Hikes at your Fingertips
Amelia Johnson
Congrats on almost making it to the end of the quarter! If you’re anything like me, this is the time in the quarter when you have so much to do that you begin sacrificing spending time with friends, being active, and getting outside to keep up on school work. It’s definitely easy to feel burnt out at the end of a long quarter (especially when it’s raining 24/7) but spending some quality time outside has always been a guaranteed way for me to feel less stressed.
Spring quarter of last year, I took a class about music and ornithology (study of birds) and our weekly assignment was to spend at least 10 minutes outside every day. Even though it felt really inconvenient some weeks, particularly when I had a lot of other assignments, being outside and present for just 10 minutes everyday allowed me to keep a broader perspective on things. No matter how your classes or other things in your life are going—trees, birds, and lots of rain will always be waiting out there for you to explore and enjoy. Even if you don’t have the time to get out of Seattle and go hiking, here are some suggestions for some fun urban hikes in Seattle!
Discovery Park
About a 30 minute bike ride away from UW, Discovery Park is the largest park in Seattle and was originally a military base before becoming a park. It still has some of the officers' buildings and a really sick lighthouse. Discovery Park is also home to Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center, including a gallery of Native American art. As far as hiking, there’s a 4.4 mile loop that goes along the beach and past the lighthouse which, while often muddy, is definitely worth it for the views of the Puget Sound and the Olympic mountains. Because sections of the trail are on the beach the experience is incredible when the tide is out!
Carkeek Park
Also on the edge of the Puget Sound, Carkeek Park is in North Seattle near the Broadview neighborhood. Much like Discovery Park, there are long stretches of trail on the beach and beautiful views of the Olympics. A trail that runs along Piper’s Creek makes a 3.2 mile loop around most of the park. Carkeek Park also keeps statistics on what birds are seen in the park every year; if you are interested in a guide for common Washington birds to look out for at Carkeek park, this is a good place to start!
Seward Park
Located in South Seattle, Seward Park is a peninsula that juts out into Lake Washington. The most popular trail is a 2.4 mile loop that goes around the park, and there are tons of trails deeper in the park that are super fun to explore as well. Seward Park has a lot to offer in addition to its hiking trails. At the entrance of the park, there’s an audubon center that leads guided birding walks and hosts other events throughout the year. Seward Park also has a historic bathhouse that has been converted into a ceramics studio which offers classes and will glaze pottery for you!
