Evans Creek Preserve

On a cool, sunny November morning I went to check out the result of 42 WTA trail work parties over the past year. I spent a misty day out here way back in April, just when the new trail system was taking shape. Now there are seven looping options throughout the 179-acre preserve.

You can tell immediately that much love went into building these trails - from the City of Sammamish and from more than 250 WTA volunteers who spent at least a day building this trail. Most obvious are the bridges - there are 14 of them! And the beautiful long boardwalk that curves through a forested wetland area. It may not be immediately apparent why the bridges are needed, but when I was out last spring I trudged through a ton of mud.

The other way that the volunteers vanquished the mud was by graveling the trail. It was A LOT of gravel! Wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow. I had worked in the forested dirt section, and it took me awhile to find my small plot of labor. This was the section right before heading out into the meadow where scat from deer show who rules the place when the hikers and dog walkers aren't there.

I hiked the preserve in under an hour, doing all of the loop options and taking photos. The big leaf maples were shedding their yellow leaves. When I stopped I could hear the leaves falling in the woods. It was very pleasant, though not a full work-out by any means. I see this trail used mostly by families with kids, people walking their dogs, birdwatchers and by folks with limited mobility. It's not long enough for trail running and doesn't link up to other trails, for those who like all of the options of trails at Cougar or Tiger Mountains.

But it is worth a stop, if you find yourself out on the Redmond-Fall City Road. Admire the handiwork of all of those volunteers. Enjoy the solitude. And get a bit of a leg-stretcher in the process.