April Hikes: 2.5 - 5 miles, 250 - 1,000 feet gain - Moss Lake Natural Area

My Style: I like to walk together as a group taking breaks as needed.  My goal is for us to enjoy the forest and wildlife along the way, which includes making stops to take pictures or discussing a plant or a bird.   

The Hike:   This hike is approximately 4.6 miles with 250 ft of elevation gain.  Our pace (moving speed) will be approximately 1.5 – 2 mph.   It is a well-maintained forest trail and not a paved trail so please wear hiking boots or hiking shoes.   More information about what to bring and wear will be provided in the Hello Hiker email.

The following park description is modified from the King County website Moss Lake Natural Area is 372 acres of high-quality wetland and forested upland habitat with three miles of multi-use trails. The extensive 150-acre wetland includes the 40-acre sphagnum bog surrounding Moss Lake.  Dating back to the 1800s Moss Lake had been the site for harvesting of the surrounding forest and extraction of the moss until it was acquired in phases by King County from 1990 – 2002. 

Moss Lake trailhead in Carnation, Wa.  This is a King County park located about 5 miles southeast of Duvall, 3.5 miles northeast of Carnation and one mile east of Lake Joy in the Cascade foothills.   The last ½ mile of the neighborhood road leading to the park has potholes and is rutted in some places. A high clearance vehicle is advised as a low clearance vehicle may not be comfortable traveling over this portion of the road.  There is a vault toilet at the trailhead.  No pass is required for parking.

Directions: 

Google Maps link  

Moss Lake Washington Trails (WTA) Association Link   

Moss Lake King County Park Link    

Start Time: 10 am.  Plan to arrive at 9:45 am and ready to go at the trailhead by 10am.  We will have a short pre-walk meeting at the trailhead kiosk before departure.