On a quintessential Pacific Northwest day in March, clouds floated softly over dozens of people at Big Rock Park South in Sammamish. Surrounded by evergreens, volunteers, city planners and officials beamed as they prepared to celebrate the partial opening of this green space, providing access to the northern half of the property for trail use.

Washington Trails Association collaborated with the City of Sammamish to build over a quarter mile of new trails for this section of Big Rock Park. The new section of trail connects to 4 miles of trail throughout its north and central sections. 

As a city-managed green space within walking distance of a population center, Big Rock Park is a Trail Next Door, offering residents and visitors the opportunity to experience the benefits of nature. The once private property is now available for the public to enjoy for generations to come.

Mary Pigott, who graciously donated the land that is now Big Rock Park, did the honor of cutting the ribbon at the celebration in March. “This is as much a gift to me as it is to you,”  Pigott said in her speech prior to the ribbon cutting. Photo by Victoria Obermeyer.

“Big Rock Park South’s partial opening is a testament to the community spirit that we have in Sammamish … I think it's a beautiful way of seeing the outpouring of community support and desire to really enhance these spaces for everybody in our community to enjoy,” said Shelby Perrault, project manager for Parks, Recreation & Facilities for the City of Sammamish.

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• Sammamish residents hand-painted over 200 colorful panels to decorate the chain link fence indicating the park’s current boundary. The artwork celebrates pollinators and the essential roles they play in our ecosystems. It’s just one example of the community's excitement and care for this green space. 

A gift to future generations

There would be no Big Rock Park without the generosity of Mary Pigott. She and her husband purchased the land in the 1990s and three generations of their family spent time at the WWI-era homestead and the surrounding forests. Nearly 15 years ago, with her children's support, she decided to share this special place with the community and donated 51 acres to the city of Sammamish through a phased land donation agreement. The work to transform the land into a public park, which took place in three phases, began in 2010. The opening of Big Rock Park South is the third and final phase of the project: the connection of all three properties via trails.  

At the ribbon cutting, Mary shared a heartfelt message of gratitude to her children, as well as everyone whose work made this park possible. 

“I had this idea, and you all made it into something so much more than I could have dreamed,” Mary said. 

Mary not only donated her land, but also numerous features now located in Big Rock Park Central, including a 6,000 square foot heritage garden, the historic Reard House and a tree house constructed around four towering cedars (now open for reservations). Thanks to the newly opened trails, visitors will now be able to access each of these special places from the south end of the park.

The entrance to Big Rock Park Central’s Treehouse, which was built around four western red cedars and made from repurposed materials, including windows from the property’s old barn. Photo by Victoria Obermeyer.

Kali Clark, mayor of Sammamish, spoke to the attendees and expressed her gratitude for Mary’s gift and support for the community effort. 

“I am filled with pride at this new edition,” said Kali, who presented Mary with a bouquet and invited everyone to walk the trails after the ribbon cutting. 

Mayor Kali Clark presents Mary Pigott with a bouquet in gratitude for her generosity. Photo by Victoria Obermeyer.

“It takes a village”

“It takes a village to get a park like this open,” said Alisha Parks, administrative assistant for City of Sammamish Parks, Recreation and Facilities. 

It was indeed a village — and an intergenerational one at that — that brought trails to Big Rock Park South. Of the 13 volunteer work parties WTA led there, over half were youth and family events. WTA's work there began in June 2023 with a youth work party with students from the International Community School in Kirkland. 

During the ceremony, Kaci Darsow, WTA youth trail crew leader (who recently celebrated their 400th trail work party), and Micki Kedzierski, a WTA volunteer crew leader for over 7 years, were acknowledged for their leadership on the project and their work with people of all ages by city manager Scott MacColl.

WTA volunteer crew leader Micki Kedzierski and youth crew leader Kaci Darsow, are given a round of applause for their leadership on the construction of Big Rock Park South’s trails. Photo by Victoria Obermeyer. 

Kaci and Micki talked about some of the incredible work their crews did to help make this opening possible. Micki pointed out where they moved large stumps, cleared invasive blackberries and helped plant saplings that will provide shade for centuries to come.

Volunteer crew leader Micki Kedzierski points out the gravel trail she and her crew helped build. The flat, gentle trail makes Big Rock Park a perfect place for families to visit. Photo by Victoria Obermeyer. 

Micki and youth trail work volunteers prepare for a day of trail work at Big Rock Park South. Photo by Three Seven. 

“We spent a lot of time walking through where the old trails were … making a plan for which trails to keep and how to best lay things out and be able to still protect the most sensitive parts here but also get the most out of this space. It's really fun to get to see that process,” said Darsow, as they talked about the intentionality that went into the planning for Big Rock Park South.  

Kaci and Micki reminisce on the work parties they led at Big Rock Park South. Photo by Victoria Obermeyer.

How Trails Next Door can connect a city

With the new trails opened at this celebration, Big Rock Parks North, Central and South are all officially connected. According to Shelby, of the city of Sammamish, many residents voiced a desire for more green spaces and trails to be incorporated into city planning. This enthusiasm for urban green spaces is exactly what WTA aims to support through our Trail Next Door campaign.

“It's a really unique amenity to be able to have over 50 acres of green space in the city's core, which will provide a connection to our city hall and town center campus in the future. [The trails will] allow the community to have off-road access within the urban core, be able to just be in nature and utilize this beautiful park space,” Shelby said. 

Roberto Ruiz, a City of Sammamish Parks and Recreation Commissioner, lives just a 10 minute walk from Big Rock Park South. 

“It's just nice to have it so close and to be able to go from the central part of the park, all the way down to the south part of the park,” said Robert.

Jan Bird is a hiker and longtime resident of Sammamish.

Jan Bird, a Sammamish resident for over 26 years and native plant steward, also shared her gratitude for the new park and its trails.

“It could have been developed. I mean, there could have been so many houses here. It’s just such a generous gift from Mary Pigott,” Jan said. She also shared her excitement about the accessibility of the trail for her senior walking group. 

The park’s complete opening is anticipated to take place in 2028, once additional features and trail developments are complete. 

Want to be part of something bigger and help make more moments like these possible? Sign up to volunteer on trail with WTA! The nearest work party might be right around the corner.