As a family, we are at our most peaceful when we are out in nature. The adventure of exploring new terrain can make a bad day turn good almost immediately. Nature has been the perfect environment for my children to grow and learn about themselves. As a ‘Washingtonian’ we are lucky to have breathtaking landscapes from the Puget Sound to the tops of our mountains and everywhere in between.
Pierce County Trails created an extensive list of parks/trails that encourage us to attend at least five of their Trails Day events on July 25th from 9:00 am - 12: 00 pm. As a family, we took this a step further by challenging ourselves to go to 5 parks in 5 days without a stroller or baby carrier, and here is what we discovered.
The 5 parks we attended were:
East Puyallup Trailhead:
13810 80th St E. Puyallup, WA
Review: This trail is perfect for runners, walkers, strollers, and especially bikers! Parking is limited, so I recommend going as early as possible. It was a wonderful delight to see Mt. Rainier shining bright along the trail.
Orting Trailhead:
Train Ave S & Van Scoyoc Ave NW , Orting, WA
Review: The kids and I had a blast! The trail is perfect for walkers, runners, strollers and bikers. We had a wonderful mixture of farm and river adventure along with berry picking. What can be better than that? Oh, and we had a treat from a local business......delicious!!!!
Frontier Park:
21718 Meridian E., Graham, WA
Review: This park would be the perfect place to practice how to ride a bike, take a family photo, or simply enjoy nature! My little ones were lucky and found a painted rock that they re-hid, which was a lot of fun to see the excitement on their faces. The trail is not paved but it is suitable for any jogging stroller.
McMillin Trailhead:
14519 140th St. E., Orting, WA
Review: This part of the trailhead is a bit noisier than the others due to the cars heading into downtown Orting. If you are heading towards downtown Orting by walking, running, stroller or biking beware of traffic stops and crosswalk stop signs. We did not make it to the next trailhead, the Orting Trailhead since my little ones were patiently waiting to explore the neat side-by-side bridges near the McMillin parking lot. The bridges were the highlight of this visit!
Bresemann Forest:
Military Road &, Bresemann Blvd., Parkland, WA
Review: We entered the park through a gated area which is open from 7am until 7pm. Parking is available in a lot near the entrance, which is a HUGE plus for us! This is the perfect park to go to when you want to escape the city for a bit. The park is not paved but is well maintained, so a jogging stroller could be possible. The Spanaway Creek runs through the park creating the perfect serene atmosphere.
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