King County Parks - Your Big Backyard

Thanks to all that came out to celebrate public parks at the 2026 Big Backyard 5K & 10K at Marymoor Park!

This year at total of 792 people (481 new and 311 repeat participants) joined us to enjoy one of King County's most iconic parks. Whether you're a seasoned runner or enjoyed a leisurely stroll, we hope you had fun in the fresh air.

Take some time to scroll through some photos captured at the event!

Air is hot, but water still cold 🥶

There's nothing better than a cool dip on a hot day, but these temps can be seriously dangerous for even the strongest swimmers.

Cold water shock can happen when water temperature is below 70°F (21°C), aka pretty much every body of water in King County right now.

So make sure to wade in slowly, drink plenty of water, and always have a buddy close by. Life preservers are also a great way to stay safe and ease into the summer season.

You can check the water temperatures and water quality levels at most swimming beaches on our website at https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dnrp/nature-recreation/parks-recreation/king-county-parks/water-recreation/swimming-beach-bacteria-temperature

Join us for our 22nd season of Movies at Marymoor outdoor cinema every week from July - August. Every event includes entertainment, food trucks and big screen movies under the stars.

Here's the full schedule:

July 8: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
July 15: Mamma Mia
July 22: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
July 29: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Aug. 5: Jurassic Park
Aug. 12: Top Gun: Maverick
Aug. 18: The Incredibles
Aug 26: The Princess Bride

How many did you get right? Which movie are you most excited to see?? Learn more and buy your tickets at https://www.epiceap.com/movies-at-marymoor/
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2026 Movies at Marymoor is sponsored by KeyBank and Sasquatch Strength & Nutrition.

King County Parks is building out our new Park Ranger Program, and we’re looking for passionate, community-focused Park Rangers to be part of this exciting initiative! This is your chance to work outdoors, engage with the public, and help create a welcoming, positive and safe environment across our parks, trails, and open spaces.

We are hiring one full-time position on the Park Ranger team. Pay range $37.97 - $48.13/hour. Apply by June 14 to be part of this growing team! https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/kingcounty/jobs/5359313/park-ranger

Happy June! We've got a packed month of events happening at parks across King County, so check out the full list on our website at https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dnrp/nature-recreation/parks-recreation/king-county-parks/get-involved/parks-events

Image description:

Text-based graphic showing a calendar of the events happening in the month of June. Events are listed as follows.

Dockton Marina Community Celebration 6/6 at 11am
Big Backyard 5K/10K Race 6/7 at 9am
Soos Creek Regional Trail Volunteer Event 6/6 at 9am
North Shorewood Park Volunteer Event 6/27 at 9am

Marymoor Concerts Header (the following are all concerts at Marymoor Park)
The Human League 6/8 at 6pm
The Dead South 6/12 at 6:30pm
Iration 6/13 at 6pm
Buju Banton & Stephen Marley 6/17 at 6pm

The following are Partner Events
Carnation Farmers Market every Tuesday from 3-7pm
DubSea Fish Sticks Baseball Games, Multiple Dates and Times
Job Fair & Basketball Tournament at Steve Cox Memorial Park on 6/3 at 3pm
Seattle Run Club Trail Run at Cougar Mountain 6/13 at 9am
Snoqualmie Valley Half Marathon 6/20 at 8am
Eastside Audubon Bird Walk 6/24 at 7am
Marymoor RC Plane Airshow 6/27 at 10am

Big news for Skyway.

King County Parks has completed the purchase of the Skyway Bowl building, the future home of Skyway’s first community center.

The 3.82-acre property sits next to Skyway Park and marks an exciting step toward creating a welcoming community space shaped by local voices and priorities.

Community input will help guide the design and programs offered at the future center. Join us later this year for a kickoff event and opportunities to help shape what comes next.

Thank you to the many community partners whose ideas, advocacy, and leadership helped make this milestone possible, including the Skyway Coalition and the Skyway Community Advisory Council (CAC).

Ahoy! Come celebrate the newly upgraded Dockton Park & Marina on Vashon Island on Saturday, June 6 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. All ages are welcome at this free event! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dockton-marina-park-community-celebration-tickets-1988940477509

The marina was completely renovated over the last 4 years through replacing the breakwater, installing new finger piers, upgrading the boat ramp dock, and rebuilding the floating dock for swimming and moorage. We also built a new ship-themed playground with improved ADA accessibility. All this work was funded by the Parks Levy.

Enjoy the new facilities with hands‑on activities led by local groups, from boat tours with the Quartermaster Yacht Club to knot‑tying demonstrations by teen sailors from the Sea Scout Ship Odyssey.

You’ll also have opportunities to connect with the Vashon Heritage Museum, Vashon Bird Alliance, and Vashon Nature Center. Learn more at the link in bio!

Parking is limited, so please consider taking transit, carpooling, biking, walking, sailing or boating to the event! Let’s celebrate this refreshed community resource together!

UPDATE: Construction will now begin Monday, June 1 so the full East lake Sammamish Trail will remain open through May 31.
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A section of the East Lake Sammamish Trail (ELST) will be closed starting May 26, 2026 through the rest of the year so crews can replace aging culverts and expand salmon habitat.

Although the construction area is short, its location will temporarily split the trail into two separate sections. There will be no detour around the construction closure. The 600 ft trail closure area is located between Louis Thompson Rd NE and NE Inglewood Hill Rd.

Once the culverts under the trail have been completed, a new wide paved trail section will be built and high-quality salmon habitat on George Davis Creek will be accessible.

Thank you for your patience as we work to help recover local Kokanee salmon populations. Learn more about our Fish Passage Restoration Program at https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dnrp/nature-recreation/environment-ecology-conservation/wildlife/fish-and-shellfish/fish-passage-program