Beautiful year-round hike near Issaquah and New Castle.
Arrived at the parking lot at 7:50am, with only 2 other cars in the lot. Hours online say the gate is open from dawn to dusk, so that checked out for winter. The parking lot is pretty large and has 2 Honey Buckets near the Coal Creek Falls trailhead marker.
No Discovery, America the Beautiful, or Northwest Trail passes are needed for the network of trials. They are managed by the King County parks department, so no fee required.
The hike itself is a great beginner-friendly hike, with big payoff halfway through the loop at the falls. In January, the falls were gushing water all the way down the creek.
Remember to stay on trail as this extensive trail system is built on old mining tunnels that are slowly collapsing and/or emitting dangerous gas.
Wear your hiking boots and enjoy a wet, winter hike.
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