Location: Sammamish/Eastside
Address: Acreage: 15.9
I love it when a park slowly reveals its secrets, encouraging you to explore.
At first glimpse from the small parking area Big Rock Park, in a sort-of rural neighborhood on the Sammamish Plateau, looks a little underwhelming. You first spot a zipline at the edge of a meadow. Looking around, there doesn’t seem to be much else.
Wander around, though, and you’ll find a hillside slide, which is invisible from the entrance. Large grass mounds make for a fun game of tag, especially when kids find the tunnel hidden underneath one mound. Several sizes of stumps sit next to the zipline, and it turns out they are building blocks in disguise.
There’s even more as you cross the meadow to the wildlife viewing platform, which marks the entrance to a small system of trails. Don’t miss the creature made of sticks and twigs. And, definitely don’t leave without finding the namesake “rock” hidden among the trees.
The land that makes up this park, which opened in 2011, was a gift to the city of Sammamish from Mary Pigott. Several dozen more acres will be added to the park in future phases.