Wallace Falls State Park

This is a true gem of a park. It can be hiked in all four seasons. It offers hikes for all ages and abilities, from short, level strolls along the river to long, switchback filled trails leading to mountain lakes. It's a short drive from the teaming hordes of Pugetopolis, but can offer solitude for those willing to go the extra mile. It is even accessible by Community Transit bus (Route 270 and 271).
We did a 13 mile loop trip along the Wallace River to the lower, middle and upper falls, then up to the ridge line below Mount Stickney to Wallace Lake and Jay Lake, returning down the North Fork Wallace River via the Greg Ball trail.
The beauty of Wallace Falls state Park is that there is no one set itinerary. Feel free to mix and match to suit your abilities and needs. The DNR roads make for great winter snowshoe access to Wallace Lake. For summer time fishing, head to the lake via the Greg Ball trail. For solitude, explore Jay Lake or even bushwhack your way to Shaw Lake. The only constraints are time (sorry, day hikes only) and your imagination.
I can't say enough about the infrastructure here. The trails are full of benches, bridges and stairs. The staff does a great job of keeping the trails free of blowdowns and making sure the trail is in good repair year round. If you see a trail crew, be sure to say thanks. Many are volunteers working for the Washington Trails Association; along with your thanks, donations of money and/or labor are gladly accepted. There are even a couple nice segments built by kids as Eagle Scout projects.
Wallace Falls also needs people to watch over it to keep it safe from the budget axe. The fate of the park is currently in question, with some short sighted and cowardly legislators plotting to close Wallace Falls to save $181,000 in annual operating costs, or a savings of about 32 cents for each Snohomish County resident. Mothballing the park would allow the trails to deteriorate, encourage vandalism and make it that much harder for families to get kids out into the woods. Surely keeping this park open is worth the price of 1/6th of a cup of coffee per capita per year. If you're reading this and the legislature's still in session, write, email, call and howl until Wallace Falls State Park is off the chopping block!