Category Archives: Parks

For sites that are a park setting.

Battle Ground Lake State Park

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Battle Ground Lake State Park

This is one of my favorite places to go for a good walk.  Several trails loop around the park, allowing you to not only make a loop hike, but to loop around the Lake three times without walking the same trails twice.

Most of the outermost trails are open to horses and mountain bikes, and are also easy trails for walking.  The trails closest to the lake are closed to horses and bikes, but can also be difficult to maneuver if you have any trouble with rough terrain.

The State Park charges a day use fee or Discover Pass.

The smallest loop around the lake will take you about a mile and a quarter (including the walk from where you park), and the largest loop is about 2-1/2 miles.  The park trails are pretty well mapped in Google Maps.

In addition to trails around the lake, there is the Chelatchie Rail Trail, a 1 mile paved path following the railroad to the east of the park.

  • Battle Ground Lake State Park
  • Battle Ground Lake
  • Battle Ground Lake
  • Trail in Battle Ground Lake State Park

Discovery Historic Loop Trail

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Discovery Historic Loop Trail

This short loop trail is a flat paved walk of just over 1 mile for the full loop.  Note that when crossing Andresen Road, you need to either cross at the marked cross walk near the trailhead, or walk a half block north to 18th St and cross at the lighted intersection.

There are three places to park for this trail. 

  1. The very small gravel lot just off of Andresen Rd at the trailhead.  This lot can only be entered when driving south on Andresen Rd, and when you leave the lot you can only turn south onto Andresen Rd.
  2. A larger gravel lot at the end of NE 65th Ave, south of E 18th St.
  3. A third option, is to park at the Burnt Bridge Creek Trail on NE Devine Rd, and walk to the Discovery Loop Trail.  This is about a half mile to the west, so walking from there, around the loop trail, and back is just over 2 miles.

The Burnt Bridge Creek Trail extends both west and east of the Discovery Trail.

  • Discovery Trail and Burnt Bridge Creek Greenway Trail.
  • Map sign on the Burnt Bridge Creek Greenway Trail.
  • Discovery Trail and Burnt Bridge Creek Greenway Trail.
  • Along the Discovery Trail and Burnt Bridge Creek Greenway Trail.
  • Discover Trail and the Burnt Bridge Creek Greenway Trail.
  • Side trails along the Discovery Trail.
  • Pond on Burnt Bridge Creek at the Discovery Trail.
  • The Duck Pond at the Discovery Trail on Burnt Bridge Creek.
  • The Discover Loop Trail crosses Andresen Road, but not here. Go up to the intersection of the crosswalk to cross.
  • Andresen Road at Burnt Bridge Creek
  • Ducks on Burnt Bridge Creek by Andresen Road.

Vancouver Lake Regional Park

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Vancouver Lake Regional Park

This park includes great paths to walk the lakefront, including sandy beeches.  If go south, you can walk anther 2-1/2 miles across to Frenchman’s Bar and explore the Columbia River beeches there.  To the north is a trail through the forest, which can make for a shaded walk on a sunny day, including a couple side trails.

If you park at Vancouver Lake Regional Park you will need to pay the $3 parking fee.  If you just want to walk the trails, you can instead either park at one of the open parking areas to the south of the Park, near the turn of Lower River Road, or go north 1-1/2 miles past the main park entrance where there is a trail on the right.

Salmon Creek Regional Park / Klineline Pond

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Salmon Creek Regional Park / Klineline Pond

The Salmon Creek Greenway Trail gives you miles of trails to walk.  Most trails are wide paved paths, but some are gravel and dirt paths.

Note that if you park at Klineline Pond there is a parking fee.  If you go 2000ft west you can park at the recreation center parking lot for free.

You can go west along the greenway trail to 36th Ave (about 3 miles), or east past Klineline Pond, under the freeway, and explore trails in the east pond area along Salmon Creek.

Pleasant Valley Community Park

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Pleasant Valley Community Park is the east end of a trail that connects to Salmon Creek and the Washington State University campus.

Park at the corner of NE 143rd Circle and NE 47th Ave.  Walk the path west about 1000ft through the park, then turn right to go down the hill towards Salmon Creek.  Another thousand feet gets you to the bridge over Salmon Creek.  There is a crosswalk with crossing signal to help you safely cross NE Salmon Creek Ave.  Follow the path another 2000ft to the road leading up to Washington State University.  Once you reach the WSU campus, you will find several miles of trails to explore.

  • Pleasant Valley Community Park.
  • Pleasant Valley Community Park, looking toward WSU.
  • Trail bridge across Salmon Creek.
  • Salmon Creek
  • This trail from WSU to Pleasant Valley Community Park crosses Salmon Creek Ave.

Orchards Community Park

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Orchards Community Park is a great neighborhood park for a forested walk, with a combination of paved and dirt paths.  The main parking for the park is on NE 54th St.  There are a few spaces for parking on NE 58th St and some street parking on NE 102nd Ave.  I recommend parking on 54th.

Walking the perimeter trails of the park can take you just short of a mile.  You can criss cross through other trails for a longer walk.

Moulton Falls Regional Park

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Moulton Falls Regional Park includes river access to the East Fork Lewis River, a popular swimming hole, several dirt trails to explore and connections to the Hantwick Rd Trail and Bells Mountain Trail. 

  • Moulton Falls Park
  • Some trails at Moulton Falls Park include stone steps.
  • Bridge over Big Tree Creek at Yacolt Falls.
  • Yacolt Falls at Moulton Falls Regional Park
  • A Trail at Yacolt Falls at Moulton Falls Regional Park
  • East Fork Lewis River at Moulton Falls Regional Park
  • East Fork Lewis River at Moulton Falls Regional Park
  • East Fork Lewis River at Moulton Falls Regional Park
  • A trail up the East Fork Lewis River at Moulton Falls Regional Park
  • East Fork Lewis River at Moulton Falls Regional Park
  • Moulton Falls Regional Park includes many picnic tables. A few need repairs.

The park has several wide heavily used trails, plus many side trails.

Here is a suggestion for a nice loop hike.

  1. Start at the upper parking lot next to Sunset Falls Rd (which is usually less crowded than the lower parking lot).
  2. Take the trail to the right of the park map, to cross Lucia Falls Rd to Yacolt Falls on Big Tree Creek (use the crosswalk, and beware of fast moving traffic).
  3. Cross the bridge over Big Tree Creek, and enjoy the view of Yacolt Falls.  The bridge, curiously, was made from a naval ship’s gun turret and will be swung open during flood season so that logs coming down the creek do not hit it.
  4. Turn left to take the trail down Big Tree Creek to where you will cross Lucia Falls Rd.
  5. After crossing the road at the crosswalk, turn left to take the pedestrian bridge across the creek.  Follow that trail along the East Fork Lewis River to a trail up the hill.
  6. You can then take the trail to the arch bridge.  At the bridge, you can turn back, or you can continue on to follow other trails.  a) Turn left at the far side of the bridge to follow a rough trail up river a short distance to view another waterfall (about .4 mile).  b) Continue straight and follow the main trail to Hantwick Rd. (2-1/2 miles)  c)  Continue along the main trail and then turn left onto the Bells Mountain Trail (.4 mile beyond the bridge, 8.7 mile long Bells Mountain Trail connects to numerous other trails and logging roads.)
  7. Turning back at the bridge, you can either continue up the main trail back to the parking lot, or you can turn right, and then left for a side trail the then reconnects with the main trail to the parking lot.  This loop without the side trips will be about about 2/3rds of a mile.