Got in three miles of walking today. Trails were a bit muddy, but nothing impassible. Some folks were just finishing up a marathon, and we got to see the last few hit the finish line. 

Went on run at bridal trails, and I was dive-bombed by an owl. It didn’t make contact, but it got in my face. About 9 AM on the east side of the park, along 132nd. You’ve been warned!

Fun afternoon getting outside despite the cold (40ds) and rain ("No bad weather, only bad clothing" right?). I love how remote this park feels even though it's close to a highway. Especially for the longer loops, I forget I'm not hours outside of town. Anyway, today we hiked the Raven loop (1 mile) with our 6-month old in a carrier and the toddler hiking most of it before getting in his carrier. Very grateful to have a winter waterproof suit and boots for the toddler, as the trail was muddy and had puddles near the stables (much to his puddle-jumping delight). Lush and dense vegetation along the path, it was peaceful and beautiful.

My dog and I scouted this State Park for a possible future Mountaineers outing. Totals on the day were 5.6 miles and 289 feet according to AllTrails, 2.6 mph pace.

I didn't realize for horse traffic the park recommends clockwise travel on some routes and counter-clockwise on others; we went counter-clockwise following the "coyote prints" along the perimeter, then branched off from the northwest corner to try to access the Bridle Trails pond (without success) and then continued to Trillium and back along Raven. If I understand correctly, on the smaller branch-off trails hikers are to look for markers to know the appropriate direction to travel, in case horses (who have priority) are approaching. It makes sense to pay attention so you don't get surprised!

At 10:15 when we arrived there were 5 cars and 5 dog walkers with about 10 dogs apiece (I've never SEEN so many dogs in one outing unless they're loose at a dog park). We encountered one horse and rider, maybe 15-20 people on the day. Bathrooms are open, warm, and lit including a shower in the women's. It's nice to not have to go in the bushes after a two-hour outing.

My only quibble was the abundant horse poop. Well, if you share the trail you have to expect it. That, and the sound of cars/405 traffic around the perimeter. But once you get off Coyote in the middle of the park, it was simply lovely. We heard 18 bird species on the day including a crossbill, 3 ravens, a vireo, a bunch of kinglets and pine siskens, and a hairy woodpecker. 

I specifically chose to visit Bridle Trails so I could take my dog, visit a new-to-me place, and get some different bird species for my Ebird listing (38 in January so far).

There are plenty of downed trees but none crossing the trails we visited. And with the recent nice weather, the biggest obstacle is not mud (the ground is frozen) but horse poop. I picked up 3 dog bags and deposited them in the trash cans which ARE available at the parking lot.

Nice park. I'll go back sometime and visit more of the inner quieter trails.

Not the most exciting place to hike, but I've never been before so it was good to check off someplace new.  It is quite amazing though that there such a large forest in the middle of rapidly urbanizing Bellevue.  We did not see any horses on the trails but there were quite a lot of trail runners and several family groups, not all dogs on leash.  The trail system is quite extensive so make sure you take a picture of the map at the kiosk.  Once on the trail proper it's all pretty samey with just a little up and down with a few horsey features, (training rings).  We stuck to the main trails, Coyote, Raven, Trillium and way finding was easy for them with nicely signed poles at Junctions (picture).  These main trails are quite wide so if you want to hike two across with your sweetie then this is the place for you!  Plus each main trail is a loop so you can dial in the mileage by adding them together.  We hiked Coyote and Raven for a total of 4.5 miles, not bad for a morning outing. 

Bottom line, this is a nice local option but not a destination.