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King County Parks Newsletter | January 2026 |
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A pair of bicyclers enjoy a sunny day on the Eastrail
Welcome to 2026 in Your Big Backyard! A new year brings new possibilities, new places to explore, and more reasons than ever to enjoy your parks and trails. We hope you can get out to a new park, hike a trail you've never been on, or just try something new in one of our many properties!
2026 also marks the start of a new levy cycle, which King County voters approved last August. The 2026-2031 King County Parks Levy helps us to keep parks and trails clean, safe, and open, offer new amenities and recreational activities, create a climate response fund, increase capacity for forest stewardship, accelerate regional trail expansion, and more.
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Join our team as a Communications Intern!
Are you a creative, curious student eager to gain hands-on communications experience and build a meaningful portfolio? We'd love to have you join our team!
Must be currently enrolled in college and continuing into fall 2026. Salary range is $22.01 - $27.90 hourly.
Applications are due by January 26, so apply today!
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Swim Lesson Registration is Open
Want to learn to swim, improve your fitness, or get your child in the water for the first time? The instructors at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center are here to help create a fun, supportive learning environment no matter your swimming experience.
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Fee Assistance Program
If you need to reserve fields or other spaces in our parks this year, check out our Fee Assistance Program! Our goal is to make sure everyone in the community can rent or use a park facility — regardless of the ability to pay. Reserve picnic shelters, trails, tennis courts, ballfields, and more.
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Cirque du Soleil at Marymoor
The big tent is up at Marymoor Park and you're invited to experience the magic of Cirque du Soleil ECHO, where poetry, stagecraft, daring acrobatics, and cutting-edge technology come together to explore the delicate balance between people, animals, and the world we all share.
Shows from January 30 - March 22.
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As we get further from the historic flooding in our region, our crews are hard at work repairing the damage and reopening our affected parks and trails. Some of the recovery efforts will be long-term, but many of our flooded properties have reopened for public use. Please check the Backyard Fun Finder to view current impacts and closures in our parks as you plan your trip to nature!
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Celebrate National Bird Day with us as we admire some of the winter birds that brighten up your King County parks during these dark months.
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Grand Ridge Park in the Issaquah Highlands is about 1,300 acres with over 12 miles of trail.
Join us on a visit to the Coal Mine Loop in the south of the park, a 2.7 mile loop trail with about 600 feet of elevation on hard-packed dirt.
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Ayeko Farm in rural Enumclaw has a mission to create space for community to reconnect with land and culture through food and farming.
Learn about their first internship program last summer and how our Healthy Communities and Park grant helped high schoolers gain hands-on experience on the farm.
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