Redmond, WA: Marymoor Park, King County's Largest, and Where to Stay

Redmond is best known as Microsoft's home base, but its biggest draw for a visitor has nothing to do with tech campuses — it's King County's largest park, sitting at the north end of Lake Sammamish.

Marymoor Park 640 acres, with enough packed in that it's worth a full day: sports fields, a rock climbing wall, an off-leash dog park, a radio-control aircraft field, and miles of biking and walking trails that connect straight into the Sammamish River Trail. It's also home to the state's only velodrome, a 400-meter track running programs for riders of every level, and a nature trail that's a genuinely good birdwatching spot year-round. If you register with the park office, there's even a free community bike checkout program for visitors 18 and up.

Concerts and history The park's outdoor amphitheater runs a real concert series from June through September — past lineups have included Modest Mouse, The Avett Brothers, and Khruangbin. For something quieter, the historic Willowmoor Farm and Clise Mansion sit inside the park grounds and are open to explore.