Lake Wilderness Park
Managed by City of Maple Valley Parks & Recreation Department
83 acres3.5 mi of trail
Tribal Life Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Arboretum ParkingWebsite ↗
Photo: Yordanpopovbg · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Maple Valley
Maple Valley has 16 miles of mapped trails, 2.6 for every square mile of land
94% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Lake Wilderness Park (3.5 mi), Lake Wilderness Arboretum (1.4 mi), Summit Park (1 mi). 7% of Maple Valley’s land is conserved, about 277 acres.
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns · #76 of 285 in Washington. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
277 acres · of 6.0 sq mi of land
Trails
16 mi
2.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
303 ac
11 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
94%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
12 mi
8.6 mi lanes · 3.6 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
3
3 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Maple Valley?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Maple Valley have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Maple Valley is ahead of 86% of U.S. towns, #76 of 285 in Washington. Trail miles hold the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Maple Valley’s overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical WA town 4% · U.S. 4%B+Trails2.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (16 mi) · WA 0.8 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land11 acres of park per 1,000 residents (303 acres) · WA 11 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home94% of residents within a half mile of a park · WA 92% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 86%
LessMore
Washington towns of 2,500+ (285)Ahead of 74%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Lake Wilderness Park, with 3.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Lake Wilderness Arboretum
Park
25 acres1.4 mi of trail
Forest Reserve TrailFir TrailMaple TrailSpruce Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Elk Run Natural Area
Nature preserve
53 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Green To Cedar Rivers Trail Site
Park
59 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 15 parks & preserves
Lake Wilderness Park83 acres · 3.5 mi of trail · City of Maple Valley Parks & Recreation Department
DirectionsLake Wilderness Arboretum25 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsSummit Park17 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsElk Run Natural Area53 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsGreen To Cedar Rivers Trail Site59 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsEastwood Forest Park11 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsFernwood Natural Area6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Maple Valley
DirectionsTake-A-Break Park1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsForest Creek Park5 acres
Henry's Ridge Open Space1 acres
Fernwood Park1 acres
Climbing Wall Park1 acres
Skateboard Park1 acres · Maple Ridge Highlands
DirectionsWater Tower Park1 acres · Maple Ridge Highlands
DirectionsGlacier Valley Neighborhood Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
277 conserved acres
7% of Maple Valley’s land. Who manages Maple Valley’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County198 ac
Town or city92 ac
Local Park · 290 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Wilderness Park & Conference Center Local Park | County | 111 | Open |
| Green To Cedar Rivers Trail Site Local Park | County | 61 | Open |
| Legacy Site Local Park | Town or city | 52 | Open |
| Lake Wilderness Park Local Park | County | 19 | Open |
| Summit Park Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Eastwood Forest Park Local Park | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Fernwood Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Cedar River Trail Site Local Park | County | 6 | Open |
| Forest Creek Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Take-A-Break Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
1 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
112 places to go in Maple Valley
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Maple Valley
3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Swimming spots in Maple Valley
Swim AreaHours: Mon–Sun 12 pm – 7 pm
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Maple Valley
Linda Olson PlaygroundIn Summit Park
DirectionsTerraces Neighborhood Park
DirectionsThe Little Gym
DirectionsTot LotIn Lake Wilderness Park
Directions87 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Maple Valley
Dog Park at Summit ParkIn Summit Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Maple Valley
Lake Wilderness Boat LaunchIn Lake Wilderness Park
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Picnic areas in Maple Valley
Brandi Carlile Stage
DirectionsSite #4In Lake Wilderness Park
DirectionsSite #5In Lake Wilderness Park
DirectionsSite #6In Lake Wilderness Park
DirectionsSite #7In Lake Wilderness Park
DirectionsSite #8In Lake Wilderness Park
DirectionsPlus 9 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Maple Valley
Gaffneys's Grove Disc Golf CourseIn Lake Wilderness Park
DirectionsPlus 1 disc golf course without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Maple Valley
Elk Run FarmIn Elk Run Natural Area
DirectionsTrails & water
18 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 6.9 mi
Forest Reserve Trail0.5 mi
Legacy Loop0.5 mi
Tahomie Gnomie0.3 mi
Fir Trail0.3 mi
Maple Trail0.2 mi
Beware of Dawgs0.1 mi
Bear Square0.1 mi
Southeast 243rd Place0.1 mi
Market Trail0.1 mi
Blue Cougar0.1 mi
8 more trails
LFE Alley
0.1 miTribal Life Trail
0.1 miLeave It To Beaver
0.1 miDuck, Duck
0.1 miWild Goose
0.1 miAlder Trail
0.1 mi238th Avenue Southeast
0.1 miSpruce Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
12 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
8.6 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
3.6 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
20Basketball
12Tennis
8Baseball
7Pickleball
4Soccer
3Tracks
2Skate park
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Gaffney's Lake Wilderness LodgeBuilding · listed 2003
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Maple Valley: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.9 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.6 | 15.1 | 15.9 | 15.6 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.2 | 8.5 |
| High (°F) | 46 | 49 | 53 | 58 | 65 | 69 | 76 | 77 | 70 | 60 | 51 | 45 |
| Rain (in) | 6.9 | 4.8 | 5.3 | 4.6 | 3.4 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 5.0 | 7.5 | 6.5 |
July is the driest month (1.1 in) and August the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 7.5 inches fall in November, the wettest month. The climate in Maple Valley →
Next door
Maple Valley and its neighbors
Maple Valley has the second most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maple Valley | 7% | 2.6 | 11 | 94% | A |
| Hobart | 8% | 0.6 | 107 | 54% | A− |
| Lake Morton-Berrydale | 1% | 0.3 | 9 | 68% | C+ |
| Covington | 6% | 1.2 | 14 | 99%+ | A |
| Kent | 7% | 1.2 | 13 | 99%+ | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Maple Valley
Where can I hike in Maple Valley?
The longest trail networks: Lake Wilderness Park, 3.5 miles; Lake Wilderness Arboretum, 1.4 miles; Summit Park, 1 miles; Elk Run Natural Area, 0.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Maple Valley is conserved land?
7% of its land, against a typical 4% for a Washington town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Maple Valley’s trails?
Lake Wilderness Park and Lake Wilderness Arboretum don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Maple Valley?
12 miles of bike routes are on the map: 8.6 of painted or protected lanes and 3.6 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Maple Valley?
45,341 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Maple Valley or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 303 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Maple Valley have?
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #76 of 285 in Washington. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Maple Valley neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →