Bothell's Fall 2026: The Back 9 Closes for the Salmon, and North Creek Shows You Why

The Back 9 of the former Wayne Golf Course has been closed to the public since construction began on September 8. It will stay that way through winter 2027 while the City of Bothell rebuilds Waynita Creek for migrating Chinook salmon. A working version of that habitat already exists across town. North Creek runs through a restored wetland at UW Bothell and along a paved trail beside I-405, and this month it carries the same kind of fish the Wayne project is being built for.

So while the river bend behind Blyth Park is closed, this fall's best free outing is a slow walk along North Creek with polarized glasses. Downtown's busiest calendar of the year fits around it.

What is happening on the Back 9

The City of Bothell's groundbreaking announcement, posted August 31, 2026, says the Sammamish River & Waynita Creek Restoration Project will rework the Wayne Open Space in several ways:

• Re-meandering portions of Waynita Creek and reconnecting groundwater to the stream
• Expanding the creek's floodplain and increasing wetlands
• Creating slow-water refuge and cold-water habitat for migrating Chinook
• Adding large wood and other habitat features
• Removing invasive vegetation and planting native trees and shrubs

Construction runs through winter 2027, and the City plans to reopen the area in early 2028. When it does, the restored ground is planned to have trails, pedestrian bridges, and viewing areas. City Councilmember Carston Curd called it "such an important part of City Council's 2040 Vision" in that release and said it "has been years in the making."

Those years go back further than most people walking the Front 9 today might guess. In February 2016, Forterra reported that it had financed an interim purchase of the 39-acre Back 9 for $7.125 million and agreed to buy the 50-acre Front 9 for $3 million, as a step toward preserving all 89 acres. City project material describes Bothell's 2018 purchase of the property, made in partnership with Forterra, King County, and OneBothell.

The funding list for the restoration is unusually long for a city park project. It includes the Washington Department of Ecology's Streamflow Restoration program and Climate Commitment Act dollars, King County Parks and the Flood Control District, the Lake Washington/Cedar/Sammamish Watershed (WRIA 8), the Salmon Recovery Funding Board, the Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration Fund, the EPA, Forterra, Meta, and Swire Coca-Cola USA. That many funders are paying for one thing, which is habitat that holds salmon. For now that habitat is a construction site. Across town, a version of it already exists.

North Creek is the preview

UW Bothell describes its campus as built around a 58-acre restored wetland. North Creek runs through it, a salmon-bearing stream that hosts salmonids year-round and is an important spawning location in the fall. According to the university's salmon page, the creek had a "challenging history of degradation due to farming, logging and urbanization," and the wetland restoration "has provided much-needed habitat for salmon." Chinook, coho, and sockeye are among the salmon using the wetland, and researchers have found kokanee spawning in the Sammamish River in Bothell and in lower North Creek.

That is the same basic approach now under way at Wayne: undo old damage to a stream and give fish room to rest and spawn. On North Creek it is already finished, and you can see the results from a paved path.

The fish arrive in sequence. A ParentMap Salmon SEEson listing for North Creek Trail Park puts Chinook in the creek in September, sockeye in October, and coho in November. That makes mid-October the sockeye window, with coho taking over through the weeks when the Back 9 stays closed.

A workable route, based on that listing and UW Bothell's own guidance:

1. Start at North Creek Trail Park and walk the paved trail south along the creek toward the Country Inn and Suites at 19333 North Creek Pkwy.
2. Or head north along the creek as far as 240th Street SE.
3. Check under bridges, where fish often hide.
4. For a second vantage point, UW Bothell notes that salmon can often be seen from the trail under Highway 522. The campus also has a public boardwalk to North Creek for seasonal viewing.

Timing and light matter. The ParentMap listing recommends early morning or late afternoon to cut glare, plus polarized glasses. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife lists July through November as peak viewing months. It advises quiet viewing from the bank and keeping pets under control. If the fish aren't showing, it suggests coming back after a rain or trying another spot.

The weekends that need planning

The creek is open every day. The rest of Bothell's fall falls on fixed dates, and two of them overlap with I-405 closures that the City has flagged. A City notice posted October 5 lists a planned southbound I-405 closure October 30 to November 2 and a northbound closure November 6 to 9. For the earlier October 9 to 12 closure, the notice warned of heavy local traffic in Canyon Park, North Creek, and Downtown Bothell. For the two later weekends, it says details will follow.

A few details behind the table. The City's Trick-or-Treat on Main Street announcement says more than 30 businesses and community groups will take part along Main Street and 101st Ave NE. Because the event lands on the opening night of the southbound closure weekend, it's worth checking the City's follow-up details before driving in. McMenamins lists its October 31 Spooky Family Fun at Anderson School, 18607 Bothell Way NE. Breakfast with Santa lists $265 for a table of eight. The Making Local handmade market runs alongside the Tree Lighting Festival on December 5, from noon to 5 p.m.

The History Pub on October 27 also connects back to the Wayne story. The Bothell Historical Museum co-presents it with McMenamins at Anderson School. It's a natural evening for anyone curious how a golf course along the river ended up as public land.

The river walk that stays open

Closing the Back 9 doesn't close the river corridor. The Front 9 of the former golf course and the neighboring Blyth Park both stay open during construction. King County describes the Burke-Gilman Trail as meeting the Sammamish River Trail in Bothell and passing both Wayne Golf Course and Blyth Park. Forterra's 2016 release notes that the Burke-Gilman runs along the north side of the property. In practice, the regional trail still goes past the project. Trail users will pass the work site over the next year and a half.

Upstream at Bothell Landing, the arched footbridge over the Sammamish River leads to the historic buildings. The museum lists the Hannan House, the schoolhouse, and the Beckstrom Log Cabin as open Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m., April through October, with free admission. With today being Monday, October 12, that leaves two open Sundays this season: October 18 and October 25.

Put together, a fall Saturday can follow the water: sockeye on North Creek in the morning, the Burke-Gilman past the closed Back 9 at midday, and the footbridge at the Landing on the way into downtown. The trails, pedestrian bridges, and viewing areas planned for Waynita Creek are due to open to the public in early 2028.

If you'd like a local's view of how Bothell's river corridor and its parks fit into everyday life here, from salmon season to the tree lighting, Latifa Sciore is always glad to talk it through. Let's Connect.