Quick walk around Bridle Trails state park. Parking requires a Discover Pass as per normal. The main gravel lot off 116th Ave NE is quite large though can fill up quick if there is an equestrian or trail running event going on. Looks like some folks are trying to skirt the pass requirement parking along 116th but there isn’t enough space, tires over the white line and so not legal and subject to fines or towing. Full restrooms north of the main lot were open and in good condition. Our route ended up being a messy crisscross X pattern hitting all four corners but sticking largely to the smaller secondary trails where available for a total of just over 6 miles and just over 500ft gross vertical. The trails, both main primary and secondary are in great shape - the local crew consistently do a great job of keeping everything maintained even in spite of the heavy usage and extra wear and tear equestrians can cause - super kudos. You can still see all the trees that were blown over last winter and had to be cut up and cleared, a ton of work. My contribution to the cause this morning was using my face to clear all the spiderwebs from most of the secondary trails that hadn’t been walked yet….
Not much in the way of wildlife, a few squirrels, one woodpecker, some robins, plus some coyote sign though did not see/hear any actual animals. We did however get to make acquaintance with several beautiful horses out wandering with their owners. One in particular seemed to have an interest in the sword ferns and was munching away happily as it sauntered along. I wouldn’t think sword ferns would taste very good. There are also a few wildflowers mainly in the open utility corridor and a few patches of the super yummy little native blackberry that are starting to get ripe. Lastly, Bridle Trails is one of those neat places that has so many little side trails that you can almost always find a new nook or cranny that you haven’t seen before even if you have been there many times.
Link to more info about the park - https://parks.wa.gov/find-parks/state-parks/bridle-trails-state-park
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