Coal Creek Falls #COUGAR-C4,Peggy's Trail #COUGAR-N10

I walked several of the City of Bellevue Parks trails post the early December flooding to see what the water had done. Both Coal Creek Park and Lakemont Park have significant flood damage. The trail at Coal Creek Park is now temporarily closed from the Red Town Trailhead to Coal Creek Pkwy due to bridges out and trail washouts (the Cougar Mountain side is still open). It was amazing to see the power of water. Part of the trail is passable despite being closed, however there is no access to Coal Creek Pkwy without a couple of bridgeless creek crossings. Peggy’s Trail at Lakemont Park is passable down to Lewis Creek on both sides of the drainage. The trail running parallel to the creek at the bottom of the drainage is completely gone. It is now steep slopes on both stream banks leading to creek bed. It’s really interesting to see where the creek has incised through a few small land slides along the former trail. I wouldn’t recommend trying to traverse this trail unless you have chest waders. I ended up walking through the creek for about ¼ mile to get back. I had anticipated the damage and brought chest waders. The Parks Dept said that they hope to have the trails repaired by the end of the summer of ’08. To check conditions of the closed trails the number posted on the signs is 425-452-6855.