The Redmond park is a veritable recreation grab bag with a 42-acre off-leash dog park, radio control field for model aircraft flights, 30-foot-tall bouldering wall, rowing and boat launch, community gardens, and two playgrounds. Organized events abound year-round, from cyclocross races to circus-like variety shows. Over 200 bird species have been spotted on the park’s Audubon Bird Loop; Thursday morning guided birding walks traverse the trails.

Tranquility is both a necessity and a byproduct of the preserve named after a serial Audubon chapter organizer. One trail  through the Hazel Wolf Wetlands even prohibits dogs and joggers to avoid disturbing skittish wildlife. Hooded mergansers, dragonflies, great blue herons, and Northwestern salamanders all frequent the waters; binoculars are a must-have. A short, calm jaunt through the forest, it leads past a beaver dam to a viewing platform to spy lily pads and waterfowl.

On the southeast corner of Lake Sammamish, nearly 7,000 feet of waterfront form a family-friendly park where kayaking, swimming, and boating from a whopping nine docks make for easy pastimes—plus, the holiday season brings an annual parade of festively lit watercraft. Surrounding rivers and deciduous forests are home to salmon and blue heron; sand volleyball courts, hidden geocaches, and large picnic shelters keep parkgoers busy. There’s also easy access to the 11-mile East Lake Sammamish trail, a paved waterside path between Issaquah and Redmond. 

A handful of peaks rise from the Issaquah Alps’ sprawling state forest, and multiuse trails—many catering to mountain bikers, horseback riders, and hikers—crisscross the landscape. With a bit of creativity, they offer endless DIY loops and linkups spanning difficulties and lengths. The short but steep 3.8-mile round-trip Chirico Trail ends at Poo Poo Point, a quintessential paragliding outpost. Some summits offer sprawling vistas on a clear day, yet most sights will be found in the forest’s mossy trees, ferns, and babbling creeks.