4 Seward Park Loop

Seward Park juts into Lake Washington like a thumb. Seattle city officials had the foresight to acquire the wild, wooded property in 1892 and eventually turn it into the public space we enjoy today. The loop trail circles the park on a closed-off service road for most of its length, with the lake on one side and Seattle’s largest remaining old-growth forest on the other.

Distance: 2.4-mile loop

Approximate hiking time: 1 hour

Difficulty: Easy, flat trail

Trail surface: Paved

Best season: Year-round

Other trail users: Bicyclists, skaters

Canine compatibility: Leashed dogs permitted

Fees and permits: No fees or permits required

Schedule: Open daily, 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

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

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

Finding the trailhead: From Interstate 5 take exit 163 (South Columbian Way). Follow South Columbian Way to Beacon Avenue South and turn right. Take the first left onto Orcas Avenue South and follow it until it becomes Lake Washington Boulevard South and, curving right, ends in Seward Park. The trailhead is beside the Art Studio building. GPS: N47 33.11' / W122 15.42'

The Hike

Lake Washington—a 20-mile-long lake lined with waterfront homes and parks—defines Seattle’s eastern boundary. One of the city’s most beautiful parks, Seward Park occupies Bailey Peninsula and is home to an environmental and Audubon center, a clay art studio, an amphitheater, picnic facilities, and miles of trails. The longest and most scenic of the park’s trails is the Seward Park Loop (trail #10 on the park’s official map, available on their Web site). This wide, paved trail doubles as a service road that is closed to motorized public traffic.

The trailhead for this hike is at the edge of the lake near the art studio. As you skirt the perimeter of the peninsula, it’s easy to forget that you’re still connected to the mainland. The setting has the distinctive feel of an island. In fact, Seward Park once was an island; it became attached to the mainland when the building of the locks on the ship canal lowered Lake Washington’s water level.

The trail leads to a fishing pier and a wide swimming beach and lawn before rounding North Beach at the tip of the peninsula. Here Mercer Island, with its luxury waterfront homes and forested hillside neighborhoods, comes into full view.

The trail narrows from a service road to a wide footpath in its ending stretch. If it’s a clear day—or at least one with a high enough cloud cover—you will be rewarded with an unobstructed view of massive Mt. Rainier dominating the horizon about 70 miles to the south.

Miles and Directions

0.0Start at the trailhead next to the Seward Park Art Studio for a clockwise loop. Option: To follow the loop in a counterclockwise direction, start at the parking lot at the end of Lake Washington Boulevard South.

0.7Pass a fishing pier and swimming beach.

1.7The trail narrows to a footpath.

2.4Arrive back at the art studio trailhead.