Lake Forest Park

History

Lake Forest Park was founded in 1912 by Ole Hanson as one of the Seattle area's first planned communities. Envisioned as a picturesque retreat for professionals, the developers planned roads and lots in strict consideration for natural landmarks. The original prospectus for lot sales declared: …the strict fiat has gone forth that all the natural beauty must be preserved; that no tree must unwittingly be cut down; that the natural wild flowers must remain; that the streams, the springs, the lake front, the nodding willows, the stately cedar, the majestic fir, the quivering cypress and the homelike maple and all the flora and fauna with which Nature has blessed this lakeshore, must not be defiled by the hand of man. Until 1914 and completion of the Red Brick Road (now Bothell Way, part of State Route 522) to nearby Kenmore and Bothell, it also marked the literal end of improved roads heading north from Seattle, with the best access to points further north and east being by boat across Lake Washington or the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway. Lake Forest Park officially incorporated on June 20, 1961, in large part to help maintain its specific identity. The town remained small - under 5,000 in population - until the 1990s, when a series of annexations expanded city borders significantly and more than doubled the official population. The 3/4 acre Lyon Creek Park was created in the late 1990s on land purchased by the city in 1998. For the prior fifty years, the lot had belonged to Marcia and Robert Morris, who had built a modernist home and a horse stable on the property. Both buildings were torn down as part of the park conversion, which also included replanting the park with 5,000 native shrubs and plants. The replanting portion of the project involved the labor…

Geography

Lake Forest Park is situated at the north end of Lake Washington. The city's southern boundary begins at the city limit of Seattle. To the north, Lake Forest Park ends at the Snohomish county line, where the adjacent towns of Mountlake Terrace and Brier border it. To the east, the city is bounded by Lake Washington and at 55th Avenue NE where the city of Kenmore begins; the Burke-Gilman Trail runs in parallel to the lake shore, following the shoreline into Kenmore to the north, and Seattle to the south. The city's western boundary is at the City of Shoreline's city limit, mostly following 25th Avenue NE. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. The two largest streams are Lyon Creek and McAleer Creek, both of which provide habitat for salmon. The shoreline includes two private beach clubs but no public boat access to Lake Washington; however, Lyon Creek Waterfront Preserve offers 100 feet of Lake Washington shoreline and a viewing dock that extends out into the lake. * Horizon View Park is located at the highest point in Lake Forest Park and offers fields, a children's playground with swings and a play train, a basketball half-court, tennis court, play field, picnic tables, and paved pathways through a natural, wooded area. Horizon View covers 8.4 acres and is located at 19800 47th Ave NE (198th St at 47th Ave NE). * Pfingst Animal Acres Park is located at NE 178th St and Brookside Blvd and features picnic tables, a 0.25 mile walking loop, a salmon viewing platform, and a beautiful dogwood flower-shaped drinking fountain for people and dogs. The park is also home to a bust of Admiral Miguel Grau Seminario that was presented to the City of Lake Forest Park by the Consulate General of Peru and the…

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  170,386
• Dark-eyed Junco

  Junco hyemalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  134,472
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  133,114
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  129,055
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  117,432
• Anna's Hummingbird

  Calypte anna (R.Lesson, 1829) · Aves
  108,598
• Spotted Towhee

  Pipilo maculatus Swainson, 1827 · Aves
  100,720
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  89,322

Most recent

• M 2.56 — 2026-09-12
  2 km E of Mount Vernon, Washington
• M 2.51 — 2026-08-09
  11 km SSW of River Road, Washington
• M 3.8 — 2026-07-02
  2 km E of Oak Harbor, Washington
• M 2.5 — 2026-06-26
  11 km E of Carnation, Washington
• M 2.87 — 2026-06-08
  2 km ESE of Oak Harbor, Washington
• M 2.84 — 2026-05-27
  4 km W of Wauna, Washington