Enjoy a quick get-out-of-town experience without straying too far! King County Parks' Tolt-MacDonald Park and Campground , which is located in Carnation, just 40 minutes from downtown Seattle and a short drive from Redmond, offers a true recreation destination with a little something for everyone. The 574-acre park sits at the confluence of the Snoqualmie and Tolt Rivers in the beautiful Snoqualmie Valley. A 500-foot suspension foot bridge crosses the Snoqualmie River and offers terrific views of the river and Cascade foothills. During the fall, you can observe spawning salmon in the river below and eagles and osprey soaring above. Like the park? Stay the weekend! Tolt-MacDonald offers RV, tent, and yurt camping for the year-round 'staycation' experience. The park's picnic shelters and beautifully restored barn can be rented for company picnics, weddings, or other special events and the grass ballfields are available for softball, baseball and soccer. In addition to picnicking and hiking, Tolt-MacDonald is also a favorite destination for exploring trails on foot or mountain bike.
History
Prior to the white settlement of the Snoqualmie Valley in the late 1850s, the area that currently serves as Tolt-MacDonald Park was one of several large parmanent wintering villages that the Snoqualmie Indian Tribes occupied along the Tolt, Snoqualmie, and Raging Rivers. Development of the park and campground first began in the 1970s, as the vision of Boy Scout Council Chief John MacDonald. In 1976, as one of the nation's largest bicentennial projects, more than 20,000 Boy Scouts spent some five months constructing campsites, picnic tables, and shelters. The suspension bridge was also built at this time by the Army Reserves 409th Engineering Company. Tolt-MacDonald Park was dedicated upon completion of the project, in June 1976.
Access:Park entrance is at NE 40th St and Highway 203 at the south end of Carnation. Day-use and overnight parking is available on-site. No motorized vehicle access on west side of river other than service vehicles. |
Acreage:574 acres |
Use:walking, nature observation,
camping (tent, yurt, RV), mountain biking, river access, picnicking, events | |
