Trailhead Access Improvement

King County maintains over 250 miles of natural surface, backcountry trails throughout its open space system that allow visitors to directly experience the vast and varying natural beauty found in the county’s forests, meadows, and marine and freshwater shorelines.

Providing safe and accessible trailheads as well as support infrastructure like parking lots, kiosks, wayfinding signage and restrooms allows visitors access to this many miles of forest and natural lands.

The 2020-2025 King County Parks, Recreation, Trails and Open Space Levy funds a number of projects to improve trailhead access within properties owned by King County Parks:

• Little Lake Forest: Conduct planning/feasibility for a future project to design and construct a new trailhead parking lot and associated stormwater facilities for approximately 20 to 30 cars at recently acquired Little Lake Forest. The goal of the project is to make as accessible as possible for people using mobility support devices such as wheelchairs.
• Tennant Trailhead: Design, permitting and construction of a trailhead parking lot and acquisition of a parcel which will fill a gap in public ownership to connect the trail with lot. This project is in partnership with Si View Park and City of North Bend.
• Vashon Island: Trailhead improvements at Frog Holler. There is an existing trailhead project that is currently underway funded by the 2014-2019 King County Parks Levy. Improvements funded by the 2020-2025 King County Parks levy will begin in 2024.