Squeezed an impromptu urban-walk at Bellevue WA before the rain/shower (??) later this 28may2024 TUE morning.

~05:50, i was the first to arrive and parked at the Lewis Creek Park. When i got back ~2+ hours later, there was ~10 vehicles and i noticed a few people - visitors and Park Maintenance, and ~2 dogs in the Park.

Out i went on a CCW-Loop (including "road link connectors" ~70% were Sidewalks.
(P) > Lakemont Trail > SE Cougar Mountain Dr > (B) > (X) > Peggy's Trail > Lewis Creek Trail > Lakemont Highlands Trail > (P).

My sincere apologies to the Construction/Owner of the property for my accidentally trespassing the section between (B) and (X). My coming from SE Cougar Mountain Dr, i didn't see the "No Trespassing" Sign until after my descend and reached (X) <along South 60th St, where the a.m. Sign was posted>

Btw, please be aware of the construction-work between the slope {(B) and (X)}. Its ground was relatively soft (may be muddy and slippery when wet). And there were some hard-plastic ~2" pipes running across the slope. Anyway, its better to not traverse this "section" cos its Private Property and its"No Trespassing".

Saw no other person on-the-Trails. Lovely green woods, some birds singings, and saw a slug, and a snail 😊

i was 'huffing-and-puffing" doing this walk .. i must be "out-of-shape" .. haven't done a hike with Elevation Gain of ~1,000 ft or more since a long long while ago (??) .. 😅

Cheers!

The fruit trees on the east side of the park have fruit in them. I was walking in the park today and noticed apples and pears in the fruit trees in the east side of the park. There are a bunch of purple flowers in the wetland area that I believe are some type of thistle.

The trail is very accessible and the walk around the wetland area is very nice.

We picked up a junior ranger booklet from the visitor center and then headed out on the trail. The main trail is wide and loops down through the wetland area on pavement, boardwalk, and gravel. Interpretive signs tell of the history of the area both ice age and farming. We explored up a side trail, thinking it might loop back to the park but we ended up in a neighborhood on the hill and I think headed toward Lakemont Park. We turned back at that point.

Our family is hiking the month of August to raise funds for WTA's Hike-A-Thon so that the trails can continue to be enjoyed by future generations. Please consider contributing, every $ helps! https://give.wta.org/Jenchilada2022

#hikeathon #teamtacosformiles

This is a lovely easy local park for me. Today we had some snowfall up here so the park was all decked out in white. The trails and bridges were pretty slushy but it was still a beautiful walk.

Lewis Creek Park is a well-maintained grass park with good views of the natural landscape surrounding it, alongside sport fields and walking paths. The entrance of the park and the parking lot is accessible from the roadside, located in Southern Bellevue near a neighborhood residential area. The visitor center is right next to the park's entrance, which has maps and information about the park's walkways and trails - as well as the adjacent hiking path systems. On a sunny summer day, the weather is very bright around noon, with not too many trees that block the sky. The walking paths at the park are noticeably clean and well paved, which add to the organized and maintained nature of the park. With plenty of trails and natural landscapes, it is a good place to bring along pets for walking. Like many other Bellevue urban parks, there are playgrounds and sport fields that usually attract families throughout the daytime.

Generally, the park is not too busy during regular visiting hours, with the parking lot only being halfway full with plenty of open spaces. The park itself is not very big either, with moderately long walking paths that loop around the parking lot, grass fields, and basketball court. There aren't any wildlife visible at the park with the exception of occasional birds sitting in the trees, although there are plenty of trees and plants as a part of the natural park scenery. A large part of the park is next to a grassy and overgrown marsh area, with terrain that leads towards the hiking trails and forest. As a part of the Lewis Creek natural area, the meadows and streams in the wetlands lead through the park and forest, which is a habitat for small wildlife. At the end of the park, a wood signs marks the beginning of the Lewis Creek hiking trails, which gives a closer look at the natural vegetation surrounding the park as well as the forest walking trails.