Almost Paradise!

As far as I'm concerned, you can't have too many parks and trails. So, I'm absolutely ecstatic over the opening of Snohomish County Park's newest addition, the Paradise Valley Conservation Area. Protecting nearly 800 acres along the headwaters of Bear Creek on the King-Snohomish County Line, Paradise isn't exceptional so much in its landscapes as it is in its location. To have a parcel this large so close to the Seattle suburban sprawl is a major conservation win. Currently there are over 13 miles of trails traversing the property with more on the way. Paradise Valley makes for a good close-by get away and it'll make a great winter hiking option. While I didn't include it in my upcoming Winter Hikes of Western Washington Card Deck, I did include it in my upcoming Hiking Snohomish County Booklet. And of course you can learn more about this area through Hikeoftheweek.com where I'll be spotlighting trails from the park from time to time. Good job to all who were responsible for securing this property. Now, get to work securing some more lands before its paved over!