Neither Spencer nor I had hiked in a few weeks.

The air in Washington continued to be filled with smoke, more or less of it depending on the wind. We were planning to possibly meet one of Spence’s friends for dinner near Redmond afterwards. The situation called for a trail that would allow for flexibility: to go further if we wanted, or to turn tail early if we wanted. Ideally, somewhere not too far from Seattle. Ideally, somewhere not too crowded.

The May Valley Loop fit the bill. It’s one of the closest trails from the city, a mere ~35 minute drive or so. The trail is part of an extensive network, and loops of various lengths are possible. You can continue onto additional trails, and connect up to places like Debbie’s View if you want, or you can hike a couple of miles and turn around.

We enjoyed the trail (and each other’s company) enough to hike a little over seven and a quarter miles. You can see our GPS Track here.

Trail Information
Name	May Valley Loop to Central Peak, Bullit Fireplace
Miles	7.27
State	WA
Type	loop
Location	Squak Mountain State Park
Check out the trails index for information on more trails!

The parking lot was pretty empty when we got there, and we passed few hikers on the trail. The areas we hiked through were scenic and wooded, and had some very tall trees, cool insects, and an absence of highway noise. There were not, however, any real expansive vistas, but as a convenient place for a hike or run, May Valley is a great option.

During our walk, we encountered not much in the way of wildlife, other than insects. Cool spiders and a cool worm.

Overall, a lovely portion of an autumnal afternoon.