Bridle Trails State Park
489-acre forested park with horse and hiking trails.
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Quick facts
At a glance
- Neighborhood
- Bridle Trails
About
About Bridle Trails State Park
Bridle Trails State Park is a 489-acre working equestrian forest wedged between Bellevue and Kirkland — a rare urban horse park with 28 miles of soft-surface trails threading through second-growth Douglas fir and hemlock. Riders share the woods amicably with hikers and trail runners, and the result is one of the Eastside's quietest, most atmospheric forests to walk in.
Highlights
What makes it special
- 28 miles of soft-surface trails through mature second-growth forest
- Rare urban equestrian park — horses share the trails
- Cool, shaded routes that stay comfortable in July heat
- Doable short loops for young kids plus long runs for adults
- Discover Pass–only parking keeps trails uncrowded
What you'll experience
The visit, in detail
You'll trade pavement for wide, spongy horse-bark trails that muffle sound and turn every walk into a forest bath. Expect to meet horses — step off-trail on the downhill side and let them pass. The trail network is a spiderweb; short 1–2 mile loops are easy from the main lot, and the mainline "116th Trail" cuts a long north-south spine through the park. Bring a downloaded map.
Nearby
What's around you
Nightlife nearby
Browse all nightlife in Bellevue →Bellevue Brewing Company
Family-friendly brewery and restaurant.
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Flatstick Pub Bellevue
Mini-golf and indoor games with WA craft beer.
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The Twisted Cuban Cafe & Bar
Cuban-inspired bar with mojitos and Latin music nights.
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Tap House Grill Bellevue
160-tap restaurant and bar.
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Family Activities nearby
Browse all family activities in Bellevue →Northwest Bellevue Park
Neighborhood park with playground and tennis.
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Bellevue Family YMCA
Family YMCA with pool, gym, and child watch.
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Highland Community Center Skate Park
Free public skate park near the community center.
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Snowflake Lane
Nightly holiday parade through The Bellevue Collection.
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Hotels nearby
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Hyatt House Bellevue/Redmond
Extended-stay Hyatt House with full kitchens.
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La Quinta Inn & Suites Bellevue Downtown
Mid-range hotel with free breakfast.
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Larkspur Landing Bellevue
All-suite hotel with full kitchens in north downtown.
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Hotel 116, BW Premier Collection
Boutique-feel hotel just east of downtown.
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Coffee Shops nearby
Browse all coffee shops in Bellevue →
Mercurys Coffee Co. — Bellevue Roastery & Bakery
4.7Bellevue's flagship organic coffee roastery — a 5am-to-8:30pm daily café where Mercurys roasts its beans, bakes its pastries, and hosts the Eastside's most consistent everyday coffee crowd.
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Caffe Vivace
4.6Seattle espresso legend with a cult northern Italian style.
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Third Culture Coffee
4.7A design-forward Downtown Bellevue café where a serious specialty-coffee program meets a signature matcha bar, global pastry case, and a plant-filled room built for slow mornings and long remote-work sessions.
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Caffe Ladro Bellevue
A downtown Bellevue outpost of the beloved Seattle-based, farm-direct specialty roaster — expertly pulled espresso, honest brewed coffee, and house-baked pastries a block from Bellevue Downtown Park.
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Local Businesses nearby
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Bel-Red Barbers
4.6Bellevue's longest-running barber shop — walk-ins only, seven days a week, in continuous operation on the Eastside since 1959.
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Ishii Motor Industries Auto Repair
Independent Bellevue auto repair shop on 116th Ave NE — a locally-owned alternative to dealership service, walking distance from downtown Bellevue.
Downtown
Shopping nearby
Browse all shopping in Bellevue →Uwajimaya Bellevue
Pacific Northwest's premier Asian grocery and gift store.
Crossroads
Bellevue Farmers Market
Seasonal Thursday and Saturday market with local produce, crafts, and food trucks.
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Whole Foods Market Bellevue
Downtown flagship Whole Foods with hot bar, sushi, and rooftop seating.
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The Shops at The Bravern
Bellevue's luxury shopping destination featuring Neiman Marcus, Hermès, and Gucci.
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Arts & Culture nearby
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Bellevue Library
Flagship KCLS library with author events and exhibits.
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Bellwether Public Sculpture
Citywide outdoor sculpture biennial.
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Bellevue Jazz & Blues Festival
Annual multi-venue jazz festival downtown.
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Bellevue Civic Theatre
Community theater producing classic and contemporary plays.
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Attractions nearby
Browse all attractions in Bellevue →KidsQuest Children's Museum
4.6Downtown Bellevue's hands-on children's museum for ages 0–10 — 25+ STEAM exhibits, a two-story climber, a full water gallery, and daily programming, all a short walk from the light rail station.
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Bellevue Arts Museum
4.4Bellevue's cultural centerpiece — a non-collecting museum of Art, Craft, and Design in a Steven Holl–designed building across from Bellevue Square, with rotating exhibitions, family programs, and one of the strongest pieces of contemporary architecture in Downtown Bellevue.
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Lincoln Square
4.5Downtown Bellevue's entertainment, dining, and lifestyle complement to Bellevue Square — cinema, chef-driven restaurants, a public plaza, and the W Bellevue, all under one covered roof.
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The Bellevue Collection
4.7Downtown Bellevue's three-building shopping, dining, entertainment, and hotel campus — Bellevue Square, Lincoln Square, and Bellevue Place connected by covered skybridges into one walkable destination.
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Things to Do nearby
Browse all things to do in Bellevue →Meydenbauer Center
4.4Bellevue's premier convention, conference, and performing arts venue — 36,000 square feet of column-free ballroom, a 410-seat theatre, and a full block of meeting space steps from light rail.
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Pacific Northwest Ballet at PACE
4.6Touring performances at the Performing Arts Center Eastside.
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Lucky Strike Bellevue
4.3Upscale bowling, billiards, and craft cocktails.
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Aero Climbing & Fitness
4.7Indoor rock-climbing gym with bouldering and yoga.
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Restaurants nearby
Browse all restaurants in Bellevue →Blueacre Seafood
4.4Pacific Northwest seafood with a Pike Place pedigree.
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El Gaucho
4.6Pacific Northwest classic steakhouse — tableside service, prime beef, and the tuxedoed room that has defined Bellevue special-occasion dining for a generation.
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Barrio
4.3Modern Mexican with hand-shaken margaritas and a patio.
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Wild Ginger
4.4Pan-Asian icon with satay, fragrant duck, and dim sum brunch.
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Parks & Trails nearby
Browse all parks & trails in Bellevue →Crossroads Park
4.6Neighborhood park with summer concerts and farmers market.
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Wilburton Hill Park
4.6Hilltop park with sports fields, gardens, and city views.
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Bellevue Botanical Garden
4.8A free 53-acre public botanical garden in Wilburton with the celebrated Perennial Border, Yao Japanese Garden, Ravine Experience suspension bridge, and the annual Garden d'Lights holiday show.
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Meydenbauer Bay Park
4.7Bellevue's downtown waterfront: a swim beach, a pier, and kayak rentals ten minutes below Old Bellevue.
Old Bellevue
Practical
Know before you go
A Washington State Discover Pass is required to park; day passes are available at the entrance kiosk. Trails are mud country from November through April — waterproof shoes are non-negotiable. Yield to horses at all times: step off-trail, downhill side, quiet voice. Dogs must be on leash. No bikes allowed. Trail signage is limited — download the state park map before you arrive.
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