WTA's Hiking Guide is Coming to Your Neighborhood

When I was growing up, Boeing Creek Park was in my neighborhood and I often went with my family, exploring the trails and discovering Hidden Lake. As I grew up, my legs got a little bigger and so did my hiking aspirations. I started driving to the Cascades to go hiking. I walked many miles of backcountry trails, but I neglected to return to that much-loved neighborhood trail network. 2020 brought me back. 

Stepping stones going across Boeing Creek. Photo by Erika Haugen-Goodman. 

• Find Trails Close to Home
• Why Gatekeeping is Harmful to Hikers
• Making Nature Accessible in Urban Areas
• WTA's Favorite Hikes Close to Home 

Upon returning after almost a decade, I saw the park with fresh eyes. There were trails I’d never been on and the giant trees were still as big as I’d remembered. After hours of exploring, I returned to my car with the same shock of re-entering the modern world after a long day in the backcountry. How had I gone so long without revisiting these great trails right in my own neighborhood? 

Local Trails 

Having trails close to home is an important part of creating an extensive and accessible trail network. Local trails take some of the pressure off popular mountain destinations and provide a nearby route to trails, and the mental and physical health benefits that they provide — something that's been highlighted during quarantine. Not everyone has the same access to local trails and green spaces, but WTA is working to change that with our Trail Next Door campaign. 

As part of that effort, we have added more than 100 local parks and trails to our Hiking Guide in 2020. These Hiking Guide entries include details like transit directions, park facilities and parking information.

New Trails in the Hiking Guide

When you start planning your next hike, know that you don’t need to look far to find a great destination. Here are a few of the many trails that are new to WTA's Hiking Guide. Check them out and write a trip report about your hike so that others can have the most up-to-date information about these trails next door.  

• Thelma Gilmur Park (Tacoma Area): This loop trail circles a small pond in Fircrest. 
• Blue Heron Park (Moses Lake): This paved path is great for a quick stroll along the lake during a road trip. 
• A Quiet Place Park (Kingston): Within walking distance of the Kingston ferry dock, get a view of Puget Sound. 
• Ruth Cohen Memorial Park (Oak Harbor): Be the first to write a trip report for this Whidbey Island Park. 
• Haynes Estate Conservation Area (Spokane Area): These trails loop around the banks of the Little Spokane River.