No. 15 Lake Sammamish State Park, Issaquah Washington

Distance from Seattle: 20 Miles
Travel Time: 30min

Lake Sammamish State Park is a 512-acre day-use park with 6,858 feet of waterfront on Lake Sammamish. The area around the lake was an important culture zone for local Indian tribes for centuries. The park provides deciduous forest and wetland vegetation for the enjoyment of visitors. A salmon-bearing creek and a great-blue-heron rookery are additional features.

Park hours/updates:

Summer: 6:30 a.m. to dusk.
Winter: 6:30 a.m. to dusk for the main park and boat launch.

Annual pass: $30
One-day pass: $10(Transaction and dealer fees may apply)
A Discover Pass is required for motor-vehicle access to state parks and recreation lands managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

Exemptions: Your purchase of the Discover Pass supports recreation on state lands. However, the Discover Pass is not required if you are camping or renting overnight accommodations, for the duration of your stay at that state park. For additional exemptions and more information, please visit the Discover Pass website.

The entrance to Lake Sammamish State Park is located on the southerns end of the lake off of NW Sammamish Rd. This is a state park and as such you have to purcahse a daily pass or anual pass to park your vehicle inside the park. There are many trails and walk ways for you to wander. In the summer or when the weather is nice you can expect this park to be busy. Following the shoreline you can see many types of predatory birds hiding in the trees.  You will need to walk softly and keep calm if you wish to get up close to these birds. Plenty of ducks and herons can be seen daily. For best birding results it helps to know the weather and feeding habbits of the birds so you will have the best chance of seeing the in action. I have come across a deer or fox but there were signs (poop droppings) that they are around in numbers. To see a deer its probably best to be an early visitor just prior to dawn. 

Salmon Fisherman on the banks of Lake Sammamish

Morning Stretch

Red Tail Hawk

Panning Duck

Black & White Duck

Buzzing the Fisherman