King County city high points in Puget Sound mark 39 incorporated areas‘ highest spots. They extend east to Maloney Benchmark in Skykomish to Baldy Hill in Enumclaw. But Milton is off the list because its tallest point sits in Pierce County.
See more trip photos here.
King County City High Points at a Glance
Access: Streets and freeways
Round Trip: 142 miles (including 4 miles on foot)
Elevation Range: 412′-655′
Gear: none
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
The Preface
The rainy morning had me decide to hike tomorrow instead. It turned sunny before noon but didn’t leave much time to go into the mountains. So we checked out more city high points inspired by yesterday’s trip.
At first glance, most places were either in the middle of the city or by a water tower. So I mapped out a route over north King County. Then we set off for Carnation and worked our way through the back roads.
See more trip photos here.
King County City High Point Summary (Order of Visits)
| High Point | City | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Carnation High Point | Carnation | private home |
| Duvall High Point | Duvall | private home |
| Redmond High Point | Redmond | reservoir boundary |
| Woodinville High Point | Woodinville | residential street |
| Inglemoor Benchmark | Kenmore | reservoir boundary |
| Bothell High Point | Bothell | residential street |
| Horizon View | Lake Forest Park | reservoir boundary |
| The Highlands | Shoreline | private home |
| High Point | Seattle | private home |
| Highline Hill | Burien | private home |
| Gregory Heights | Normandy Park | private home |
| Des Moines High Point | Des Moines | residential street |
| McMicken Heights | SeaTac | school |
| Tukwila High Point | Tukwila | private home |
| Renton High Point | Renton | private home |
In a Nutshell
Eight of the 15 King County city high points fell in people’s homes. Then four were by a reservoir or a water tower, one in school, and three were on the street. But we drove by the nearest road for the ones on private property.
It didn’t surprise me that half of the places were on private land. So standing on the exact spot on the map would not be possible. Most people wouldn’t bother knocking on doors with much likelihood of rejection.
See more trip photos here.
New Discoveries
In the past, I’d driven through these cities but on the major routes. So going into pockets of new-to-me neighborhoods was intriguing. But other than the water towers, most had been in some form of gentrification.
Redmond and Horizon View of King County city high points required walking. So I got a whopping four miles on foot between them. I also parked the car and went up to the ones with a water tower for photos.
See more trip photos here.
The End
I haven’t spent much time west of Lake Union since I moved to the east side. Overall, the list gives folks something to do on a rainy day. It’s also an excellent way to check out new places in the Puget Sound area.
It would be awesome to see these spots in their original form before the urban sprawl. But it’s hard to picture what things looked like before the bulldozers went through the land, flattening everything in sight.
See more trip photos here.