by Carrie Krueger, Marketing Director
The tiny little town of Newcastle, WA boasts a beautiful little trail system that takes walkers through interesting and secluded greenbelts and parks. Suburban Newcastle, sits south of Bellevue, north of Renton in the foothills just east of Lake Washington.
A good jumping off point for exploring is Lake Boren Park. The park itself is fun to stroll and there’s a great trail map posted by the restrooms. You can also download it to your phone.
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The Milepost Trail winds through neighborhoods, south to the May Creek Trail where the real outdoor adventure began. The trail transitions quickly from bustling suburb to quiet, mossy forest. May Creek rushes through creating little waterfalls and the route is dotted with wooden benches for sitting and take it in. Nicely maintained bridges allow crisscrossing the creek while keeping dry. The atmosphere is so peaceful it’s easy to forget there are houses a stone’s throw away. The mud and hills do not seem to stop runners, families and birders from tackling it on a Sunday morning.
Wooden benches dot the trail, perfect for reflection--by humans and canines alike! Photo by Carrie Krueger.
It's comforting to know that wild places persist among growing urban development. Photo by Carrie Krueger.
The trail continues for several miles through May Creek Park. A cutoff to the Waterline Trail loops back to Lake Boren Park.
Housing developments have sprung up like weeds in this area so it’s reassuring to know there are still wild places amidst human activity. The trail map shows many more places to explore including a connection into the Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park making Newcastle a wonderful source of nature nearby.
