Farrel-McWhirter Park: Farm Living Is The Life For Me
Secluded to the point where you may wonder if you’re getting lost while trying to arrive, Farrel-McWhirter Farm Park is one of the Eastside’s hidden gems. Spacious lawns and a reservable shelter provide plenty of space for picnicking families and groups in a quiet area surrounded by green forest. Bark-paved nature trails provide space for the more active to stretch their legs while a children’s animal farm will fascinate the kids. Parking is limited and can be difficult on weekends.
The homestead that would eventually become the park was established in 1890 by the Charles W. Hutcheson family, which had moved to Redmond from Tennessee. The establishment became the Peterson Sawmill in the 1900s, and notched stumps left behind by the mill still poke up among the ferns and grass. In the 1930s, the McWhirter family bought the area to use as a summer home as well as a space in which to raise and train horses. Elise Farrel-McWhirter left the farm to the city in her will and it opened to public use in 1978.
The McWhirter farm has been transformed into a park, but the two horse arenas remain in use as do some of the farm buildings, which house cows, goats, horses, chickens, turkeys, pigs, and bunnies. A series of gardens lets kids see food-producing plants in action. An odd metal silo can be climbed via a spiral staircase and also houses the park’s restrooms. For kids hankering for horsey interaction, the Pony Program offers horse-riding lessons for ages 2-14, as well as classes for older teens and a chance to join the Farrel-McWhirter Riding Club. The park hosts a preschool program as well as a number of children’s classes and programs. See its website for details.
The park provides a chance for kids to learn the art of orienteering, using a map to get from one point to another, with an online map that can be used to navigate the park’s 68 acres along the Perimeter Loop, Mackey Creek, Upland Loop, Woodland, Lowland, Meadow, and Charlotte's Trails.
The rest of the children’s play area is limited to a set of tire swings, but the rolling grassy sweep presents ample room for playing Frisbee and tag. The picnic shelters have running water and electricity, but must be reserved in advance in person at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center. The park offers reasonably-priced farm-themed birthday party packages including pony and wagon rides as well as farm tours.
HelloSeattle Tip: Gardeners can pick up some Moo-Doo for their gardens here - bring your own container.
Posted by Cat Rambo
