Very nice hike, the weather and relative wellbeing of the paths create an excellent experience with some amazing ambience. Walked half the trail till I realized I hadn’t hiked in a while and was getting tired, so only got about 3 out of 6 miles in. More doggy bags on the trail than I would like, but you’re never in danger of stepping on them. Overall, would recommend.

Toilets: A few porta-potties (with TP and sanitizer) at both Red Town Trailhead and Coal Creek Trailhead. DO NOT THROW DOG POOP BAGS IN THESE TOILETS! Grrrr.
Parking: Full but not unmanageable at 12pm on New Year's Day. We got one of the last open spots.

From Red Town TH moving west, we encountered a blowdown almost immediately but it had been cleared by the time we came back 2 hours later. First half of trail was unremarkable in terms of trail conditions. While the bomb cyclone clearly did a number on the area, the branches and fallen trees have been cleared. Second half of the trail was a bit muddy in parts. Just mind your footsteps on inclines.

Lotsa birds chirping, lotsa people and unleashed dogs too.

My Apple Watch and All Trails both reported 6 miles, 600 feet of gain, and 2 hours of moving time.

Trail was in good condition and thanks to our awesome trail crews all the blowdowns have been cleared. There are some pretty impressive trees that have been uprooted and have changed the scenery on the trail quite a bit since the fall. This is a great trail for toddlers and I like to hike it as an out and back to the midway point from each trailhead. It would also make a great little through hike with a car shuttle if you needed to cut down some mileage. My goal this year is to get my 2yo accustomed to more mileage and elevation so I decided to make a trail specific scavenger hunt for Coal Creek Trail. I used waypoints unique to this trail to propel forward movement and in-season flora and fauna to hold interest along the way. I thought other parents and caregivers might find this useful too so I put a Dropbox download link in my Instagram bio @erikalynnsea for anyone who wants to use it!

I came down to check out the damage on our Bellevue home and am grateful for only a few holes in the roof from branches.  Two of our neighbors houses were severely damaged from multiple trees landing on them.  So happy everyone is okay.

I went on many trails here today but just picked one for my report  Clusters of branches blocking the trail here and there but easily navigated.  I miss having these trails in such close proximity.

Disclaimers

Quick-and-dirty version

Access: Red Cedar Trailhead
Round Trip: 5.6 miles
Elevation Range: 175′-650′
Essential Gear: none
Dog-Friendly: yes

Redtown Trailhead wasn't reachable due to repairs and power restorations after the bomb cyclone. Instead, I started from Red Cedar Trailhead by Coal Creek Parkway and walked to Redtown and back.

THE TRAILS: There are two main trails in the long, narrow ravine.

• Coal Creek Trail spans 4 miles from near I-405 in the northwest to Redtown Trailhead in the southeast at Cougar Mountain.
• The much shorter Primrose Trail (.75 miles) forks off the main path at mile 1 and mile 1.5 from Coal Creek Parkway.
• Along the way behind the neighborhoods are short spurs (most unnamed) that join the main trail.

My Route

1. Hike under three miles to Redtown Trailhead.
2. On the way back, take the Primrose Trail for scene variations before joining the main trail to head out.

Highlights

• The charming North Fork Falls, a stone's throw away from the main path
• Interpretive signs throughout the canyon with stories reflecting on the history

Lowlights

• Tree debris piles, aftermath of the storm