I have lived in South King County for over 30 years but only recently discovered the Green River Natural Area located between Auburn and Flaming Geyser State Park. Three trailheads provide access to this area. I chose to check out the two that are located off of Green Valley Road. The Doreen Johnson Conservation Area has parking at the side of the road (room for about four cars). No toilet or picnic facilities. I took a wide footpath (the right of a "Y") and enjoyed the swish and crunch of fall leaves as I walked about .2 miles to the Green River. The river was calm and peaceful. After returning to the"Y" I walked down an equally-wide path to the left which eventually ended at about .25 miles.
I drove east about two miles to the Metzler access point at 18729 SE Green Valley Road. This has a parking lot with about 20 spaces plus a portable toilet and a picnic table. The path to the river includes a boardwalk and a bridge that looks fairly new. Sadly, the river at this location is a salmon graveyard - dead fish covered the river bed as far as I could see - I'm guessing the remnants of spawning season.
Neither trailhead offers challenging hikes but are fine if you just want to stretch your legs or bring your dog for a walk. The third GRNA access at O'Grady offers more miles of trails. I recommend getting a map of the area from King County Parks.
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