Take a Stroll through Hovander Homestead Park

Driving up to the park entrance: take a right to drive towards the barnyards, playgrounds, covered picnic areas, historic house and community gardens, and access to the Snoqualmie River.  Or, drive straight and park outside of the fragrance gardens and historic house/ museum, and take a walk to access the observation tower, wetlands boardwalk, Tennant Lake, and other trails.

Both historic houses have guided tours during the summer, and the community garden offers various gardening classes. Walk the wetlands boardwalk and listen to the wildlife that is bound to be sounding off upon your approach; a symphony of croaks and chirps follow you with every step. Along the boardwalk are various signs that describe the fragile wetland ecosystem so you can give yourself an educational tour of the area. Many people will just enjoy smelling the flowers in the fragrance garden or walking their dogs on the 1.4 mile loop of trails, and even more, will gather at Tennant Lake for bird watching.

In addition to the natural wildlife, try to spot the unofficial resident of the park, a stocky white rabbit that enjoys hanging around the historic home next to the observation tower.

While you’re likely to run into a few other people on sunny afternoons, the 350 acres of land allows you to explore without ever feeling crowded. This park is very popular for dog walking and bird watching alike and has something for everyone to enjoy.

When approaching the park entrance there is a sign indicating that the park closes at 6:30 pm, this is not the case. I’ve yet to see the gates ever close, but fear not, I’ve been wandering the area on Spring afternoons with another four cars safely in the parking lot until well past 8 pm. The hours are more of guidelines; essentially be courteous and don’t linger too long after the sun sets.