An Eastside oasis amid suburban sprawl.

by Contributor

The Experience
More than a city park, the Lake Hills Greenbelt is 150 acres of woods and wetlands. A popular paved two-mile jogging, hiking and biking trail connects Larsen and Phantom Lakes. It's a good example of natural preservation in suburbia: Wildlife abounds with many birds, muskrats, beavers and salmon. Between March and June, many varieties of birds nest in the park. Look on the ground for California quail nests, in the trees for the great horned owls and along the water's edge for great blue herons. July through September, more than 1,000 varieties of flowers and fruit are in full bloom.

The Background
Yakima Native Americans built the first paths and camps here. In the early 1900s Japanese immigrants farmed the land between the two lakes. A farmer's market still exists on the corner of 156th and SE 16th.