Location: Mercer Island
Address: Island Crest Way and S.E. 68th St.
Acreage: 113
Smack dab in the middle of Mercer Island is a trail runner’s paradise. Lush, quiet forest and flat trails make Pioneer Park a wonderful urban run or stroll. The park has three quadrants that total more than six miles of trails. The forest is dense in most of the park with good rain cover even as the leaves have mostly abandoned the deciduous trees.
Park near one of the several entrances and then allow yourself to wander the criss-crossing trails. There’s no need to worry too much about your direction, because the relatively short length of each trail allows you to easily find your way back to the main trails. Or check out this map, and plot a course. A few trails are paved and have good accessibility for wheelchairs and strollers.
This is a great park for dog-walking, and dogs are permitted to be off-leash if under voice control in the northwest and southeast quadrants. You can take your horse into the southeast and northwest quadrants on certain trails.
#433 (Visited 10/13/14)