McGarvey Park Open Space

McGarvey Park Open Space is a 400-acre forested area located in Renton, Washington. Acquired by King County in 2000, this park serves as a multi-use forest connecting several other nearby parks and natural areas, including Petrovitsky Park, Wetland 14 Natural Area, and Spring Lake/Lake Desire Park.

The park features over 5 miles of trails suitable for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. These trails wind through the forest and connect with the trail system at Spring Lake/Lake Desire Park, offering visitors extended exploration opportunities.

McGarvey Park's landscape is diverse, containing four wetlands that provide critical habitat for various birds, amphibians, and native wetland plants and fungi. The park also hosts beaver populations. Historically, the area was used for logging, resulting in an unusually high percentage of bigleaf maple and red alder trees. King County is actively managing the forest to restore a more balanced mix of coniferous and deciduous trees, aiming to enhance biodiversity and create a healthier forest ecosystem with multiple canopy layers.

As part of King County's "4:1" Program, McGarvey Park Open Space serves as a growth management tool, creating an open space buffer between urban and rural lands. The park balances conservation efforts with recreational use, allowing visitors to enjoy nature while the county works to protect and enhance the local ecosystem.