Nice simple walk/hike.

Blog version (disclaimers)

Quick-and-dirty version

Access: Windsor Boulevard (info)
Round Trip: 13 miles
Elevation Range: 360′-600′
Gear: none
Dog-Friendly: yes

Route

1. Soaring Eagle Regional Park: The enormous park features 31 mixed-use trails totaling 13 miles--Loop, zig-zag, or out and back to your heart's content. The endless route possibilities included tree views and small streams throughout.
2. Hazel Wolf Wetlands Preserve: The 1.7-mile loop trail is excellent if pressing for time or needing a quick exercise. I especially enjoyed the water vistas and the sounds of the waterfowl at every turn.
   
3. Beaver Lake Preserve: View the upper lake and the main lake from the 1.2-mile loop trail west of the peninsula. The off-leash dog park in the southwest also gives water access.

Highlights

• Views of the pond in Hazel Wolf Wetlands Preserve plus Beaver Lake
• Solitude

Lowlights

• A rainy day

Began my hike from the Beaver Lake Preserve parking lot near Beaver Lake in Sammamish. The main loop trail through the BLP meets up with the trail to Soaring Eagle Park a short distance from the parking lot. I went left and headed west to get to the junction with the trail going into the Hazel Wolf Wetlands and pond. I saw a new sign for the HWW since the last time I had hiked the trail. There was also a sign about the beavers and their dam that was flooding the trail on the north side of the loop around the pond. After getting to the loop part of the trail on the east side of the pond, I was now on "Ann's Trail". I took the loop clockwise around the pond. Before getting to the foot bridge across the outlet creek from the pond and I passed by the beaver dam. It is a large one and I saw that a metal culvert had been installed through the dam to regulate the water flow. A brush basket was in place to keep the beavers from plugging up the pipe. After crossing the bridge, I met up with another trail coming from the southwest. I stayed on the loop trail and came by the kiosk with a map and info on the Hazel Woof Wetlands. It has a photo of Hazel at the dedication of the wetlands when Hazel was 100 years old back in 1995.

At the next junction I turned right and took the loop trail to a side trail that goes out to a viewing dock at the edge of the pond. I stopped here for a snack break. There a few ducks and geese enjoying the pond. I then continued on my hike around the pond. The low bridge over the pond is like the I-90 floating bridge over Lake Washington. The deck of the bridge is just above the water line. At both ends of the bridge the trail is very muddy and has some water over it. There are a few branches to walk on to keep your feet out of the water. Back on dry land the trail goes up and down along the east side of the pond in the forest. This part of the trail has been recently brushed and one fallen Doug Fir is cut out. You can see the beaver lodge out in the pond from this trail. Back at the junction where I started the loop trail, I took the same trails back to the parking lot.

Only saw two other hikers on my trail and only birds in the pond. To make a longer hike you can use the Beaver Lake Preserve trail down to the lake where there is a nice bench and a good view. You can also take the connector trail over to Soaring Eagle Park for an even bigger loop hike. Lucked out with the weather, as it did not rain, but was pouring as I drove home. George

Reading the weather forecast of light - moderate rain for this TUE 07feb2023 morning, i took the "opportunity" to go for a walkabout -cum- test Swee's made-with-Love Rain-Pants.

~8:00, mid-40s_F, light drizzle, i was the second to arrive the parking for Beaver Lake Preserve parking. While i was preparing to go Out, a man and his dog came walking Back to his vehicle, and they left the Preserve.

Did the Route: (P) > 1 > 2 > 3 > 4 > 5 > 6 > W > 7 > 5 > 8 > 9 > 10 > 11 > 9 > 12 > (P) {passing thru Beaver Lake Preserve, Hazel Wolf Wetlands Preserve, Steven & Rosina Kipper Preserve, the "South Trail" (of Soaring Eagle Park)}.

The Trails were well-maintained and in good condition. At (W) of Hazel Wolf Wetlands Preserve, ~100 ft of the trail was "underwater". Some people had helpfully placed some tree limbs to help step/hop over the water. Me together with my Trekking Poles and careful hoppings, my feet stayed dry 😊

Saw ~10+ Canada Goose in Hazel Wolf Wetlands Preserve. No other wildlife. All peace and quiet.

During my ~2+ hours of walkabout, i saw a woman with 3 children in Beaver Lake Preserve. And later, at Soaring Eagle Park, a pair of Trail-runners.

Only had intermittent light drizzle to "test" Swee's made-with-Love Rain Pants. And it Passed with flying colors 👍 A very enjoyable solitary walk 😀

Beaver Lake Preserve is a trail system located in the center of a old, dense forest region spanning across many acres of natural terrain providing easy trail loops in Sammamish. The trailhead at the forest preserve begins at the small gravel parking lot that is easily accessible from the road, which is typically close to empty throughout the daytime. The trail has signs of maps and bathrooms at the entrance as well, and the trail system closes at dusk. The trail itself loops around and winds around the relatively large forest, which also head towards the wetlands near Beaver Lake. The hiking trails in the forest are mostly dirt and gravel, with many tall trees and an abundance of moss growing on the plants and forest floor. The trails are ideal for biking and walking pets, with mostly flat and unobstructed trails that lead throughout the forest and connect with other nearby hiking trails as well as the lake shore. 

The trails border a the private property of a golf course, but the rest of the paths run through uninterrupted forest. There are small meadows and ponds that follow the sides of the hiking path, which add to the natural atmosphere of the trail system. Foliage, mossy tree branches, and rotting tree stumps throughout the forest indicate its old age and deteriorating conditions. Like many other forest trails in the Sammamish areas, the forest floor is covered in widespread ferns and shrubs, with many evergreen trees that are characteristic of the Washington natural landscape. The trails at the preserve, especially close to sunset, are typically empty with very few hikers seen along the hiking paths. The trails connect to the nearby Soaring Eagle Park and the Hazel Wolf Wetlands, which are good destinations to further explore beyond the trail loop.