Green River Trail — Attraction in Kent

For me, the best walks are ones that I share with someone I like. So, when B suggested that we walk off the pile of Guatemalan food we had just eaten, I knew it was going to be good. I fired up Google Maps and found a few options nearby. Since B was getting over a virus, we looked for a walk without hills. Since it is winter in Western Washington, we looked for something with minimum mud. The Green River Trail met our requirements. Maps led us through a neighborhood to a small parking lot with access to the trail. Many of the spots were reserved for locals, but there were plenty of open spots. We bundled up for the cold cloudy day, admired the fox that was playing on the other side of the river, then hit the trail. The paved trail runs between people's backyards and the river. We discussed the color of the river, agreeing that it was not even close to green. The trail is well maintained, but someone needs to collect the garbage. The convenient can next to a nice bench was overflowing. We wanted to help out, but we had not brought garbage bags and the can was already overflowing. Our plan was to walk 45 minutes one way, then turn around. That got us through the neighborhood, past an industrial park, over a rickety bridge, past a park and up to where the trail followed the road. We were happy to find that the park had a restroom. We drank a lot of jugo with the Guatemalan food. According to my walking app, we managed about 12,000 steps. Not bad. While B may not be available to make your walk amazing, I recommend finding your own someone and...

Long, paved multipath trail that follows about 18 miles of the winding Green River. I biked most of this on a rainy day. Trail is flat and easy to follow. Beautiful scenery of the river but do be aware that the trail winds through urban areas and some underpasses. Sometimes you'll need to cross bridges to switch to other sides of the trail. You're not in the remote woods here but on a flat urban trail that follows the river.

Following a river is soothing and you certainly won't get lost. For the best "feng shui," bike in the same direction as the river current (north). Some trail segments require you to switch onto a mostly empty riverfront road for short periods. The trail has some nice bends and turns that make it pleasing and scenic.

Re parking, note that at the southernmost end of the trail there is no parking (except maybe Pea Patch Fields). Best places to park on the southern end is "Inter Urban South Good Start" (right next to Foster Park). The two miles or so of trail on the southern end are sketchy anyway. Other good parking places are at Three Friends Fishing Hole Park or another park along the trail (e.g., Van Dorens). Overall, the trail is well maintained and seems to mostly be used by residents of communities along the trail.

I love the gentle ride. If you have an injury and need to take it easy, this trail offers a gentle, almost hypnotic experience. No hilly challenges, just a peaceful, flat,...

Clean, peaceful, busy, family park vibe. It's in my neighborhood so convenient when I wanna realign my senses but don't wanna drive to do so. Would I come here from anywhere else that's less than 10 minutes away ? No(on a lazy day not even sure if I'd drive that many minutes ,ahaha) but when I have visitors do we find ourselves going for a casual stroll and conversation...