Crestwoods Park Trail, Juanita Bay Park — Saturday, Apr. 22, 2023

Walked the Juanita Bay and Crestwood Park trails late Saturday morning.  Our route was a basic out and back starting at the north beach, down the water then turning east with a short road walk over to the stairs up to Crestwoods and returning the way we came.  Total mileage was about 5 with about 450’ vertical only because we did the big set of stairs a couple times to get the blood moving.  Parking at both the north and south Juanita Bay lots is free and relatively plentiful (though fills up quick on nice days).  Restrooms were open both north and south of Juanita bay.  No trail issues other than some of the secondary Crestwood trails were pretty muddy with the recent rains.  Main trails at Juanita are wheelchair accessible while those at Crestwoods are not.  

Lots of red currant, pretty yellow oregon grape and skunk cabbage blooming now.  Quite a bit of wildlife out, ducks, cormorant, sparrow, one bald eagle up in the big fir on Nelson Point, one red tail hawk, but the super cool surprise of the day was a little blue heron perfectly comfortable hunting in the shallows not 10 feet from us - it caught two little fish just in the time we were there, incredible.  A nice little water and forest walk combo with lots to see.  Happy Earth Day.