There is a place near our home where Mrs. Anthony and I walk that I am reluctant to reveal.

It is an oasis of green with minimal intrusions of housing and no auto traffic whatsoever.

I suffer under a double-edged sword, between the greed in keeping this secret forest walk to ourselves, backed with the understanding that, in order to ensure that this place is never developed into more housing and roads, good people need to know it exists.

Some dedicated walkers will already know it's location, so, for the dedicated walkers that don't, a few veiled hints will suffice.

Only a few moments from downtown Federal Way, you will need to follow the sun down a well-traveled road.

You may hear the freeway from the place you park, but this is temporary, because once you have left your conveyance the greenery will beckon you and the housing that borders this old section of former interurban railway will disappear and as the trail turns northeast, you will enter a verdant forest.

The path is wide and because it is graveled, good for boots and other reasonable footwear.

You may see other walkers, but it is not often. You might greet a runner, but only in summer. You may see kids playing army, but this, too, is rare.

From the start and return point of a small ballfield parking lot, this walk takes one hour, exactly. At our pace, with the dogs pulling us, this is perfect.

On your left will be the sound of running water. This stream is big enough to have a name and it's soothing proximity will lead you deeper into the places where trees provide air to breathe and birds will sing you along the path.

Within two hundred more paces you will be enveloped in a microcosmic biome of temperate rainforest, complete with the bracken ferns one would find in a rainforest, growing on the gorgeous, green-encased maple trunks, the fronds jutting upward in patterns that suggest an intelligent hand at work.

In at least two places, there are bona fide nurselogs providing perches for new trees on their decaying bodies, and on morning walks you will see them reclining elegantly under carpets of dew-jeweled tree moss.

Deciduous trees alongside huge conifers provide canopy enough to shield you from the occasional jet crossings and you will begin to feel the stress drain from you as your arms, legs and feet establish a rhythm.

If you bring your dogs, keep them leashed, it's the law.

And trouble yourself with the small duty of a plastic bag to retrieve their droppings. There is a receptacle back at the trail's start for disposal and it is much nicer than having it on your shoes.

On a recent walk, we saw two wild rabbits, tufted gray and small, but clearly in their element.

Just after this, a young coyote crossed the trail, turning back to watch us for a moment before he or she bounded into the brush. This coyote is safe enough here, with plenty of greenery to live in and the sustenance of water and small game.

No matter the season, the beauty here is worth the effort.

In fall, the maples carpet the way with crunchy gold and crimson leaves, the wafting spice of woodsmoke reminds you that you're close to home.

In winter, the woods are filled with the sounds of rain on what leaves remain, and in the new swell of Sweetwater Creek.

Spring brings the excitement of rebirth in the budding branches that grace the edges of your walk. After spring has fully sprung you will find Huckleberry bushes that border the route in an orderly section that begs your attention for the tart, summertime fruit. Save some for the others, it's together that we must exist, and it's together that we can take care of and enjoy these secret, suburban forest walks.