While you don’t need an excuse to get outside and enjoy King County Parks’ widely acclaimed regional and backcountry trail systems, here’s one anyway: June 6 is National Trails Day – an opportunity to celebrate the great outdoors. King County Parks is hosting several volunteer trail work events to coincide with National Trails Day, including work on the trails at Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park; along the Audubon Bird Loop Trail at Marymoor Park; at Grand Ridge Park; and at Duthie Hill Park. For more details on King County’s great trails, visit http://www.kingcounty.gov/recreation/parks/trails.aspx.
Marymoor Connector Trail
Go for a long walk, run or ride by taking advantage of a new, relatively short trail – the new Marymoor Connector Trail. This one-and-a-half mile long trail through Marymoor Park joins the East Lake Sammamish Trail with the Sammamish River Trail and beyond – effectively joining the cities of Seattle, Bothell, Woodinville, Redmond, Sammamish and Issaquah in a 44-mile-long trail corridor. For details on King County’s 175-plus miles of regional trails, visit www.kingcounty.gov/recreation/parks/trails.aspx.
Marymoor Park
Come see your favorite artists in the intimate surroundings of Marymoor Park – one of the most-popular open-air concert venues around. The concert series gets under way June 27 with a performance by Keb’ Mo’ and special guest Ryan Shaw. Upcoming concerts include Duran Duran, Counting Crows, Death Cab for Cutie, The Decemberists, the Pretenders, Flogging Molly and more. Details, including additional concerts and ticket information, are available at www.concertsatmarymoor.com.
Marymoor Concert Recycling Crew
Grab your friends or co-workers, volunteer as a group and enjoy a fine summer show in the park...for free! Marymoor Park recycles and composts biodegradable cups, plates and food scraps at the summer concert series. Volunteers, who get in free to the shows at which they work, help educate concert-goers about which items go into which bins. Thanks to concert volunteers, more than half of the waste generated at the 2008 shows was diverted from the landfill. Volunteers are needed for the 2009 summer concert series. As a Marymoor Concert Recycling Crew Volunteer, volunteers must commit to volunteering for a minimum of three concerts and must be 18 years or older. Training is provided on-site and shifts vary depending on show time. Contact Laurie Clinton at 206-296-4452 for more information.
Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park
Compete in the seventh-annual Cougar Mountain trail running series, which continues June 14 with a seven-mile race, July 11 with a 10-mile race and August 8 with a 13-mile race. The registration and start will be at the Sky Country trailhead. The cost is $30 each for the seven-mile race, and $40 for the 10- and 13-mile races. Seattle Running Club members receive a $5 discount. Visit www.seattlerunningcompany.com/Events/Cougar/cougarmtn1.html for all the details.
Enumclaw Exposition Center
City of Enumclaw’s King County 4-H/FFA Agricultural Fair – July 16-18
It’s not summer in King County without a trip to Enumclaw for the King County 4-H/FFA Agricultural Fair – the oldest county fair west of the Mississippi. There’s plenty to see, do and eat at the fair, July 16-18 at the Enumclaw Exposition Center.
With a theme of “Let’s Go Wild,” this year’s fair, brought to you by the City of Enumclaw, promises exciting booths, star performers, tasty treats and fun for the whole family. Admission and parking are free. For more information, visit www.enumclawskingcountyfair.com.
Volunteer Opportunities
Log Cabin Reach restoration work party – June 13
On Saturday, June 13 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., join parks volunteers to help plant, weed, protect, plant mulch and pull up weed fabric at Log Cabin Reach, along Issaquah Creek near Issaquah. This restoration project is focused on restoring stream and wetland buffer habitats for fish and wildlife and improving water quality. To sign up and get directions, call Tina Miller at 206-296-2990 or email tina.miller@kingcounty.gov.
For more information about other volunteer opportunities in King County parks through the spring and summer, visit www.kingcounty.gov/recreation/parks/volunteer.aspx.
King County Parks - Your Big Backyard - offers more than 25,000 acres of parks and natural lands, including such regional treasures as Marymoor Park and Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, 175 miles of regional trails, plus pools and a world-class aquatic center. By cultivating strong relationships with non-profit, corporate and community partners, King County Parks enhances park amenities while reducing costs. Learn more at www.kingcounty.gov/parks/.
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King County Parks - Your Big Backyard