King County’s Taylor Mountain Forest features new parking area, trail for recreational users

Hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riding enthusiasts can enjoy new and improved access to the nearly 20 miles of trails and decommissioned gravel roads this spring in King County’s Taylor Mountain Forest southeast of Issaquah.

Beginning May 12, a new parking area will be open for visitors to the 1,845-acreTaylor Mountain Forest, which is located south of Interstate 90 and east of State Route 18, in the community of Hobart.

The new parking area will be available for day-use only and is off 276^th Avenue Southeast, near the intersection of State Route 18 and the Issaquah-Hobart Road. It will be locked every evening at dusk.

Later this year, King County Parks plans to build an information kiosk and install a portable toilet for visitor use at the new parking area. The kiosk will provide updates to activities and recreational opportunities in the forest.

The new work at Taylor Mountain Forest follows recent improvements that King County Parks has made, including installing new bridges over Carey and Holder creeks that allow safe crossing without damaging salmon habitat.

In addition, a gravel road crossing over Carey Creek has been removed and replaced with a new bridge that’s located about 500 feet upstream of the original road crossing.

The bridge is part of a new trail, the Mountain Beaver Trail, which runs for 1.3 miles and connects the Carey Creek and Boot trails.

Taylor Mountain currently has 10 miles of trails and nearly nine miles of decommissioned gravel roads that are open for passive recreation, including hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding.

Motorcycles, ATVs and other motorized vehicles are not permitted in the forest. The King County Sheriff’s Office is beginning to patrol the area to ensure that forest-use rules are being followed. Trail users are also asked to remain on designated routes, and to stay out of private lands that lie alongside Taylor Mountain’s public lands.

Trail maps of Taylor Mountain Forest are available at the new parking lot entrance. Maps and additional information can be found on the King County Parks Web site, http://www.metrokc.gov/parks/openspace/taylor.html.

King County Parks - Your Big Backyard - offers more than 25,000 acres of parks and natural lands, including such regional treasures as Marymoor Park and Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, 175 miles of regional trails, plus pools and a world-class aquatic center. By cultivating strong relationships with non-profit, corporate and community partners, King County Parks enhances park amenities while reducing costs. Learn more at http://www.metrokc.gov/parks/.