The Pterodactyls of Marymoor Dog Park
Redmond, WA
The only off-leash dog park in the country showcasing a Great Blue Heron rookery in the middle is in Redmond, Washington.
OK, I might be wrong about that because I did zero research, but still – it’s pretty cool if you like both dogs and large birds that resemble pterodactyls. Considered the crown jewel of the King County park system, Marymoor is 640 acres of sports fields, tennis courts, meadows, woods, bike trails, a velodrome, a climbing wall, a radio-controlled airplane runway, a concert venue and the aforementioned dog park bounded by the Sammamish River with multiple leaping-into-the-water-after-the-ball access points.
To find the heron rookery, wander around until you spot some folks craning their necks back to peer up into a stand of cottonwood trees. The dozens of nests are easier to see early in the spring before the trees are fully leafed out. After the babies hatch, you can’t make them out easily with the naked eye, but you can sure hear them up there because the hungry little buggers are busy clacking their stabby frog-kebob beaks.
Note: Bald eagles also nest nearby and can often be seen circling above.
Awhile back I had a Jack Russell Terrorist Terrier and I was at the park with a friend and her dog, and while I was chatting and not paying attention, my dog took himself off out into one of the big fields, gleefully hooking up with a fast moving pop-up dog pack.
So I started jogging, then chasing after him because being a Jack Russell, he didn’t give jack shit that I was calling him to come back. Finally I caught up to him and it wasn’t my dog, it was some other little white dog. Oh great.
Then my cell phone rang (this is why your dog’s collar should have your phone number attached) and it was a lady in the parking lot who was pretty steamed because my dog had jumped into the back of her SUV along with her dogs and had every intention of going home with a new mom. I was about as far from the parking lot as you can get and I had already used up my daily allotment of jogging, but off I went again. My dog was not one bit grateful when I showed up panting, sweating and profusely apologizing on his behalf. Also, I had no dog treats. My bad.
MARYMOOR PARK
West Entrance: 6046 West Lake Sammamish Parkway NE, Redmond
East Entrance: Intersection of NE 65th St and 176th Ave NE, Redmond
Parking: $1.00/day via self pay kiosks. Cards or cash (dollar bills only, machines do not give change)
Hours: 8 am to dusk (authorized activities outside these times)
Marymoor is at the north end of Lake Sammamish. Click here to see what's at the south end.
Found it! Thanks for the heads-up.
Great trip report!