Lake Sammamish State Park is a beautiful day-use park with a stunning seven-mile lake being the main attraction. Although the park is a mere 15 miles from the bustling city of Seattle, you’ll feel like you’re in a different world when you’re here. And if you were ever to swim to the bottom of the lake, you’d find yourself in a different world for another reason… believe it or not, there’s a spooky ancient forest down there.

Lake Sammamish is located in King County, near Issaquah.
Peter Stevens / Flickr
The lake sits east of Lake Washington and west of the Sammamish Plateau.
On a summer day, you'll find plenty of happy Washingtonians here enjoying some swimming, kayaking, or lakeside lounging.
khadervalli / TripAdvisor
Blue herons and bald eagles are regularly spotted in the area as well, which is exciting for bird lovers.
Lake Sammamish State Park offers 6,858 feet of waterfront, so there's plenty of space to enjoy.
CM / TripAdvisor
The lake is also part of the accustomed fishing area of several Native American tribes.

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But if you head toward the southern end of the lake, you might notice several jagged, gray logs sticking up from the water.
SupportPDX / Flickr
They don't look like much to the untrained eye, but they're actually the only signs of the ancient, well-preserved underwater forest that’s been sitting at the bottom of the lake for well over a thousand years.
So, how does this happen? The answer is a little unsettling -- it starts with an earthquake.
Shree S / Flickr
A thousand years ago, a violent earthquake shook the region and pushed huge pieces of land up to 20 feet in the air. As a result, massive landslides occurred.
The forest at the bottom of this lake exists because of one of those landslides.
Pradeep Kaushal / TripAdvisor
Huge chunks of earth broke away from the lake’s shores and slid into the water, including the trees. The nearby Lake Washington also has an underwater forest for this exact reason.
A few divers have dared to go down and explore the forest at the bottom of Lake Sammamish, which they describe as spooky.
ShiningSchnee / TripAdvisor
Of course, you'd never know there was a massive ancient forest under this beautiful body of water. On the surface, it's as peaceful as can be.

Have you been swimming at Lake Sammamish State Park?

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Lake Sammamish State Park, 2182 NW Sammamish Rd, Issaquah, WA 98027, USA