Have you explored Lord Hill Regional Park?
If you haven’t, you really should. It’s a charming park — great for hiking, running, biking or horseback riding.
I was desperate for a hike recently, but didn’t have time to go far, so I visited Lord Hill near Snohomish with a friend and my 3-year-old.
The leaves are still bright in many places. And, like pretty much everywhere this year, mushrooms are flourishing. Keep your eyes open and you’ll see thousands.
The park is 1,463 acres with six miles of designated trails, according to the county website. I suspect a little exploring would reveal smaller, unofficial trails.The forest is a combination of evergreen and deciduous trees.
The trails are a mixture of wide enough for several people to walk together to narrower single-file paths.
There are handy maps at the entrance and at several locations throughout the park. Be sure to look at them. It’s possible to go a mile or so out of your way if you’re chatting and staring at the trees rather than paying attention. I mean, not that I would ever do that. I always know exactly where I am.
Honestly, though, the park was so pretty I didn’t mind the extra walk. My daughter alternated between dozing on my back and asking me when we would see the next horse.
If you go, be aware that riders on the trail. Be courteous and don’t do anything to startle their horses. Although, every horse we saw on the trail simply gave us a curious look as we said “hi” to them and their riders. Everyone — human and equine — seemed happy to be out on such a great day.
I can see that the trails would also be great for trail running and biking. In fact, there is a run there this weekend with 5 mile and 10 mile options. Click here to get more info.
More info
The park’s website is here. This PDF of the park map is handy.
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