McGarvey Hill rests in McGarvey Park Open Space in Renton, Washington. The park borders Petrovitsky Park on the southwest end. Meanwhile, Cedar Mountain rises to the south in Spring Lake/Lake Desire Park.
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McGarvey Hill at a Glance
Access: McGarvey Trail West
Round Trip: 2.9 miles
Elevation Range: 525′-617′
Gear: none
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Lake Desire to McGarvey Park Open Space
As I researched, I realized I’d been to this side of Lake Desire several times. Many moons ago, a co-worker invited me to their Fourth of July parties at the lakehouse. I even joked that the idyllic name sounded like a place by Wisteria Lane.
Looping around Lake Desire would’ve required me to revisit Cedar Mountain, which I didn’t have time for. It’d also force me to walk the roads to connect all the paths. So I opted for a quick, out-and-back trip to the high point.
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Powerline Trail to Pipeline Trail
McGarvey Trail West began from Lake Desire’s northwest corner. Soon, it turns into East Trail after crossing a private street with pullout parking. Then it becomes Echo Quarry Trail and joins the bike trails on Cedar Mountain.
After turning left on Powerline Trail, it’s another .25 mile before the clearing. At the five-way, I continued north to Pipeline Trail and went east. Then I crossed back to the south in .25 mile to McGarvey Hill’s unassuming high point.
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McGarvey Hill Back to Lake Desire
The tall towers were my views into the open space. Afterward, I meandered back to the five-way fork through the clearing and went up a small hill, hoping for vistas. But there wasn’t a whole lot to see either.
I only met two people en route, but I thought there’d be more. But I suppose I wouldn’t come here as often if I lived in the neighborhood. Soon, I retraced my steps and dillydallied back to the car by the lake.
See more trip photos here.