Frost Eagle

While designed as a sanctuary for birds, deer, bobcats, and blackbear, Soaring Eagle Regional Park seems to be a quiet sanctuary for humans as well. Six hundred acres of forest and wetlands interrupt miles of suburban homes on the edge of the flat Sammamish Plateau, and are host to 12 miles of trail that walkers, runners, mountain bikers, and equestrians enjoy.

The trails at Soaring Eagle are arranged like a spider’s web, with the wide Pipeline Trail cutting through the center and a network of interconnected trails radiating out from it. The surrounding trails were designed with little deference to the landscape, meaning that they twist, turn, swoop, and dive over all the little bumps in the park. With no major climb, you may find yourself hooting and hollering over these miniature roller coasters and begin thinking of the word “hill” in a whole new way. There is also a healthy population of rocks and roots on the trails, so there will be little time for zoning out as you dab through nature’s hopscotch.

The Frost Eagle courses feature rolling hills that are mostly short or moderate in grade, and none of the courses are very hilly by trail running standards. Much of the course is on “technical singletrack,” which means that the trail can be narrow, twisty, and filled with roots and bumps. A short section of the course is on the Pipeline Trail which is mostly groomed gravel, but can turn muddy in places.

Join for a 5-mile or Half Marathon at Frost Eagle, the sixth event in the Winter Trail Series!