5 Super Stroller Hikes in Western Washington

Overview: Gold Creek Pond, at Snoqualmie Pass, is a 1.4-mile loop with 25 feet of elevation gain, and a May-to-October hiking option. This level stroll atop Snoqualmie Pass is one of my favorite toddler hikes. There’s water, flowers, mountain views and a level, barrier-free stroll around the pond.

Even the smallest tykes feel confident striding on a level paved pathway and wooden boardwalks. Older children and adults will appreciate the pretty mountain views reflected in a tranquil pond. This is an excellent choice for one of those foggy Puget Sound summer days; you could shiver in the June gloom, but why not drive up Snoqualmie Pass and bask beyond the clouds in some summer sun?

The Details: Take the paved path to the left of the privy, soon coming to the loop trail. Head to the right, allowing the pond to slowly reveal itself. Travel alongside a babbling creek, through willows, flowers and a young forest. You may notice that some terrain looks sculpted. In the 1970s and ’80s, this quiet place was a gravel pit, serving the construction of Interstate 90. Huge cranes hoisted gravel into dump trucks until there was no more. In 1983, Washington Department of Transportation, in conjunction with the US Forest Service, began transforming this site into fish and wildlife habitat. I’ve been coming here for a decade, and each year the foliage looks wilder and more natural.

At 0.5 mile, reach a junction. The trail to the right takes hikers on a moderate ascent up the Gold Creek watershed. Continue left for the pond, just now coming into view, with clouds, trees, and mountains reflected brightly on its teal-colored surface. Below the boardwalk is a lush, marshy environment filled with ocean spray, bleeding hearts, yellow violets and ferns.

Because this trail is so short, we have always slowed down to savor it. I’ve let the kids throw rocks into the water below the bridge, inspect the shaggy moss in the creek that feeds the pond, and come up with names for the two small islands in the water. At 0.7 mile is a side trail. Take it! A little peninsula of green pushes far out into the pond, allowing kids the feeling of being in the center of a lake among jumping fish and skittering water bugs.

Having stretched out time as much as possible, press onward. At 1.1 mile, reach an expansive picnic area, complete with grills. The only thing it doesn’t have is shade. If you’re not spreading out a feast, cross over the creek again and head back to the trailhead.

Next trail: Nisqually Vista