Bridle Trails State Park sits between Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish in Kirkland, Washington. The 489-acre park harbors 28 miles of mixed-use trails. Activities here include horseback riding, birdwatching, and geocaching.
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Bridle Trails State Park at a Glance
Access: West entrance (trail map)
Round Trip: 5.4 miles
Elevation Range: 400′-540′
Essential Gear: none
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Playlist: Hopeful
Hiking from Raven Trail to Coyote Trail
This time of year, the inclement weather again kept us close to home instead of heading east. After looking through various state parks, I settled on this one, which was new to us. I mapped out the outermost route, starting with Raven Trail and working our way clockwise.
I contemplated going onto the inner trails, but walking Connor in an urban park makes me anxious. Despite sitting in the residential area, the morning rain had kept most people at bay. Only a handful of cars were in the spacious lot when we arrived.
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Through Kirkland High Point in Bridle Trails State Park
The trail became Coyote Trail in under a mile and reached the city’s high point in another .5. Interestingly, it sat on the northern border behind someone’s yard. The area must’ve been higher in the years past before the houses were around. It looked underwhelming.
The entire east perimeter had much car noise, as the trail was right by a busy street. Apart from the occasional gutter and mud, the trail was pretty decent. The park was also quiet in the early hours. Then, after the one-mile stretch, we went west from the southeast corner.
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Strolling Through Bridle Trails Hill and False Summit
After going through Bridle Trails Hill, the first people showed up by the water tower. We then walked north briefly to the nearby false summit 300 feet east of the trail. But getting to the flat high point was brushy, so we quickly stopped before turning around.
A you-ee back on the trail soon brought us back to our main route. Before long, hikers and runners slowly trickled in in our final mile. A few hellos here and there, and we were back at a half-packed lot. But I was glad to have started early to avoid the rain and crowds.
See more trip photos here.