Clark Lake Park is a 124-acre passive use park located roughly 2.5 miles east of downtown Kent, Washington on the Soos Creek Plateau above and east of the Kent Valley. It is characterized by its natural areas and has a wide variety of habitats including upland meadows and coniferous forest, scrub-shrub wetland and riparian corridors, and central to the park - Clark Lake itself. City of Kent Staff and citizens view this park as their “Central Park” and is regarded as the Crown Jewel in the city’s park system.

The management of the park focuses mainly on enhancement of existing habitat and improving human access to these defining features of the park while maintaining its identity as a passive use park. Improved access includes development of a comprehensive network of trails that allows use of more areas of the park for a wider variety of users. The trail system will reflect a variety of use patterns in the park to keep highest intensity uses in areas that are most appropriate, and maintain large areas of relatively undisturbed habitat. Better access also means educational programming in the form of interpretive elements (trails, signs), as well as an education center to be located in an existing building that will be converted from its current residential status.

Habitat enhancement is recommended for all habitat types in the park, particularly wetlands and their buffers, riparian corridors, and upland forest. Enhancement consists mainly of invasive species removal and control, and supplemental planting of appropriate native species. The addition of habitat features such as snags and down wood is also important.

Implementation of the variety of management actions will be done incrementally over time. Volunteers , community involvement and stewardship will be important components of successful implementation.