Description:Big Finn Hill is located in the center of the Juanita neighborhood, which lies between Bothell and Kirkland. At the top of the park (i.e., on top of the hill), there is parking, a grassy play area, playground, soccer field, and baseball diamonds. A sign orders to keep dogs on leashes, but we noticed a few dogs running around off-leash with their owners, which didn't appear to be a problem for anyone. Surrounding the grassy park area at the top of the hill are several densely forested areas, each having their own trail system. These trail systems are best described as feeling like a capillary bed (see illustration). We had no clue where we were headed and mostly just let the dog decide which direction we would take whenever we came to a fork in the trail. Eventually, we ended up back at the open area and parking lot. We never felt lost because we were very aware of being surrounded by suburban neighborhoods and street. The trail areas were nicely shaded from the thick foilage, and there was a lot of undergrowth on the ground. The trails were very clearly defined, although they were narrow and required walking single file. There are enough twists and turns and ups and downs to call this hike exercise. I think if I lived in this neighborhood, I would wander into this park all the time and have nice quiet time among the trees. Otherwise, it didn't hold too much interest for me. We still want to check out the section of the park that heads down the hill towards Lake Washington, but we didn't have time for that today. At some point, I would like to get a hold of a decent trail map of this park so I know where I'm going.
Location & Parking:
This park is located in the Juanita neighborhood of Kirkland at NE 138th and Juanita Drive NE. See this webpage provided by King County Parks for a map and more information.
