Winter Twigs - Carkeek Park

This is an on-trail clinic led by Thane Williams, our Mountaineers volunteer Native Plant Garden steward. Participants will be issued a copy of the field guide: “Winter in the Woods: A Winter Guide to Deciduous Native Plants in Western Washington”. The guide will be used during the clinic and is yours to keep and enjoy. 

Thane will provide instruction on how to use the field guide and show us specific plant features that will help us identify the deciduous shrubs and trees we find along the trail.

We will walk slowly, stop often and stay together in our small group. The clinic was intentionally kept small so we can huddle around Thane and the plants to observe their individual features. Some of these features can be quite small. A magnifying glass or loupe will be helpful to see some of the smaller structures. Other structures can easily be seen unaided.

What to bring:

Be prepared to attend this outdoor clinic for approximately 3 hours as we walk 2-3 miles. 

-Dress warmly in layers. 

-Rain gear is advised. It will keep the dew or rain off as you huddle around, reach for and walk by the branches. It will also help keep you warm.

-Waterproof footwear with good grip, the trail will likely be wet, muddy and slippery in places.

-Consider bringing hiking poles if you need extra support.

-Paper and pencil or pen

-Magnifying glass or loupe.

-Water &/or hot beverage and snacks. We’ll not stop for breaks but we’ll be walking slow enough for snacks and drinks as we walk.

-Ten essentials.

Meet at 8:30am by the children’s playground and restrooms. The Park address is 950 NW Carkeek Park Rd in Seattle. Parking is available at the Carkeek Park Beach lot overlooking the sound. The restrooms will be north of the parking lot.

There are two entrances to the park. Do Not Use the south Piper’s Creek entrance at NW 100th Pl. This entrance is about a mile south of our meet up location. 

The main entrance to the park is at 950 NW Carkeek Park Rd which is on the westward intersection of NW 110th St and 5th Ave NW. West of this intersection NW 110th St becomes NW Carkeek Park Rd and winds down westwardly. The road is curvy and has a few intersections as you head down to the park. Continue down the road until you reach the entrance to the park and make a left turn here as you enter the Park. Continue keeping left down the road towards the sound to the beach parking lot.