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Washington Park Arboretum

Trip

Urban Walk - Washington Park Arboretum

Our walk covers Section 4 of the Seattle Olmsted 50K Trail. We’ll start at the Washington Park Playfield located at the south end of the Seattle Park Arboretum (est. 1936) and follow Lake Washington Blvd (est. 1904) almost entirely to our end point at Stan Sayres Memorial Park (est. 1957). This is a traverse, with different start and end points. We will pass no less than 12 Olmsted parks and boulevards along the way. The Seattle Olmsted 50K Trail connects some of Seattle’s most scenic parks, gardens, and boulevards from Ballard to Rainier Beach. This walk is the 4th in a series of 5 approximately 10K walks covering the entire Seattle Olmsted 50K trail.

Contacts

Jenny Weiler
Jenny Weiler
Primary Leader
  • Easy
  • Easy
  • Mileage: 6.25 mi
  • Elevation Gain: 500 ft
  • Pace: 1.5 to 2 mph

Meeting Place: We’ll meet on the Washington Park Playfield, near the west side of the public restrooms. Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/74xcn5DqmUa9KUsYA

Meeting Time: Gear on and ready to walk at 8:00 a.m.

This is a traverse, starting at the Washington Park Playfield and ending at Stan Sayres Memorial Park.

Description of walk: Setting off from the Washington Park Playfield, we will head south along Lake Washington Blvd (est. 1904) passing the Bush School, Lakeview Park (est. 1908), Denny Blaine Park (est. 1901), Viretta Park (est. 1901), Howell Park (est. 1901), and Madrona Park (est. 1889). At the Leschi Market, we’ll leave the waterfront and reconnect with Lake Washington Blvd, strolling through Leschi Park (est. 1889), Frink Park (est. 1906), and Colman Park (est. 1907). Along the way, we’ll visit the Mount Baker Ridge Viewpoint on 31st Ave S and the East Portal Viewpoint over I-90. We’ll reach our final destination using the shore trail between Colman Beach and Stan Sayres Memorial Park (est. 1957).

This urban trail is accessible by public transit at multiple points and includes access to public restrooms, food, and water.

You may elect to take public transit back to the Washington Park Playfield. Information about public transit, parking, and car shuttle options will be in the Hello Urban Walker email.

For more information about Seattle's Olmsted Parks, please visit Friends of Seattle's Olmsted Parks at https://seattleolmsted.org/.

Route/Place

Washington Park Arboretum

Roster
Required Equipment

Required Equipment

Water, snacks, appropriate outerwear, and sturdy shoes.

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