Henry’s Ridge Natural Area encloses Henry’s Ridge Open Space to the northeast. Black Diamond Open Space is to the direct south. Kent, WA’s High Point. Meanwhile, farther south by Cedar River sits Lake Sawyer Regional Park.
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Henry’s Ridge Natural Area at a Glance
Access: Maple Rock Trail west end
Round Trip: 6.7 miles
Elevation Range: 540′-620′
Essential Gear: none
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Playlist: Kylie Dailey
Revisiting Henry’s Ridge in Maple Valley
At the start of the year, I came to walk around Henry’s Ridge. Back then, I contemplated including the adjacent natural area but ran out of time before needing to leave. However, I was glad to have saved the trip for a rainy day, windy in today’s case.
There doesn’t seem to be a clear distinction between the open space and the natural area. However, on paper, the natural area includes the open space. Both places include mixed-use trails and are under King County’s management.
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Through the Winding Trails in the Open Space
I mapped out a route covering most of the paths, which looked like a leaf. But to hike through all the trails, we’d have to repeat some, which we left out for the sake of time. I parked next to the entrance with the blue sign before entering the open within minutes.
Since we started late past noon, we caught the forecasted wind gusts. From Lower Beavers Tracks, we worked through the woods clockwise. Many twists and turns went near the train tracks en route. We also crossed Ravensdale Creek a few times over wooden tracks.
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Views Inside Henry’s Ridge Natural Area
As we crossed the creek one last time, we saw several bikers. On the west end, we soon gained altitude, with figures inside tree stumps behind private homes. The frog (above photo) held a sign saying, “Garnderning made me beautiful.” Aww!
Before long, Rabbithole Trail brought us into the open as a dozen ducks swam freely on an unnamed pond. It was all open air from here on out as the path reached the southeast corner shortly. We followed the Stinger track through the last trees out to the car.
See more trip photos here.