2 Alki Trail

Alki Beach is the birthplace of Seattle, where a schooner set the first settlers ashore in November 1851. Today this long stretch of shoreline and beach is one of Seattle’s liveliest and most scenic neighborhoods, where people come to play, dine, stroll, and scuba dive. If you’ve ever seen a postcard of Seattle’s stunning skyline shot from across the harbor, the classic photo was likely taken from the starting point of this hike.

Distance: 4.6 miles out and back

Approximate hiking time: 2 to 2.5 hours

Difficulty: Moderate due to distance

Trail surface: Paved

Best season: Year-round

Other trail users: Bicycles and skaters on a parallel trail

Canine compatibility: Leashed dogs permitted

Fees and permits: No fees or permits required

Schedule: Open twenty-four hours daily

Maps: USGS Seattle South W and Seattle South E; Seattle street map

Trail contacts: Seattle Parks and Recreation, (206) 684-4075; www.seattle.gov/parks

Finding the trailhead: From northbound or southbound Interstate 5, take exit 163 (West Seattle Bridge). Take the Harbor Avenue SW exit off the bridge and drive north on Harbor Avenue SW to Seacrest Park at 1660 Harbor Avenue SW. Free parking is available in the lot or on the street. Summer season parking can be difficult. GPS: N47 35.35' / W122 22.89'

The Hike

The Alki Trail follows West Seattle’s Harbor Avenue SW and Alki Avenue SW along Puget Sound in one of the city’s most scenic areas. The trail passes through several parks, the largest of which is Alki Beach Park.

This hike takes in the most scenic segment of the trail, beginning at Seacrest Park, a spot popular with scuba divers, where you will find a pier, boathouse, restaurant, and restrooms. The focal point is the full frontal view of the Seattle skyline across Elliott Bay.

Walking north, you soon pass Don Armeni Park and Boat Ramp and, beyond that, Duwamish Head, where the trail veers to the left to round the head. The pier at Duwamish Head is a great place to pause and take in the view, which opens up at this point to include Puget Sound as it stretches north and Bainbridge Island and the Olympic Mountains (on a clear day) to the west.

After rounding Duwamish Head, the trail continues southwest along the seawall on Alki Avenue SW. On the opposite side of the street, tiny beach cottages are nestled between modern luxury condos. At the beginning of the commercial district, with its many restaurants, the seawall ends and the beach widens, allowing you a choice of hiking on pavement or sand. You will pass a community center building, a picnic shelter with several tables, and a miniature replica of the Statue of Liberty.

A short distance beyond, near the end of the public beach, a historical marker commemorates the spot where the Denny Party (Seattle’s founders) first came ashore on a stormy November day in 1851. This is the hike’s turnaround point.

Option: To add more miles of Puget Sound scenery to your hike, continue along Alki Avenue SW a few more blocks for views of the working lighthouse at Alki Point and even farther around the point for expansive views to the south across the Sound to Vashon Island.

Miles and Directions

0.0Start at Seacrest Park and walk north toward Duwamish Head and Alki Beach.

0.3Pass Don Armeni Park and Boat Ramp.

0.5The trail veers left to round Duwamish Head.

1.0Reach the commercial district.

2.3Reach the BIRTHPLACE OF SEATTLE marker, your turnaround point.

4.6Arrive back at Seacrest Park.