Island Center Forest
Lovely Douglas-fir forest, wetlands, and a great network of trails, Island Center Forest is one of King County's backcountry parks. Birds are abundant on the wetlands, and the forest is lush, with large, second-growth trees.
There are several park entrances; the closest to the town of Vashon is an easy walk to Mukai Pond, a lovely wetland ringed with beautiful, colorful willows. The westside entrance is a wide spot in the road - don't let the feature - a restored Borrow Pit - or the landfill next door, stop you from heading into the park - after stopping to admire the great restoration work on the borrow pit, you'll soon be in lush forest - hushed and quiet, save for birds and squirrels. You will forget you're at a County park. There are several miles of trail at Island Center Forest. Because the trail system is fairly new, be sure to take a map - there are some confusing intersections - as with any park adjacent to a neighborhood, there are many waytrails leading to homes. The King County website (see link below) includes a printable map of the park, and gives a great history of Island Center Forest, including the restoration of the gravel pit. This is a working forest, so check for trail closures. Some trails can be quite muddy on a rainy day, and during the rainiest months, it is not possible to approach the walks at Mukai Pond, due to high water. If this is the case, go back another time! Watch for bicyclists and equestrians. Thank equestrians for their many hours of volunteer work at Island Center Forest. Find website here: http://www.kingcounty.gov/[…]/islandcenterforest.aspx
Driving Directions:
From West Seattle, take the Southworth Ferry to Vashon. Drive through the town of Vashon and turn right onto 188th Street. In about 2 miles, see the brown King County Park sign on the right, and turn in to the parking lot. Recent Trip Reports
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We love island adventures. Ferry rides only lead to good things across the water. Today we headed ...
We love island adventures. Ferry rides only lead to good things across the water. Today we headed over to Vashon Island to explore the Island Center Forest. This is a King County Park and has four different trail heads. We started at the 188th St Trail head today.
Pick up a map provided at the kiosk if you did not bring one or print one at home. You will need it. Most of the trails are well marked and easy to follow with the provided map. This is a lovely walk through the woods. The trails are in good condition and have a good tread. We only ran into one extremely muddy area ( and after such a rainy april that is a good thing). There is not much elevation gain, but a few small ups and downs. There are side loop trails with interpretive signs to read if you don't have dogs needing to get to the next smell. Horses use these trails as well, and although we didn't meet any today, there was plenty of evidence of their presence. There are about ten miles of trails within this park. We covered about 4 today before heading into Vashon for lunch at The Hardware Store. After lunch, seeing as we were on an island, we needed some beach time. So off we headed to Point Robinson Lighthouse. Wonderful little scenic beach area. And did you know it never rains on island time, only a moist sea breeze to keep you cool. Day hike
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A bunch of staffers from WTA joined me in exploring Island Center Forest on Vashon Island. Despite i...
A bunch of staffers from WTA joined me in exploring Island Center Forest on Vashon Island. Despite its proximity to Seattle, only one of us had hiked there before and we wanted to see what the island, and this rather new King County park, has to offer.
We started from the main SW 188th Street trailhead where we picked up a trail map. There are many trails in the park, so this map is a handy way not to get lost. You can also download your own before you go: http://1.usa.gov/JZVXu4. Our first stop was Mukai Pond. Even though it was late morning, the birds were plentiful. We watched what we think was an osprey flying about, witnessed the jerky swoops of swallows and enjoyed hearing a redwing blackbird in the distance. This is a great spot for birdwatchers. Back on the trail, we headed to the Valley of the Firs because that sounded enticing. Ramrod straight fir trees interspersed with tall but struggling madronas defined this part of the park. It would be magical, perhaps even spooky, in the fog. No fog today. It was clear, and I must say this area is not one I would choose for a sunny day. My colleagues and I discussed this. We hiked about a bit longer, but then chose to eat our lunch at Point Robinson where we could enjoy the fact that we were on an island on a gorgeous day. Then it was back to the office. |
 Photo by Kim Brown.
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