From our friends at the Waterland Walkers:

On Saturday June 22 at 11:00 am we will walk in Saltwater State Park. The address is 25205 8th Pl S in Des Moines.

This is a beautiful, wooded forest path, surrounded by tall trees, a small creek when it rains, a few small bridges and birdsong. The forest path is right next to the beach, so you can have both forest and sea in the same day.

We will meet a few minutes before 11am in the lower parking lot near the restrooms. (Come down the road from the entrance gate and turn left into the car park at the bottom.)

You need one Discover pass so that your car can park in the parking lot. If you don’t have one, you may be able to purchase a Discover Pass at the Des Moines Library, or most King County libraries, with your library card (if available).

The main path is one approximately 2.49 miles up and down through the woods. There is a quite steep section with some steps at the start of the walk. The trail is a very well maintained, mostly single file dirt and gravel trail with some tree roots and rocks to watch out for. Hiking or sturdy hiking or trail shoes work best for this trail and hiking poles can also be useful. If we walk the beach loop trail next, our total mileage will be about 2 miles.

We will have two walking options available. The first is the main loop trail described above. For those who prefer something that is paved the entire way, the second option runs through the parking lot and campsite to the center of the forest path. This walk goes slightly uphill, but does not have the highs and lows of the forest path. When hikers reach the center of the forest trail, they have the option to return the way they came or take the second half of the forest trail back to the parking lot.

Hikers of all levels are welcome. There is plenty of room to spread out and walk at your own pace. Well-behaved four-legged friends are also welcome.

If you have any questions or need help finding us on the day of the walk, please text or call Anna Martin at (206) 501-5726.

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