The view from Magnolia Bluff

Park: Discovery Park
Size: 512.5 acres
My run: About 2.75 miles

Terrain/environment: A little bit of everything: paved roads and dirt trails, forests and meadows, and breathtaking views of the water. It was a bit hilly in parts.

People: Lots of couples, especially with babies strapped to their backs and/or dogs accompanying them. There were a few other runners, but it was mostly walkers and hikers. The trails were very busy.

Observations: This park is huge (the biggest in Seattle), so I obviously only experienced a small piece of it. There are a lot of intersecting trails in the park, which was a challenge for me as a newbie because I was continually checking the map on my phone. However, the trails are well-marked, and there is a loop trail around the park, so in the future, I would forget about the map and just wander the trails, knowing that I could always get back by following the loop trail.

I knew I was near the water, but running through the forest, I wasn’t sure I would get a chance to see it. I needn’t have worried. After getting a few glimpses through the trees, I came around a corner to the viewpoint on Magnolia Bluff. I could have stayed there for hours.

Would I go again? I would go to the park again, but I’m not sure I would run there again. I think it would be more fun to take a few friends and walk and enjoy the trails. I would also like to go down to the beach area and especially the lighthouse.