Newcastle Trails

NEWCASTLE TRAILS

About Newcastle Trails

NEWCASTLE TRAILS is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit volunteer organization focused on the preservation, expansion, and maintenance of trails within the City of Newcastle, Washington.

We recommend trail routes, identify priorities, and maintain a registry of volunteers to assist the City in trail work. Trail efforts will be planned and budgeted by the City in conformance with the Parks and Trails Plan.

Members need not reside in Newcastle, and equestrians are welcome. There are no dues. We communicate primarily by email. For more information, contact info@newcastletrails.org.

BOARD MEMBERS:
Garry Kampen (President)
Jim Price (Vice President)
Peggy Price (Secretary/Treasurer)
Grace Stiller (Weed Warriors)
Giles Velte (Board Representative)
Fred Chapman
Joel Harris

Terrace Trail

The Terrace Trail was Newcastle Trails' major project for 2007-2008, carried out in cooperation with the City of Newcastle, the Issaquah Alps Trails Club, local Scout troops, and others. It replaces a storm-damaged informal trail with a carefully designed new trail with easier grades and better drainage (see Bob Cerelli's photos).

The trail winds up the forested DeLeo Wall from the historic Thomas Rouse Road (144th Place SE) to the Terrace subdivision, with links to Cougar Mountain Park. The route features large trees (some storm-toppled), ferns, views, and huge moss-covered boulders (glacial erratics). It also provides a display of the trail-builder's art: curbing and steps of stone and wood; dips, slopes and ditches for drainage; switchbacks; even a passage through a tree.

The trail is about two-thirds of a mile long, about a half-hour walk each way. Cougar Mountain Park can be reached from the upper trailhead at the Terrace by walking a short distance on sidewalks: walk downhill to the first intersection, turn right, and follow the street uphilll into the park.

Directions to lower trailhead: See street map (route shown in green). Take Coal Creek Parkway to SE 91st Street (north of May Creek, at traffic light). Follow SE 91st east past the Highlands gatehouse. At the T (Highlands Park) turn left and follow 140th Ave. SE as it curves right (becoming SE 90th St.) and left (becoming 144th Ave. SE). At the T, turn right onto SE 87th St. The trailhead is one block straight ahead (east), just beyond the vehicle gate. Walk past the gate; the Terrace Trail begins at the steps.

Trail map: The sidebar has links to a trail map and guide. Look in the lower right-hand corner of the map for the Highlands and Terrace trails (solid green lines). Note: The underlying street map is outdated: some streets are missing, and some (e.g. SE 87th St. and 144th Ave. SE) are incorrectly labeled.

Calendar

Feb 1 Monday Annual Meeting (7-9PM)

Mar 1 Monday Board Meeting (7-9PM)

The events above are all open to the public. Details below.

Annual Meeting

Monday, February 1, refreshments 6:30-7, meeting 7-9 PM, at the Coal Creek YMCA on the Newcastle Golf Club Road. Kevin Husemann of Bellevue Parks will give a presentation on Bellevue trails close to Newcastle. We'll summarize our 2009 activities, and discuss possible future work. The business meeting will follow, including the election of officers. Come with your ideas and suggestions..

Board Meeting

The Newcastle Trails board will meet Monday, March 1, 7-9 PM at Regency Newcastle , a retirement community at 7454 Newcastle Golf Club Road (just off Coal Creek Parkway). Board meetings are normally held on the first Monday of the month, and are open to the public. If you plan to attend, check the web site for last-minute changes and/or email NT at info@newcastletrails.org.

Weed Warrior Events

Weed Warrior Environmental Stewardship Projects restore a healthy balance to our environment by removing invasive weeds and planting native species plants. Click on the Project Calendar to view scheduled events.

Trail News

The Hazelwood Trail will be essentially complete by February 2010, thanks to the efforts of Mike Holly, Newcastle's Parks Manager, Grace Stiller and Peggy Price of Newcastle Trails, Boy Scouts from the Alpine and Hazelwood troops, and other volunteers. The Hazelwood Trail connects 116th Ave, Hazelwood School, and Lake Washington Ridge with Hazelwood Park, the CrossTown Trail, and the Hazelwood neighborhood.

Trail Projects

A number of trail projects are planned or proposed. These include rebuilding and extending the Olympus Trail, and extending the May Creek Trail to Coal Creek Parkway.

The Olympus Trail runs south from the West CrossTown Trail past the cemetery in a power line corridor owned by the Olympus Homeowners' Association. Newcastle Trails is working with the association on a proposal to reroute both trails near their junction to make slopes more gradual. The association is also considering improvements to the trail south of the cemetery, where it is mostly informal. And the developers of Eden Grove have agreed to complete the Olympus Trail by extending it east from the power line just south of Olympus to the Waterline Trail.

The Parkway Extension of the May Creek Trail will connect the Highlands to May Creek Park via (a) an access path running west from the Parkway, (b) a switchback down to Boren Creek, (c) a bridge across Boren Creek, and eventually (d) a trail running west from the bridge to the existing May Creek Trail. (a) and (c) are complete and (b) is planned. This will open up a lovely section of May Creek Park to the HIghlands and strollers along the Parkway. (d) is a longer-term project.