Hiking at Weowna Park in Bellevue, Washington

Looking for more trails near Bellevue and the Eastside?
Check out Coal Creek Falls at Cougar Mountain or visit Grand Ridge and Duthie Hill for hiking and mountain biking!

GOOD TO KNOW

• Parking at Weowna Park is free, but limited. We parked on the northeast side of the park along West Lake Sammamish Parkway, as marked on the map above. Google maps labels this trailhead as the “Lake to Lake Trailhead”. More street parking is available on the southwest side of Weowna Park on 168th Avenue SE. These are good places to park if you plan a shorter hike as these trailheads are closer to the canyon.
• No toilets are available.
• Pets on leash are welcome at Weowna Park.
• Weowna Park is open year round, and a great place to visit in fall, winter, and spring when the water flow is highest.
• Always follow Leave No Trace principles. Pack it in, pack it out.

HIGHLIGHTS

Weowna Park is great for a quick forest escape within the Bellevue City limits. You can hike the full trail within a few hours, or do a shorter loop if you’re limited for time. The highlight of the hike is the fern-lined canyon laced with waterfalls, which are at their best during the rainy season.

THE KIDS’ TAKE

Weowna Park is a good kid-friendly place to hike. It’s not too hard, but the uphill sections and stairs add a little challenge, and the viewing platforms overlooking the canyon are a fun diversion. Now, I admit my seven-year-old wasn’t thrilled to be out on this hike, but he came down with a cold the following day, so perhaps that was the real culprit.

WHILE YOU’RE HERE

The Eastside offers many wonderful hiking opportunities within striking distance of Seattle and Bellevue. Not far south of Weowna Park lies Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park with many more miles of trails to explore — over 35 miles of trails, in fact! We enjoyed a beautiful fall hike to Coal Creek Falls at Cougar Mountain.

Another good park to the east is Grand Ridge and Duthie Hill. Grand Ridge offers woodsy hiking and biking trails and boardwalks, while Duthie Hill focuses on mountain biking, including a fun staging area suitable for all levels.

This year, we didn’t make it out for a First Day hike. But isn’t a Second Day hike just as nice? On January 2nd, we joined our friends for a two-hour wander through the wild woods of Bellevue, Washington, at Weowna Park.

After parking at the main trailhead along West Lake Sammamish Parkway, we found ourselves in for a steep climb. Much of the elevation gain on the hike (about 600 feet total) occurs during this first part of the hike. About halfway up the hill, stairs take you up some of the steepest sections.

The trail is easy to navigate and wasn’t overly muddy despite the recent rain. Recent windstorms brought down a few trees, but trail workers had already cleared any logs and debris from blocking the path. We were impressed!

Beautiful as the forest here is, it occupies a narrow strip within the city. For the most part, the sights and sounds of city life remain out of view, but occasionally we caught sight of the rooflines of some of the lakeview mansions that line the hillsides overlooking West Lake Sammamish. Not a bad place to call home — I certainly wouldn’t mind having Weowna Park as my backyard.

As we hiked, we were on the lookout for a trail junction. According to the WTA description, that would be our signal to head left to continue the hike. We passed a couple of unmarked trails heading left back down the hill, and checked our online map. Nope, these weren’t the ones. They led back down to Lake Sammamish Parkway, while we intended to explore more within Weowna Park. Eventually, we came to a square signpost that clearly marked the way. We stayed to the left and soon reached the creek.

Special note: The trail to the right also leads to this same spot at the top of the creek, but follows 168th Avenue SE instead of taking you through the forest. We prefer sticking with the forest trail to the left.

Here by the creek, a lovely little waterfall danced over rocks and fallen logs and a picnic table offered an inviting place to stop and enjoy the scene. At least, the table would be inviting if it weren’t for the clammy dampness left behind by the rain. But with a few extra days to dry out, it would be the perfect picnic spot along the trail.

The boys were immediately drawn to the bridge, where another mini-waterfall tumbled into a shallow pool before turning the corner and disappearing out of sight. What lay beyond this mysterious bend? We were about to find out.

Just past the bridge was another marked trail junction, indicating the start of the loop at the end of the trail. No matter which direction you choose, you’ll do the full loop and return to this very spot. We chose to head left, following the trail as it skirted a steep ravine. The creek pummeled happily down the hill, and we looked behind to discover a graceful waterfall at the top of the gorge.

The trail in this section is steep, but the way is made easier by a series of stairs leading to two viewing platforms. The platforms are the perfect place to pause and take in the sights and sounds of the ravine with its lush green understory and laughing brook.

Moving away from the ravine, the loop trail led us back up through the forest at a gentler slope. We met back up with the trail junction near the bridge and stayed right to take the forest trail back to the trailhead and avoid walking along the road.

The way back was quicker, especially as the kids flew down the final downhill section toward the cars. Our brief hike through Weowna Park left us refreshed and energized, all conveniently a mere half hour’s drive from home. 2023, here we come!