Brightwater Center Trails, Woodinville, Washington
LOCATION
The Brightwater Center is located midway between Woodinville and Maltby, Washington, just off State Route 522.
LENGTH
The Brightwater Center includes three miles of interconnected trails, making it easy to customize a trip to your liking.
DIFFICULTY
Easy, with broad, mostly flat gravel trails, making it accessible for a wide range of abilities.
WE HIKED IT
December, 2020 – about two hours exploring the North Habitat, including stops for snacks, playing by the creek, and time for the kids to run up and down the hills
CURRENT INFO
To learn more about the Brightwater Center, which is actually a King County wastewater treatment plant, and view a trail map, see the King County website. Find current trail reports on the WTA (Washington Trails Association) website. These trails are also featured in the book Urban Trails: Eastside by Craig Romano.
GOOD TO KNOW
Parking is free at Brightwater, and restrooms are available. Dogs on leash are welcome. It’s close to the freeway, so expect some traffic noise.
HIGHLIGHTS
Wastewater treatment plants aren’t usually destinations, but Brightwater shows how something that could be an eyesore can instead draw in the community to experience nature.
THE KIDS’ TAKE
Brightwater is a great place to get your kids out and moving. Since this is a park, they’re not limited to staying on the trail. My boys constantly ran ahead, climbing hills and poking sticks in the water. And really, isn’t that what it’s all about?
WHILE YOU’RE HERE
Just up the road in Maltby you’ll find the famed Maltby Cafe, home to enormous cinnamon rolls and a favorite breakfast stop en route to Stevens Pass (they serve lunch, too). Only one block from the Maltby Cafe, the Snoqualmie Ice Cream Scoop Shop serves up delicious Snoqualmie Ice Cream cones.
Our Experience
As usual, I was looking for a place to get outside with the family, someplace new and maybe a little different, but not too far off. While I don’t mind driving a few hours to reach a good hike, sometimes we need someplace closer to home, where we can take a few hours out of our day to recharge. Plus, it feels pretty good when we get to drive our Nissan Leaf to a hike instead of the gas-fueled Mazda CX-5.
The Brightwater Center was an intriguing option in part because it’s a working wastewater treatment center. Rather than resign it to an ignoble fate, King County decided to transform the grounds into a welcoming park complete with three miles of trails, outdoor art, and an educational center.
After an easy 25 minute drive, we met our friends at Brightwater. Buddy the puppy, in particular, was raring to go. Scratch that – the kids were also highly energized, and took off running once we decided to head north on the gravel path. Over the river and through the woods they ran, up hill and down. With all this running, it was hardly surprising that the youngest, T, soon asked for a snack.
Fortunately, just ahead was the perfect place to pause. A beautifully designed covered picnic shelter sat nestled at the edge of the woods overlooking a small grassy field. We settled in for a snack, appreciating a dry place to sit. Nearby was a small restroom, complete with solar panels on its roof.
After our break, it was time to continue the explorations. We looped around the field, past more hills ready for climbing, and back over the bridge we’d first crossed on our way in.
The boys pointed out a short spur trail that led to a hidden pond. This, as it turns out, was the perfect spot for plying the water with sticks. Does this serve a purpose? I don’t know, but perhaps the lack of purpose is what makes it so satisfying.
After finishing with the sticks, we continued south, this time to the larger Otter Pond. Half of the pond is covered in a carefully choreographed arrangement of floating logs. Curious, I looked this up upon returning home and discovered that these floating wetlands, as they are called, were created to provide shade and take in excess nutrients from the water which, if left unchecked, can lead to toxic algae blooms. Here at Brightwater, this is an ongoing project, as they work to find the most effective way to rebuild a healthy environment.
We took the roadside trail on the way back to the parking lot. One thing to note about Brightwater – it isn’t exactly remote. From most points within the park, you can hear the sound of not-so-distant traffic, a by-product of the fact that Brightwater lies sandwiched between State Route 9 and State Route 522. This doesn’t diminish it’s popularity, however. On our visit, we found that dog owners seemed particularly drawn to the park. Buddy was thrilled by the sight of so many potential new friends! We, too, were glad for the chance to enjoy a little slice of nature in such an unexpected place.
