Seattle Stairway Walks

Mt. Baker

2012-01-28T11:19:00.000-08:00

Here are a few attractions that will be in the chapter on Mt. Baker. The book is on track to come out this Fall with Mountaineers Books, but you can get out Google maps and start exploring right now!

The Dose Terrace steps have spectacular views down to and across Lake Washington. The stairway features a masterful wedding-cake design at the bottom, too.

We love Bradner Park up at the top of the bluff. It has so many working parts - P-Patch; demonstration garden; nice views of Downtown; an incredible log sculpture depicting the life-cycle of salmon (including a kingfisher eating a fry). Check out the amazing unisex bathroom!

Photo: Joyce Moty

There's a wonderful viewpoint in the small commercial district along 31st Ave. S, north of Atlantic Street. Standing on the steel mesh deck, you'll get singular views across Rainier Valley and through the gap between Beacon Hill and Smith Tower (the latter is behind the tree trunk on the right). The view extends all the way out to Puget Sound.

At one of the Colman Park tunnels, there's a vivid contrast between the luxuriant, vibrant moss and ferns and the bare trees beyond.

Happy stairway walks!

Wandering Downtown

2011-10-30T18:57:00.000-07:00

This late October Saturday we decided to check out downtown and then hoof it up to the Olympic Sculpture Park. People were out in droves enjoying a very nice, slightly crisp Fall day.
A great place to park is beneath the library just above 4th, entering the parking structure from Spring. From the library we walked south on 4th Ave. past the Occupy Wall Street encampment at City Hall, to the (sometime) waterfall that courses down beside the graceful stairs. The waterfall wasn't making an appearance, but the stairs were there as usual:

Dormant Waterfall and City Hall Stairs

We did a circuit that included the cascading group of stairs on the south side of the Federal Building at Marion and Second (there are similar steps on the north side as well); climbed up the Harbor Steps at University and Western; and then took various stairways around Pike Place, before heading over to Olympic Sculpture Park.

Looking Down Olympic Sculpture Park Stairs, Fountain in Background

Father, in "Father and Son" Fountain

Heading back, we took the stairs next to Benaroya Hall, from where we could admire the wonderful art deco Seattle Tower. Looking through the locked lobby doors we decided we really do need to come back and see the ornate lobby from the inside.

View Up Benaroya Stairs Toward Seattle Tower

Right around the next corner is the wonderful Cobb building with its Native American heads lining the top. If you go around to the building entrance, there's one right in the outside portico at near eye level, where you can appreciate their actual size.

Top of Cobb Building

Magnolia Stairs in the Fall

2011-10-24T12:32:00.000-07:00

As infrequent visitors to Magnolia, our image of the neighborhood has been largely shaped by those big houses on the bluff. But on this walk, trekking up and down Magnolia's two hills and across Pleasant Valley in-between, we were fascinated by the breadth of homes and variety of topography here.
Perkins Lane, for example, runs along the bottom of the bluff below Magnolia Blvd. You can take one stairway down, then another one on the far end of the lane to get back up to the top of the bluff. We recommend taking the Glenmont stairs down (202 steps) and the Montevista stairs (154 steps) back up. The Montevista stairs have shifted along with the bluff, and they're easier to navigate going up (see picture below).
Walking along Perkins, we envied the homeowners' incredible views out to Elliott Bay, from almost water level. On the other hand there are megatons of unstable hill just above, and massive steel and concrete walls trying to hold it up. You can see and hear the water squeezing out of the bottom of the slope. We don't envy that part.

Marching Pumpkins

Montevista Stairs - See 'Em Now!

View From Montevista

Neighborhood Yard, Pleasant Valley Section

Magnolia Library (Seattle Landmark)

Exploring West Queen Anne Stairs

2011-10-18T09:22:00.000-07:00

We took advantage of yesterday's sunny weather to do some stairway prospecting in W. Queen Anne. We had a terrific time, and hope to include a route on this side of Queen Anne in our book. Meantime check out the "Queen Anne Stairways Map" link over to the right.

Newell St. Stairs - Always A Friendly Place

Boston St. Stairs

Historical Artifact: Boston St.

Rachel's Playground, Top of Wheeler Stairs

Feet First Community Walk - Thistle Stairs

2011-10-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday about 40 eager stairway walkers joined us on our last Fall Stairway Walk in West Seattle. These walks have been sponsored by the pedestrianism nonprofit Feet First, which is linked over on the right. Yesterday's walk featured the Thistle Stairs, which are the second-longest stairway in Seattle (we took 'em going down).
These walks have been a huge amount of fun. It's always cool to hear people tell us that they've seen something new in the neighborhood.
We love hearing about other people's favorite stairways and urban hiking ambitions. One guy said his goal is to walk every street in Seattle! He's working on the "M" streets now.
Another gent told us about one of his own favorite stairways, just south of Fauntleroy Cove, running from 48th Ave. SW down to where 50th and SW 98th converge. Google has shots of what appear to be the top and bottom, and we plan to check them out soon. It seems this was once part of a pathway down to the beach that was blocked by a landslide.
Here's a pic from yesterday, showing our group heading down from Solstice Park. Just out of the right side of the frame, there were a group of P-Patch volunteers selling surplus pumpkins from the patch, with proceeds going to the West Seattle Food Bank.
Yet another reason why stairway walks are so cool - getting to see what's happening in the neighborhood.

Stairway Walk #14: Longfellow Creek and Pigeon Point

2011-07-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

As you approach West Seattle along the West Seattle Bridge, a tree-covered ridge looms up from the left, almost touching the bridge. This ridge forms a kind of rampart that stretches several miles south, effectively separating this largest neighborhood district in Seattle from the rest of the city. To reinforce that separation, there's even a moat at the bottom of the ridge: the channelized, industrialized Duwamish River. Several West Seattle neighborhoods run in a line north to south, just on the other side of this barrier: Pigeon Point, Delridge, High Point and White Center.
This short stairway walk focuses on the Pigeon Point neighborhood that sits atop the northern tip of the ridge, in the northeastern corner of West Seattle (two other walks explore parts of the west side, next to Puget Sound). Pigeon Point is a small, geographically constrained area surrounded by some pretty heavy industry on three sides. Despite that, it has a comfortable, neighborly feel, a generous mix of home types, and a variety of peekaboo views. To the east you can catch glimpses of the Cascades, Lake Washington and the Duwamish River; to the north lies the skyline of downtown Seattle and Elliott Bay, with more distant sights of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. To the west, framed nicely through the columns of the West Seattle Bridge, you'll look out toward the industrial part of West Seattle dominated by the Nucor Steel plant.
You'll start and end your walk at the western base of Pigeon Point, where the Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail terminates just below the West Seattle Bridge. Here on the Legacy Trail, you'll get to explore one of the nicest sections of this year-round creek where, thanks to careful design and determined restoration work, salmon and other native species swim again.

Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail - Salmon Bridge

Through Salmon Bridge

Observation Bridge, Longfellow Creek

Stairway Up From Longfellow Creek to Genesee

Looking Back from Genesee Stairs' 207 Steps

View from Northern Tip of Pigeon Point

Seattle and Beyond, from Charlestown Stairs

Peeking Out From Under the West Seattle Bridge: Nucor Steel

Pigeon Point Welcome Obelisk

Stairway Walk #13: The Olmsted Legacy - Arboretum, Interlaken and Volunteer Park

2011-06-07T14:36:00.000-07:00

Some of the finest examples of the legendary Olmsted Firm's impact on Seattle can be found in a trio of parks: Washington Park Arboretum, Interlaken and Volunteer. They sit in a row astride Capitol Hill within the Montlake, Stevens and Broadway neighborhoods. The book will point out some examples of the vibrant architecture that was created here for a newly prospering middle and upper class at about the same time as the Olmsted Firm was getting started on its 33-year relationship with Seattle.
There are lots of stairs in this area, in and out of the parks. Inside Interlaken Park are some rough-hewn stone stairways that force you to watch where you're putting your feet, as each individual stair is shaped differently from the rest. Then there are the 106 steel stairs inside the Water Tower in Volunteer Park, spiraling 75 feet up a narrow space between the inner tank and the outer masonry shell. There's no view from the stairs, but at the top you'll get 360-degree vistas of the Seattle skyline and Bellevue to the east. Also at the top of the Tower is a comprehensive exhibit on the history of the Seattle/Olmsted relationship.

Entering the Washington Park Arboretum

Up the Stairs from Boyer

Into Interlaken Park on the Paved Lake Washington Bicycle Path

Climbing the Ravine in Interlaken Park

The Volunteer Park Water Tower

Climbing Up the 106 Water Tower Stairs

Volunteer Park Water Tower: A View from the Top

Grand Army of the American Republic Cemetery

Louisa Boren Park Stairs and Sculpture

Louisa Boren Park View: Union Bay and Laurelhurst

22nd Ave. Stairs to Howe

Stairway Walk #12: Thornton Creek

2011-05-25T14:21:00.000-07:00

This stairway walk is truly a kaleidoscopic experience of urban nature, art and environmental design. Much of this is well off most Seattleite's radar, including the locals! Only 31% of nearby residents knew they lived next to a creek, and could name it as "Thornton." And this is the biggest year-round creek in Seattle...

Path Into Thornton Creek Natural Area (TCNA)

Creekside View From TCNA

Walking Down the 20th Ave. Stairs Toward Thornton Creek; Bridge in the Distance

Thornton Cr. at NE 104th and 17th Ave. NE

Park #6 Beaver Pond: Lodge in Upper Right

Skunk Cabbage, Park #6 in Early Spring

Thornton Creek Water Quality Channel (TCWQC): "Wiggle Posts" by Benson Shaw

"Bad Buoys" at TCWQC, by Benson Shaw

New Plantings at TCWQC; Stairs in Background

Entrance Stairs: Maple Leaf Community Gardens

Entrance to NE 95th Street Stairs, Down to Lake City Way

Looking Down the NE 95th Street Stairs

Stairway Walk #11: Cedar Park and the Burke-Gilman Trail

2011-04-13T11:23:00.000-07:00

Cedar Park is a lovely, quiet neighborhood spilling over the bluff next to Lake Washington, at the north edge of Seattle city limits. Streets are scarce along the bluff, and the eastern side of the neighborhood is blocked by the lake, so it's safe to say that most Seattleites will probably never venture here. Part of the fun of this stairway walk comes from exploring a charming neighborhood you may not have discovered otherwise.

This walk features views of northern Lake Washington from a long, steep stairway, then leads you down a set of half-hidden and mysterious stairs to the lake. Then, you'll turn onto the incomparable Burke-Gilman Trail, one of the finest rail-trails in the nation. The Trail here runs between a forested bluff on one side, and custom houses built right over the lake on the other. You'll leave the trail to climb a quiet street up the bluff, with opportunities to admire the many ways that architects and landscape designers have taken advantage of the sloping topography and views.

There really aren't many stairways in Cedar Park. In most of Seattle, stairways were built around the turn of the last century to connect hillside residents with the trolley lines in their new neighborhoods. Cedar Park, along with the other neighborhoods in the Lake City district, is young enough to be based on car transportation. This history of development, plus its "edge" location against the lake, and the fact that the bluff is so unstable, probably accounts for the lack of stairways. This walk covers the major ones, and if time is a limiting factor, there's a shorter optional walk that keeps the stairs but limits the neighborhood exploration.

View from NE 135th Stairs (196 steps)

Hanging Moss Garden, NE 135th Stairs

"Hidden" Entrance to Top Flight, NE 130th Stairs

(79 steps)

Bottom Flight, NE 130th Stairs, and the Burke-Gilman Trail

Springtime View, NE 130th Stairs (Photo: Dave Ralph and Susan Ott)

Along the Burke-Gilman Trail

Bluff-side Yardscape

Finishing the Loop: Back Up the NE 135th Stairs (196 Steps)

Stairway Walk #10: Rainier Beach and Deadhorse Canyon

2011-03-10T22:51:00.000-08:00

  The name "Deadhorse Canyon" makes us think of squinty-eyed desperados, riding thirsty horses across dusty badlands. One theory about this name is that during logging days, felled trees sometimes landed too awkwardly on the canyon slope to be dragged to the mill down below. These trees were simply left behind as "dead horses."
  Whatever the real story behind the name, this canyon was indeed heavily logged, and a mill operated at the mouth of the canyon until 1916. In recent years the city and local volunteers have worked very hard to restore native plants and trees to the canyon so that today it's a second-growth wonderland, shady-green and accessible. It's said a pair of bald eagles nest here, and pileated woodpeckers and osprey are frequently seen as well.
  Taylor Creek, fourth largest in Seattle, runs the length of Deadhorse Canyon. It's one of only three in the city that flow year-round, and it's interesting to visit at different times of the year. In late winter when sightlines are clear and the creek runs strong, the downcanyon view from the bridge above is surprisingly impressive. This is especially so if you've only seen the creek at the height of summer when it runs quietly, and leafy undergrowth obscures it from view. Taylor Creek once hosted a salmon run; habitat restoration at its mouth may make it suitable for salmon again.
  Your walk through Deadhorse Canyon features 127 timber steps in all, as the route turns up and then down the canyon within the precincts of Lakeridge Park. You'll eventually exit the canyon and walk down toward Rainier Beach, following residential streets and stairways that provide marvelous south Lake Washington views. The highlight of this part of the walk is the Cooper Stairs, pictured below in Spring. It's a major Seattle stairway, with 218 alluring steps.
  Speaking of alluring, we also provide directions to some nearby attractions like 20-acre Kubota Garden, a labor of many decades on the part of the Kubota nursery family. You can spend hours strolling through its intricate landscaping, exotic plantings and subtle water features, and perhaps enjoy a picnic on the expansive lawn. The main stairway walk is itself short - around an hour - so there's time for extra attractions.

Looking Up the Lower Cooper Stairs

Length: 1.8 miles
Leisurely Walking Time: About 1 hour
Steps Down: 307
Steps Up: 120
Cafes/Pubs En Route? There's a shopping center on Rainier Ave. north of the walk. Kubota Gardens is a perfect nearby venue for a picnic (described as a side trip).

Note that you can zoom the map, or drag it around inside the window as needed (drag map toward the right to see Kubota Gardens). You can zoom the pictures, too, by clicking on them. Map numbers in gray boxes correspond to numbered text descriptions. Camera icons denote attractions that are mentioned in the text. Continue below the map to see detailed directions and photos.

  If you're driving we recommend that you park on S Bangor St., east of 67th Ave. S. MT 106 runs from downtown, with a stop on Bangor at Renton Ave., within 2/10 of a mile of the walk's start/ending.
  A note about shoes: the first part of this walk involves walking down a rather steep packed gravel pathway with a dropoff in places. It's a good-quality path, but you'll definitely want walking or hiking shoes with good traction. Street shoes are not advised.
A Brief History of Dead Horse Canyon
  Thirty-five acre Lakeridge Park occupies most of Deadhorse Canyon on the southwest end of Lake Washington. Spring-fed Taylor Creek runs through the canyon; it's the fourth-largest creek in Seattle, and one of just three year-round streams in the city. The head of Deadhorse Canyon has two arms, visible in the map. A spring in the southwest arm feeds Taylor Creek, while the other arm carries a stream originating in the vicinity of Skyway Park, to the south. During this walk you'll cross Taylor Creek near the junction of these two main sources. Today culverts in the upper reaches of the canyon have been modified to encourage salmon migration up the creek, but a final barrier remains near the creek's mouth. It's hoped that sometime in the future, when this final barrier is removed, salmon will return to Taylor Creek.
  From the 1880s until 1916, Taylor Sawmill occupied the beach near the creek outlet. As logging petered out along the south shore of Lake Washington, in 1928 the land around Taylor Creek was sold for a residential development, to be called "Lakeridge." Since the canyon itself wasn't suitable for building homes, in 1947 it was deeded over to Seattle Parks for $1. The land in the canyon was used as both a park (Lakeridge Park) and a sewer right-of-way. In 1996 Seattle Public Utilities upgraded the sewer lines in the canyon and installed a 1.2 mile trail system and bridges.
  Also in 1996, Friends of Deadhorse Canyon came together to provide citizen input to park improvements and rally volunteers on behalf of restoration. Since then, at their third-Saturday volunteer meetups, the Friends have cleared invasive vegetation and planted countless native plants. They say they've planted upwards of 5,000 native trees as well. Today, because of their continuing efforts, the canyon is a repository of native flora and fauna that you don't see a lot of places elsewhere - trees like Western Red Cedar, Western Hemlock and Pacific Madrone; understory plants like Sword Fern, Indian Plum and Salmonberry; and charismatic birds like a pair of nesting Bald Eagles, Pileated Woodpeckers, Brown Creepers and Osprey. For additional info, see this Seattle Times story.

1. A Hidden Lakeridge Park Entrance: From your parking place, ideally along S Bangor St., head east on Bangor until it ends at the intersection of Waters and 68th Ave. S. Continue straight ahead and over the curb, just left of a couple of green electrical boxes, into what at first looks like somebody's side yard. Just after you pass to the left of the "Lakeridge Park Estates" sign, you'll find yourself on a packed gravel path that leads around behind a house and down into the canyon (a recent project of Friends of Deadhorse Canyon).

Walking Down Into Deadhorse Canyon

After the initial steep descent, you'll come to a junction with the main path leading up and down the canyon, on the west side of Taylor Creek. Turn right onto the main path. Soon after, you'll approach a fairly lengthy wooden pedestrian bridge crossing the junction of two small side ravines, with four upward steps at the far end. At this point you're fully immersed in a green garden full of Cedar, Hemlock, Indian Plum and countless other native plants.

"First Bridge" Into Deadhorse Canyon

2. Inside Deadhorse Canyon (38 Steps Up/89 Steps Down): After crossing the first bridge, continue along the west slope. Watch for a pathway junction off to the right; you'll be returning that way after making a loop at the head of the canyon. The path takes a sharp jog around a tree just before reaching a second bridge, this one across Taylor Creek to the east side of the canyon.

"Second Bridge," Across Taylor Creek to East Canyon

A few steps beyond the bridge, the trail takes you up more timber pathway stairs, around a corner and up the canyon.

Trail Along East Canyon, After "Second Bridge"

  The trail runs only briefly along the east canyon side before turning to the right to reach a third bridge, where you re-cross Taylor Creek. Be sure not to take the small side trail before that - it runs off the main trail to the left and meanders briefly up the southeast arm of the head of the canyon.
  Taylor Creek's two upstream tributaries come together just off the left side of the bridge and right below your feet. The tributary coming from the southwest arm of the canyon is fed by a spring farther up the wooded slopes of the park, more or less ahead of you. The southeast arm brings in a stream from Skyway Park to the south, off to your left.
  After you've crossed the bridge back to the west canyon side, the route turns away from the head of Deadhorse Canyon and heads back down toward its mouth.

3. Susanna Stodden Memorial and Canyon Exit: Soon after crossing the third bridge, the path clambers over and then down a small hill. You encounter a series of steps, mostly heading downhill, before seeing the "first bridge" come back into view. You'll soon close a loop and start back down the trail the way you came. First, you'll also see a rest stop to the right, just off the trail, with a comfortable viewing bench and a memorial plaque.

Susanna Stodden Memorial

Susanna Stodden and her mother, Mary Cooper, died tragically on July 11, 2006 during a hike to Pinnacle Lake in the Mountain Loop Highway area of Snohomish County. Someone, still unidentified, shot them to death on the trail. Susanna was a well-known volunteer and tireless advocate for Deadhorse Canyon, and her death sent shock waves through the Friends community here. This memorial marks one of Susanna's favorite places to be - Deadhorse Canyon. Here's more information about Susanna and her love of Deadhorse Canyon: memorial.
From this contemplative spot, continue down the trail toward the park exit, at the hairpin curve where 68th Ave. S turns into Holyoke Way. The trail has a few stairs here and there, but the main stairway event is still ahead, beyond the park. As you walk, watch for this mysterious, moss-covered monolith next to the trail:

Altar to the SPU God

Once you reach the street and park exit, take the left-hand side of the hairpin turn in front of you, which is Holyoke Way S. This carries you up and out of the canyon, which continues on without you down to Lake Washington. At the top of Holyoke continue along in the same general direction, as Waters Ave. S. joins from behind and on your left (on your return leg you'll be taking Waters back in that direction). After merging with Waters, continue your generally northwest course on Waters. You'll soon pass S Thayer St. on your right. Take the next available right, onto S Cooper St.

4. Cooper Stairs (218 Steps Down): Walk downhill on Cooper a short distance. The street ends in a beautiful set of stairs heading down to Rainier Beach (i.e. Rainier Ave. S.), with multiple views of Lake Washington. The picture at the top of this post provides an uphill view of Cooper Stairs in all their glory, in May.

Upper Cooper Stairs

Lower Cooper Stairs

When you finally arrive at the bottom of the Cooper Stairs, turn right onto the sidewalk that leads southeast along Rainier Ave. S. The street is busy and noisy, but you'll only be walking next to traffic for a couple of hundred yards. The sidewalk is generally good, but just before you turn right to go up the Thayer Stairs, it gets slightly overgrown and you may have to bat away a few hanging blackberry vines.

5. Thayer Stairs (53 Steps Up): After your short walk along Rainier Ave. S., turn to the right at S Thayer St., which immediately carries you up a set of 53 stairs. The stairs end in a concrete pathway which in turn becomes a full-blown Thayer Street. Continue ahead for a block and-a-half, until Thayer runs into Waters Ave. S.

Entrance to Thayer Stairs

6. Holyoke Stairs (29 Steps Up): Thayer St. ends at Waters Ave. S., which at this point is a divided road. The lane directly in front of you runs north and to your right, as marked by the "one way" sign. Turn left here, walking briefly against the flow of traffic. To be absolutely safe, take the sidewalk on your left, as the only option is to walk in the street.
As you walk in a roughly southeast direction along Waters, you'll quickly approach a "Y" junction where Waters turns up to the right and Holyoke runs down to the left, toward the entrance to Lakeridge Park, from where you came. At this point you can see the Holyoke Stairs up to the right. They comprise the shortest concrete stairway of your walk, and the last.

Holyoke Stairs in Winter

Holyoke Stairs in Spring

  At the top of Holyoke Stairs turn left, onto the upper section of Waters Ave. S. After a half-block the separate lanes of Waters merge into a single right-of-way, just past S Ryan St. Continue ahead on Waters for two blocks until you reach the junction with S Bangor St., where you originally entered Deadhorse Canyon. This ends the route, but there are other nearby neighborhood destinations, detailed below, that you may want to visit while you're here. Either one makes a nice picnic spot.
Side Trip to Kubota Garden
  20-acre Kubota Garden is a Seattle Historical Landmark and a must-see at any time of year. The Garden is a destination in its own right, and always worth considering as an addition to the Deadhorse Canyon stairway walk. There are large open grassy areas, benches and low walls, on any of which you can spread a picnic.
  Today Kubota Garden is owned and maintained by Seattle City Parks. Before 1987 it was owned by the Japanese-American Kubota family who built it. A 5-acre core property was first purchased in 1927 by the immigrant family patriarch, Fujitaro Kubota. Over time he established an exceptional landscape design reputation through projects like Bloedel Garden on Bainbridge Island and the gardens at Seattle Pacific University (which also has stairways!). The Kubota family used this land, along with subsequent land purchases, for their nursery offices and display center, as well as their home. It also slowly grew into the elder Kubota's personal monument to Japanese-inspired garden design.

Picture from CityofSeattle.net

  Kubota Garden is filled with an immense range of exotic trees and shrubs, always harmoniously arranged, though constantly changing in appearance with the seasons. A beautiful waterfall tumbles over a rock garden at the western edge of the Garden. It feeds several streams and ponds, some of them crossed by paths of huge flat rocks, others spanned by arching bridges. Intricate paths weave through the garden and its surroundings, giving visitors access to multiple angles, hidden nooks and surprising views.
  Kubota Garden is quite close to the beginning of this Stairway Walk. To drive there, just head west on S Bangor St. After 5 or 6 blocks turn right at the light, onto Renton Ave. S. The Garden entrance is less than a mile down Renton on the left, at the junction with 55th Ave. S.
  For more pictures of Kubota Garden, see this website. Additional Kubota Garden websites are: Kubota Garden Foundation and Seattle Parks. Thanks to both for the material above.
Side Trip to Pritchard Island Beach Park
  Another local neighborhood destination is Pritchard Island Beach Park. It has an interesting history and provides an example of that famous Seattle neighborhood activism. Today the park is a community center for wetlands environmental education, a wildlife refuge, and a place where Seattleites can enjoy nature close to home.
  Before settlement by white people, the island now known as Pritchard was a year-round home of the Duwamish, who built cedar longhouses there. They called it "tleelh-chus" or Little Island. In 1855 these first people were removed to reservations and the island came into the hands of one A.B. Young; it was called Young's Island until it took on the name of its next owner, Alfred Pritchard. Pritchard platted a street on the island (today's Island Drive S.) and began its residential development.
  When the lake's surface level fell with the opening of Montlake Cut, the slough between the island and shore was transformed into a muddy bottomland. It was drained, and the City eventually acquired the former slough by condemnation in 1934. In 1954 Seattle City Light began using the area as a nursery. City Light ultimately handed the land over to Seattle Parks, who in 1996 began working with the newly formed Friends of Pritchard Beach Park to restore the wetlands and build an urban nature education center there. Like Deadhorse Canyon, Pritchard Island Beach Park lets us glimpse how our local lakeside habitats may have looked before logging and development came to the scene.
  For more info and directions, try Seattle Parks or Friends of Pritchard Beach Park. Thanks to Linnea Westerlind for the photo below, from her "Year of Seattle Parks" blog, which is linked on our home page.

View of Pritchard "Island," Restored Wetlands to the Right

Neglected Stairways of Rainier Beach
Sorry to say, but this stairway walk leaves out several very nice staircases in easy walking distance to the north, each one leading down to Rainier Ave. S. The problem we found was that crucial stretches of sidewalk along Rainier are closed and/or too overgrown to safely include in our current loop. In some cases the stairs and paths down to Rainier are neglected as well. We thought we'd include several pictures to show what we're all missing. Between Redwing and Norfolk, these stairways cover 235 steps. Perhaps one day the neighborhood and city will work to open up these stairway treasures. If you're feeling adventuresome and up for some "off trail" experience, you can check these stairs out too.

S Redwing Street (Rainier Sidewalk Impassable)

S Keppler Street (Concrete Path Switchbacks) - Seattle's Impassable Lombard Street!

S Norfolk Street (Rainier Sidewalk Below is Impassable)

Stairway Walk #9: Golden Gardens

2011-02-15T11:28:00.000-08:00

  If you're looking for a short stairway walk, Golden Gardens is a great choice. Like the shorter version of the Solstice Park walk in West Seattle (Stairway Walk #1) this route is scenic and full of interest, yet it can take less than an hour. From the edge of the Loyal Heights neighborhood, it descends 258 steps to Golden Gardens beach, with glorious views of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound.
  The walk begins on the forested bluff 300 feet above the beach. Zig-zagging down a mix of stairways and paths, you might glimpse a bald eagle soaring overhead, or hear the barks of California Sea Lions floating up from somewhere below. Farther down the bluff the rate of descent slows, and a small brook runs alongside for a while. Then, near the bottom, you'll duck down a few more steps and into a colorfully decorated tunnel. The tunnel ushers you beneath the busy Burlington-Northern tracks and out onto Golden Gardens beach.
  You'll gain back those 300 feet soon enough, but first the route loops to the north side of the beach. You skirt around grass-covered dunes and thread between a small pair of freshwater ponds right next to the Sound, perhaps pausing here for a bit of birding or train-spotting. Golden Gardens is one of Seattle's top two beach destinations, along with Alki in West Seattle. In summer you may want to stake out your own patch of sand and wait around for a gorgeous sunset.
  This stairway walk begins and ends at the northwest corner of Loyal Heights, very close to the North Beach/Blue Ridge, Crown Hill and Sunset Hill neighborhoods. It's easy to extend your visit to explore a hidden natural park, with stairways, tucked into a street-end; view a totem pole in a butterfly garden; or check out some favorite local viewpoints of the mountains and Sound. We provide supplemental descriptions and directions for these as well.

North Beach at Golden Gardens Park

Length: 1.4 miles

Leisurely Walking Time: Less than 1 hour

Steps Down: 258

Steps Up: Same as down (it's an out-and-back route)

Cafes/Pubs En Route? Caffe Fiore at start, seasonal snack bar at the beach; some others within driving distance are mentioned in the directions.

Note that you can zoom the map, or drag it around inside the window as needed. You can zoom the pictures, too, by clicking on them. Map numbers in gray boxes correspond to numbered text descriptions. Camera icons denote attractions that are mentioned in the text. Continue below the map to see detailed directions and photos.

  If you're driving you can find free parking on NW 85th St., just east of 32nd Ave. NW and close to the top of the first stairway. Metro Bus 17 runs from downtown Seattle, with a stop on 32nd Ave. near 85th.

A Brief History of Loyal Heights
  The story of the Loyal Heights neighborhood centers around its founder Harry W. Treat, and one of his daughters, Loyal, who lent her name to several of Harry's Seattle developments. A Harvard-educated lawyer, Harry Treat had already built a fortune in real estate on the East Coast and in Europe before he moved to Seattle, in 1905. He hoped to capitalize on opportunities created by the Klondike goldrush and associated population growth. Treat built a 30-room mansion in Queen Anne for himself and his family, and began casting around for real estate development possibilities.
  Observing the population growth in Ballard, in 1906 Treat bought 180 acres of first-growth forestlands just to the north, overlooking today's Golden Gardens beach. He platted this land for residential development and built an electric trolley line running diagonally through one of his large parcels, along today's Loyal Way NW (and bus route 48). This stairway walk starts just a few feet from the end of that old electric trolley line.
  As with other residential developments in Seattle, the trolley line was used as a selling tool to bring potential buyers out to the wild, would-be suburb of Loyal Heights. At the end of the line, Treat would put his visitors on a horse-drawn carriage and take them on a winding path down the bluff to "Loyal Beach," the family's private park. In 1922 the city bought Loyal Beach from Treat's estate, and in 1927 recommissioned it as Golden Gardens Park. Thanks to HistoryLink.org.

1. Upper Bluff Stairs (79 steps + 55 steps): From your parking place on NW 85th St., position yourself on the south side of the street, walking west on the sidewalk alongside the old 1908 building that houses Caffe Fiore. The cafe is definitely a neighborhood hangout, busy on weekends, with good coffee and pastries - take note. On this side of 85th you'll be perfectly positioned to take the crosswalk across 32nd Ave. NW, heading straight onto the gravel path where your walk begins.
  Soon the head of your first stairway appears. Take the stairs down into the forested bluff. At the bottom of this first flight, follow the path left, traversing down the side of the bluff. The path soon switchbacks as shown on the map, heading north this time but still traversing downslope toward the head of a second flight of stairs. Walk down the second flight of stairs, which end at Golden Gardens Dr. NW.

Second Flight, Upper Bluff - Golden Gardens Dr.

2. Upper Meadows of Golden Gardens Park (16 steps): At the bottom of the stairs cross Golden Gardens Dr. at the crosswalk. NOTE: drivers can't see you until you step off the last stair, so use caution! After crossing the street, step down the 16 stairs and into the upper meadows area of Golden Gardens Park. To your right is an enclosed off-leash doggie park, and to your left is a parking lot. Follow the path, passing to the left of a park restroom. Just past the restroom is your next stairway, the "Lower Bluff" stairs.

Looking Down the Lower Bluff Stairs

3. Lower Bluff Stairs (108 steps): These stairs run right next to a little channelized brook. Unfortunately the waters of this stream are contaminated (perhaps due to the off-leash area above), so keep kids away. At the bottom of these stairs Golden Gardens Dr. swings by once again as it finishes another switchback. This time you don't cross, but instead you turn right onto the sidewalk running next to the street.
Soon Golden Gardens Dr. switchbacks again, hairpinning sharply away to the left. Straight ahead you'll see an overflow parking area. Follow the painted walkway diagonally into the parking area, as it drifts over to the left side of the lot.

4. Tunnel Stairs (14 steps): At the left edge of the overflow lot, walk down a cobblestoned incline to a short stairway. You'll see a similar stairway coming down to you from the opposite side. At the bottom of these stairs is a lavishly decorated tunnel entrance. Continue through the tunnel under the railroad tracks, and to the other side.

Railway Tunnel, with Golden Gardens Beach Beyond

As you come out of the tunnel, continue straight ahead past some trees on the right side of the sidewalk, to a small concrete plaza area with colorful inlaid decorative "swoops." From here you can survey the beach ahead as well as the Sound and Olympic Mountains beyond. A sidewalk leads away to the right, directly toward the historic Golden Gardens Bathhouse, and that's where you'll head next.
The Bathhouse was built in 1929 as a changing area for swimmers at the newly opened municipal park. In 2004 it was renovated using 2000 Seattle Pro Parks Levy funds. Today it's used as a community and event center, and it's listed as a Seattle Landmark.

Walk toward the bathhouse, following the sidewalk as it hugs the right side of the building. Just beyond the bathhouse, keep straight ahead, following a crushed gravel path alongside an open grassy area. In a few yards you'll notice a broad, log-lined path out to the beach (pictured below).

Sandy Path to the Dunes

Take this path toward the water, walking beside grass-covered dunes. When you reach the beach turn right, making your way northwest between beach and dunes. The beach curves in a leisurely way to the right, to the north. Just before the beach runs up against the base of the bluff and the train tracks, you'll approach two wooden walkways heading to the right, away from the beach, one after the other. Take the second of these walkways, heading into a vegetated wetland area and in between two small freshwater ponds. These wetlands have been the object of intensive clearing and native revegetation efforts in recent years.

American Widgeons at the Freshwater Ponds

Golden Gardens, both on the shoreline and the bluff, supports migrant and resident populations of birds and waterfowl such as eagle, osprey, woodpecker and American widgeons, not to mention many ground-bound creatures. Unfortunately, the heavy human presence here has been chipping away at these animal's habitat for over a hundred years. Today these ponds, and the forested areas above, are being painstakingly restored through the continuing efforts of groups like the Washington Native Plant Society and EarthCorps. If you're interested in volunteering, take a look at the Seattle Parks web page for Golden Gardens under "About the Park."
Continue on the path away from the ponds. Soon you'll be walking on the other side of the open grassy area you skirted before, and in the opposite direction. Continue ahead, until your path meets the path back to the railway tunnel, at which point you've completed your beach loop.

Return Path Through the Tunnel

Retrace your path, climbing back up the bluff to your starting point. Here are several scenes along the way:

Bottom of Lower Bluff Stairs from Golden Garden Drive

From Lower Bluff Stairs, Looking Past Golden Gardens Drive to Upper Bluff Stairs

Caffe Fiore and Complicated Street Sign Convergence - Top of Upper Bluff Stairs

Once you've topped the Upper Bluff Stairs, you'll see Caffe Fiore again, straight ahead; there's also a Spanish restaurant just to the right of the cafe. You can end your stairway walk here, or continue to explore the additional attractions in other nearby neighborhoods, as described below.

Attractions in Nearby Neighborhoods

The satellite map below shows where the stairway walk begins (note the green marker). There are several additional neighborhood attractions you might consider visiting while you're here (yellow markers). They are generally too far to include in a single walking route, and only one of them features stairways, so we thought we'd offer them as supplements to the main stairway walk. The driving directions given below are, except for Baker Park, all oriented from the beginning of the stairway walk.

North Beach/Blue Ridge: This side trip gives you slightly more of a northward-looking view of the Sound and Olympic Mountains. It begins at the junction of NW 85th St. and 32nd Ave. NW, where you started the stairway walk. It's probably preferable to do this little excursion on foot, being aware that it basically doubles your walk distance, adding another 1.4 miles round trip. Or, you can drive the same route: take 32nd Ave. north, going about 2/10 or a mile until you reach a three-way intersection. Take the middle street straight ahead, which puts you on Loyal Ave. NW. You'll begin a gradual downhill curve to the right until Loyal Ave. ends at View Ave. NW. At this point take a right onto View Ave. for the good views, as far as 31st Ave. NW. You can return to your start either by retracing your steps or by turning right up 31st and making a loop back to NW 85th St.

Crown Hill: To the east along NW 85th St., in Crown Hill, there are two attractions you might want to check out. Crown Hill Glen Park features 34 timber stairs overlooking a beautiful native garden, with more stairways connecting additional levels within the park. To get there, go east on NW 85th St.. Turn left onto 19th Ave. NW, which dead-ends right at Crown Hill Glen Park. The park consists of four lots of land the city bought in 1997 from the estate of George and Theodora Plumis under the Open Space bond program. During WWII the Plumis' used the property as a Victory Garden, and planted fruit trees and blackberries here as well. Today volunteers have restored the Glen with native vegetation and careful landscaping. It's a peaceful, scenic neighborhood haven for people and birds.

Baker Park and its butterfly garden is located even farther east along NW 85th St. From Crown Hill Glen Park drive east on 85th, two blocks past busy 15th Ave. NW. Turn right (south) onto 14th, and you'll find Baker Park just past the corner on the right. It extends a full block back, from 14th Ave. to Mary Ave., where there's another park exit/entrance. The land was acquired by the Open Space bond program the same year as Crown Hill Glen Park, and it too was built with heavy community involvement. There's a small Butterfly garden, and don't miss the unusual totem pole toward the back. It was carved from a Monkey Puzzle tree, right where it stood.

Sunset Hill: Again orienting yourself back at the start of the main stairway walk route, you can drive south on 32nd Ave. NW to explore the nearby Sunset Hill neighborhood. Here you'll find Sunset Hill Park, a popular local gathering place with broad views of Shilshole Marina, the Olympic Mountains and the Sound. From 32nd turn right onto NW 75th St. Two blocks straight ahead, the street ends runs right into the park. Turn right onto 34th Ave. NW, and you'll find plenty of streetside parking.

Farther south in Sunset Hill, you can learn about this whole area's deep Norwegian roots at the Nordic Heritage Museum. To get there from Sunset Hill park, go south on 32nd Ave. NW, turning left onto NW 68th St. The museum entrance is on the right.

Crown Hill Glen Park, with Stone Birdbaths

Baker Park at 14th Ave. Entrance

View from Sunset Hill Park

Overview: Main Stairway Walk (Green) and Added Attractions (Yellow)

Stairway Walk #8: Fremont

2011-01-27T17:47:00.000-08:00

  In 120 years of existence Fremont has undergone a long series of economic and social upheavals, played out in a tiny yet complicated geography of just 1.4 square miles. Out of this crucible has emerged a neighborhood with more color, energy and visual interest than any other in Seattle.
  The Ship Canal marks the southern border of Fremont, and its lowest elevation. The terrain rises to the north, jumping from one small hill to another in the direction of Phinney Ridge. With these hills go stairways, and this walk traverses many of them, gaining and losing about 300 feet along the way. You'll start with a short stroll along the wonderful 18-mile long Burke-Gilman Trail, which runs alongside the Ship Canal on its way through Fremont. Turning away from the Canal/Trail you begin a gradual climb up residential streets and stairways to Fremont Peak Park, near the northern limits of the neighborhood. After enjoying the park's stunning views you'll head back, exploring a charming series of stairs and narrow lanes along the eastern side of the neighborhood.
  There's also a short, optional side route past many of the well-known tourist hangouts. It includes the Bridge Troll, the Lenin Statue, the Rocket, the "Interurban" sculpture and a close encounter with Fremont Bridge. There's also a set of picturesque curving stairs next to the recently refurbished, Carnegie-era Fremont Library.
  This walk reveals different facets of Fremont: blue-collar, artsy-bohemian, high-tech hipster; if you do both the main and the optional routes, you'll come away with a wide-angle view of this complex, lively, scenic Seattle neighborhood.

Walking Down the N 40th St. Stairs

Length: 3.2 miles (add 3/4 mile with optional walk)
Leisurely Walking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes (add 45 minutes with optional walk
Steps Down: 224
Steps Up: 320
Cafes/Pubs En Route? Yes, lots! Some are mentioned in the directions below the break.

 Note that you can zoom the map or drag it around inside the window as needed. You can zoom the pictures, too, by clicking on them. Map numbers in gray boxes correspond to numbered text descriptions. Camera icons denote attractions that are mentioned in the text. Continue below the map to see detailed directions and photos.
 If you're driving you can find free 2-hour street parking around the area where Phinney Ave. intersects N. 34th St./N. Canal St. On Sundays the nearby Fremont Street Market starts at 10AM, which can make finding parking a bit more complicated. The walk will take about 1 1/2 hours at a leisurely pace without adding the optional walk, so plan your parking accordingly. Detailed directions and pictures follow the brief history below.
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Some Fremont History
 A couple of developers platted Fremont in 1888, naming it after their Nebraska hometown. Fremont was a successful industrial neighborhood from the beginning, with lumber and shingle mills and an iron foundry providing jobs and spurring further development. It was annexed to Seattle just three years later.
 Like many Seattle neighborhoods, Fremont's fortunes were made and sustained by the quality of its transportation links to other nearby communities. It gained local rail and streetcar service around 1890, and in 1910 became a stop along the new Interurban rail line between Seattle and Everett - as commemorated by the "Waiting for the Interurban" sculpture in the commercial district. In 1917 the new Fremont Bridge started operating across the Ship Canal, just a month before the canal itself opened to marine traffic. All these transportation innovations helped Fremont grow; most of the "old" buildings in the commercial district date from this prosperous period.
 Unfortunately for Fremont, in 1932 the Aurora Bridge opened. This allowed traffic between Seattle and parts north to zip along high overhead, bypassing Fremont entirely. Then in 1939 the Interurban rail line closed as it became clear that cars and trucks were the favored way to move people and goods up and down the Sound. These transportation decisions, made elsewhere, decreased Fremont's connections to the rest of the region and brought Fremont into a long period of decline.
 Nowadays Fremont is a destination neighborhood, and subject to both hype and backlash. After all, it's the self-proclaimed "Center of the Universe," capitalizing on its 1970s incarnation as a low-rent haven for artists and students. But the situation, if not entirely the image, has changed. In the late 90s new office developments started appearing along the Ship Canal. Companies like Adobe Systems, Google and Getty Images moved in and transformed this part of Fremont into a sort of hipster/techie mecca. Many old-time residents grumble that development has been the ruin of Fremont, raising rents and destroying the old bohemian ambience. Others embrace the changes as evidence that Fremont has finally mastered the economic winds that battered it for so many decades.
 There are a couple of major movers behind Fremont's transition to a vibrant tourist and tech magnet. The Fremont Arts Council (FAC) formed in 1978 to put local artistic energies and talents to work enlivening the neighborhood. The FAC quickly made a mark, obtaining grants and commissioning work like the "Waiting for the Interurban" statue and the Troll under the Aurora Bridge. It continues to produce the annual Solstice Parade, in conjunction with the Fremont Chamber's Solstice Fair, as well as other events and installations. Whatever anyone thinks about the changes of the last two decades, thanks to FAC no other Seattle neighborhood attracts so many thousands of visitors each year.
 Another major mover in Fremont is Suzie Burke. She's the daughter of J. R. Burke (no relation to the Burke-Gilman Trail), who owned a major mill in Fremont that until 1959 employed about 500 people. Long after the mill was gone, and many saw in Fremont only a decaying, post-industrial wasteland, Suzie saw a good investment. She bought her first property in 1985 and by 2001 owned about 35 acres of Fremont with 80 tenants. Today she's considered by many to be the most influential force in Fremont, having led the high-tech development along the Ship Canal. For better or worse, Suzie Burke has largely realized her vision of a revitalized Fremont.
Thanks to HistoryLink, Fremont Chamber, and Seattle Times.

1. Burke-Gilman Trail and the Ship Canal: From your parking spot walk toward the Ship Canal. If you happen to be near Phinney Ave. N, look for the dinosaur topiary where Phinney intersects the Burke-Gilman Trail. Turn right onto the Trail, heading northwest alongside the canal, with Canal St. paralleling you on the right. NOTE: for safety, walkers in both directions are expected to stay on the canal side of the Trail.

Theo Chocolate
On the east side of Phinney, a few dozen yards north of the Trail, is the world headquarters of Theo Chocolate - the only organic chocolate-maker in the U.S. This is also their factory, where selected beans from around the world are roasted and processed into a variety of chocolate confections. You can take a fascinating all-ages tour, where in a little over an hour you'll learn all about the process from "bean to bar," and get to sample some of their products. The retail store, where tours begin, is open seven days a week. Reservations are required for weekend tours, and calling ahead is always advised. Until 1994 the Theo Chocolate building housed the Red Hook Brewery and before that, until 1941, it was the Fremont Trolley Barn. Theo Chocolate Website

Continue along the Trail between Canal Street and the Ship Canal itself. You'll soon spot Canal Street Coffee coming up on your right, where Canal St. merges with N. 35th St. and 1st Ave. NW. The cafe has a comfortable porch overlooking a small garden space bursting with blackberries and raspberries in summertime. It's a great place for sitting and watching passerby, terrestrial or aquatic.

Now your goal is to work your way over to the signaled crosswalk at busy Leary Way NW, at NW 39th St. This means you'll soon be leaving the Burke-Gilman Trail. After you pass Canal St. Coffee, start watching for where Canal St. veers sharply away from the Trail, becoming 2nd Ave. NW. Just before you reach this point, on your left, there's a canal overlook with a covered seating area. It's a nice spot to while away a few minutes watching canal traffic. Returning to your walk, follow 2nd Ave. for just a few yards until it opens onto Leary Way. Here, make a "soft" left onto Leary (a "hard" left puts you onto 3rd Ave. NW).

Canal Overlook Near 2nd Ave. Turnoff

After turning from 2nd Ave. onto Leary, continue to the intersection with NW 39th Street. Here you'll encounter a 4-way, signaled crosswalk. We recommend you cross 39th first, and then cross Leary. That way you'll end up walking east along the north side of 39th St., in perfect position for the next left turn coming up. You're now leaving the busy commercial part of Fremont for a tour of its quieter residential areas.

2. The 1st Ave. Stairs (63 Steps): Walking east on NW 39th St. you'll soon pass 2nd Ave. NW. Turn left at the next block, onto 1st Ave. NW. Continue north on 1st Ave. for one block, across Bowdoin Pl., and you'll see your first stairway straight ahead - the 1st Ave. Stairs.

1st Ave. NW Stairs

3. NW 42nd St. Stairs (32 Steps): After climbing up the 1st Ave. Stairs, continue north on 1st Ave. to N 41st St. Here, 1st Ave. appears to be ending in a "T" intersection with 41st, but it's just making a jog. Do a zig left onto 41st and then a quick zag right, and you'll be right back on 1st Ave. NW.
Continue north on 1st Ave. for one more block, turning left at NW 42nd St. - the top of your next stairway. At the bottom, the stairs turn briefly into a concrete walkway. As soon as the street reappears turn right, onto 2nd Ave. NW.

NW 42nd Stairs and Walkway Beyond

4. NW 46th St. Stairs (86 Steps): Walk three blocks north on 2nd Ave. NW, which ends in a "T" intersection with NW 45th St. Turn right onto 45th, then left at the next block, onto 1st Ave. NW. Here, you'll see that 1st Ave. splits in two, with one lane running along the high side of the hill. Stay on the low-side lane, walking north along the narrow sidewalk. Traffic goes two ways on both the high and low sides, so keep an eye out. In a few yards you'll come to NW 46th St., with a set of stairs to your right, as pictured below.

NW 46th St. Stairs

5. Fremont Peak Park and N 45th St. Stairs (95 Steps): Climb the first flight of the NW 46th St. stairs, pausing to check traffic before crossing the upper, northbound half of 1st Ave NW. After climbing the final flight above 1st Ave., N 46th St. reappears ("N" or "NW" depends on whether you're on the east or west side of 1st Ave. NW).
Move over to the sidewalk on the right side of the street, walking uphill. The sidewalk soon veers right as N 46th St. veers away from you to the left where it merges with busy N Market St. Continue straight up the sidewalk, walking alongside a retaining wall topped with a guardrail, just below the level of Market/46th St. The sidewalk gradually rises to the level of the street just on the other side of the guardrail, and soon you'll come to Greenwood Ave., where you'll turn right, away from Market/46th.

Walk south on Greenwood for just one block, turning right onto NW 45th St. Walking west now on 45th, continue a short way until 45th ends with a 90-degree turn to the left. Note that straight ahead, just beyond a traffic guardrail and probably one or two parked cars, is the top of a stairway. Note that stairway for later, but for now follow the street left, turning onto Palatine Ave. N. A couple of houses later you'll come to Fremont Peak Park on the right (west) side of Palatine.

Entrance to Fremont Peak Park - Phases of the Moon

About Fremont Peak Park

Fremont Peak Park is a real point of pride in Fremont, and an inspiring story of neighborhood activism. The property was the site of three houses, owned by the same person since 1960, with an amazing view toward the Olympic Mountains. When the owner put the property on the market, one local resident, Jack Tomkinson, saw its potential as a park and approached the city. The city promised to develop a park at the site, if it could only be taken off the market long enough for city gears to start turning. With the help of Suzie Burke and the newly-formed "Friends of Fremont Park," all three parcels were purchased, the property was preserved, and development of the park soon began.

The park opened in November 2007. It's a gem, with seemingly whimsical touches like the phases of the moon depicted in the form of white stone inserts in the black asphalt park entrance (shown above), or a metal planting border escaping the ground and corkscrewing wildly on its own (see picture below). Jack points out other features of the park, like the "Sunrise Terrace" at the southeast corner, where friends can sit for a cup of coffee in the morning sun, or the remnants of the houses' concrete foundations, now incorporated into the landscaping. The park is filled with references to the ancient myth of Theseus, Ariadne and the Minotaur. There's an abstract labyrinth, we've already hinted at Ariadne's thread, and there's evan a spool.
The highlight comes when you walk through the park to a plaza promontory on the west border of the property. From here, if weather allows, you'll get a spectacular succession of views with the Ship Canal, Fisherman's Terminal and Magnolia Hill in the foreground, and Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains beyond. For more on the history of Fremont Peak Park, take a look at this Seattle Times story: Fremont Peak Park Story. For a fascinating description of the park's mythological and astronomical references, check out the website of the lead artist: Laura Haddad

Fremont Peak Park: Through Trees to Plaza Overlook

After exploring Fremont Peak Park and its views, head back up Palatine to the top of the stairway you noted at N 45th St., and turn down its 95 steps.

Heading Down the N 45th St. Stairs

6. N 43rd St. Stairs (59 Steps): At the bottom of the N 45th St. stairs, continue straight ahead for about 20 yards, where the street begins curving downhill and to the left. Stay with the street, which, after completing its turn, becomes 1st Ave. NW. Turn left at the next intersection (where streets merge from several directions), onto N 43rd St.
At this point N 43rd Street's two lanes of opposing traffic are separated by a wide, brush and tree-covered median. After you turn left onto N 43rd continue uphill along the nearest lane, walking up the sidewalk against traffic. After one block N 43rd St. ends, at Palatine Ave. N. Your next set of stairs lies ahead.

Entrance to N 43rd St. Stairs

7. N 40th St. Stairs (54 Steps Up, 66 Steps Down): At the top of the N 43rd St. stairs turn right onto Greenwood Ave. N. Continue on Greenwood south about two blocks, turning left onto N 42nd St. Walk east on N 42nd St. for three blocks, then turn right on Dayton Ave. N.
Head downhill and south for one block on Dayton Ave. N., turning left onto N 41st St., which at this point is actually a concrete walkway. After a few yards you'll come to a short flight of 20 stairs before the street reappears. Continue straight ahead on N 41st St. for 1 1/2 blocks , turning right onto Fremont Ave. N., which is a busy arterial.
Walk south on Fremont one block, then turn right at the base of the stairs at N 40th St. The stairway is marked by a signaled crosswalk, with the campus of B. F. Day School at the other end. B. F. Day is Seattle Schools' longest-operating elementary school, opened back in 1892. It's named after Benjamin Franklin Day, whose family donated the land for the school.

Base of 1st Stairway, N 40th St. Stairs

Note the tilework at the base of these stairs, and the sculpted steel balustrades, reminiscent of the Fremont Bridge's steel girders. Halfway up is a landing, with two small apartment buildings facing from either side to form a cozy, decorative courtyard.
Once you've reached the top of this first stairway, continue ahead on N 40th St., crossing Evanston Ave. N. After you cross Evanston, slightly hidden but just ahead is the second of the N 40th St. Stairs. Take these curving stairs down.

Top of Second Stairway, N 40th St. Stairs

8. N Bowdoin Pl. Stairs (40 Steps Up, 31 Steps Down): Once at the bottom of the second N 40th St. stairway, continue ahead on N 40th St. for one block, turning left onto Dayton Ave. N. At the next block, turn left again, onto N Bowdoin Pl. You'll see another set of stairs straight ahead. Up you go!

Looking Back on the 1st Stairway, N Bowdoin Pl.

Once at the top of this first set of Bowdoin stairs you'll emerge onto a narrow lane, with a small apartment building on the right. Continue straight ahead, once again passing Evanston Ave. N., which now comes in from your left. Evanston stops here, since a steep hill drops away to your right.

Continue along the lane, and soon you'll see an alley on the left and a charming cedar-shake shingled house next to the top of the second set of Bowdoin Stairs. These stairs are interspersed with a steep concrete walkway, to which someone has very helpfully fixed rubber treads for traction. At the bottom of the stairs turn right, heading south once again on Fremont Ave. N.

  After just a half-block or so, you'll arrive at a traffic light and a three-way intersection, where Fremont Ave., N 39th St. and Fremont Way N come together. Take the signaled crosswalk across N 39th St., then turn right on the other side, walking west on 39th.
  Walk to the next block. On the way you pass a steep dirt alleyway on your left before turning left onto Evanston Ave. N. Walk south on the east side of Evanston, all the way to the next major intersection at N 36th St. Take the signaled crosswalk toward the 16-foot tall statue of a heroically striding V.I. Lenin, straight ahead.

About the Lenin Statue
  This statue, a rescued relic of the end of the Soviet era, seems to capture Fremont's motto, "De libertas quirkas," or "Free to be weird."
  In Communist days the statue was commissioned to a Bulgarian sculptor for a prominent spot in a square in Poprad, Czechoslovakia. In a case of horrible timing, it was installed in 1988 - just before the fall of Czech Communism, in 1989.
  The statue was quietly removed from its place and sent to a scrapyard, where it was discovered by Lewis Carpenter, an Issaquah resident who happened to be teaching English in Poprad. He bought the statue and shipped it to Seattle, mortgaging his house to do so. He died shortly thereafter, and the statue was left lying in his backyard until the family found a spot for it in Fremont.
  Today the Lenin statue is a well-known Fremont landmark, though it remains up for sale. It's often decorated with a red star during the holidays (as depicted below) and dressed in drag during Pride Week. For the 2004 Solstice Parade it was dressed to look like John Lennon. Wikipedia - Lenin Statue

V.I. Lenin, Caught in Bold Mid-stride

  While you look at Lenin you might also take a moment to view the patio just behind him - specifically the caulking between the tiles, which is embedded with all kinds of miscellaneous items like old watches, a fork, necklaces, etc.
  After checking out the Lenin statue, you can either take the optional walk to see some more of the quirky tourist attractions for which Fremont is so well known, or you can make your way back to your starting place. To end your walk, just follow the directions in the immediate paragraphs below. To take the optional walk from here, see the map below, and the directions below that.
  To return to your starting place, take the adjoining crosswalk south across Fremont Pl. N. Continue south on Evanston for one block, where at the southeast corner of N 35th St. you'll see the famous Fremont Rocket. It's said to be made of a surplus Fairchild C119 tail boom, gussied up with fins and other rocket-like accouterments.
  After three blocks, Evanston comes to an end at a "T" intersection with N Northlake Way. Cross Northlake, and walk onto the plaza straight ahead. Google's Seattle offices face the plaze from the left. Continue down the plaza steps to the Burke-Gilman Trail, turning right onto the trail. From there, walk west on the trail back to your starting point.

Optional Walk: Commercial District
  Below the map you'll find detailed directions and pictures of the optional, 3/4 mile walk that takes you by most of the well-known tourist attractions in Fremont. There are also two additional sets of stairways , one next to the Fremont Library and the other taking you down from the Fremont Bridge to the Burke-Gilman Trail. The numbers in the gray boxes refer to the two additional stairways described in the text. The camera icons indicate some of the other attractions, also described below.

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1. Fremont Library Stairs (38 Steps Down): To start your optional walk from the Lenin statue, just continue walking east along N 36th St. for four blocks. When it's safe move over to the north side of the street. You'll see the Aurora Bridge looming ahead and above you. Continue underneath the bridge, where you'll see the resident Troll lurking underneath the abutment, munching on its latest meal.

Snacking Bridge Troll

  After viewing the Troll from a safe distance, walk south on Troll Ave., which follows along underneath the bridge. NOTE: There's a traffic diversion right next to the Troll, so be careful not to stand in the right-of-way!
  From Troll Ave. turn right at the next block, onto N 35th St. Halfway down the block on your left you'll see the white, Mission Revival Fremont Library building.
  The library is on the National Register of Historic Places and has been named a landmark building by Seattle's Landmarks Preservation Board. It was opened in 1921 on a Carnegie grant and renovated in 2005, funded by the 1998 "Libraries for All" bond measure.

The Carnegie-Built Fremont Library

  Just west of the library is A.B. Ernst Park. It's a spiral-shaped plaza with beautiful xeriscaping, seating areas, and an interesting sculpture called "Water Mover" (if it's raining, you'll see why). Just a few yards farther downhill from the view pictured above, you'll find a spiral sidewalk that takes you through the park and plaza to the head of a curving, 38-step stairway.
  At the bottom of the stairway continue straight ahead, through a parking lot, to N 34th St. Here, you can take a brief detour to the left where History House is located on the next corner. Another Suzie Burke contribution, it contains all sorts of historical materials about Fremont and other Seattle neighborhoods, and runs a variety of special events such as a summer music series (HistoryHouse).
  To continue the rest of the optional walk instead, turn right onto 34th, heading west for a half-block. Just before you reach Fremont Ave. N., look south across the street to see the well-known "Waiting for the Interurban" statue.

About Art Attacks, and "Waiting for the Interurban"
  "Waiting for the Interurban" is a cast-aluminum work featuring a group of six humans and one human-faced dog, peering through their legs. The sculptor was a local resident and member of the FAC board, Richard Beyer. The dog's face depicts another board member Beyer had a dispute with over the commissioning of this piece (see link to the story here).

The statue was installed in 1979, and commemorates the old Seattle-to-Everett Interurban Streetcar. The Interurban actually crossed over the Fremont bridge on today's Fremont Ave. N., which is behind these figure's backs. They'll forever be waiting.

Waiting for the Interurban

These figures are often draped in clothes or other items - or, as shown here, additional pieces of art or whimsey are added. Fremont residents call these and other temporary artistic installations around the neighborhood "Art Attacks." History House, mentioned above, has an exhibit of some of the best "Waiting for the Interurban" enhancements over the years. The Lenin statue is frequently repurposed and redecorated - another example of the fun some locals create with Art Attacks.

2. Fremont Bridge Stairs (48 Steps Down): After passing "Waiting for the Interurban," cross Fremont Ave. N at the signaled crosswalk, heading toward the corner housing Peet's Coffee. Further west, just beyond Peet's, look for the extraordinary building housing PCC Natural Market and a condo development, pictured below.

Like Gaudi or Like, Gaudy?

Back at the corner of Fremont Ave. N and N 34th St. next to Peet's, take the signaled crosswalk across 34th, heading south toward the Fremont Bridge. You'll pass Getty Images' global headquarters on the right, and soon the canal comes into view. Just before the drawbridge, you'll reach the head of a set of metal stairs on your right. Take these stairs down to the canal and onto the Burke-Gilman Trail.

Fremont Bridge Stairs Down to the Trail

About Fremont Bridge

Fremont Bridge opened in June 1917, just a month before the Ship Canal opened to marine traffic between Lake Washington and Puget Sound (a wood trestle bridge had previously connected Fremont with lower Queen Anne hill). The mechanical and electrical systems were updated in 2006. The bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and it's a beloved Fremont landmark with its unique blue-and-orange color scheme. The bridge is also a major irritant to local drivers who get caught up in its openings and closings. It only clears the water by 30 feet, and because marine traffic has the right-of-way, it goes up an average of 35 times a day. This makes the Fremont Bridge one of the busiest bascule ("seesaw") bridges in the world. There are three other bascule bridges along the canal: the Ballard, University and Montlake Bridges. All four bridges were built within 8 years of one another.

Fremont Bridge Opens for a Boat (Aurora Bridge Behind)

After taking the stairs from Fremont Bridge down to the Trail, walk away from the bridge heading west, until you reach your starting place.

Stairway Walk #7: Lakewood/Seward Park Stairs

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This Stairway Walk is one of our favorites, probably because it was one of the first stairways we discovered in Seattle. It still has the magical resonance we felt as we first explored these quiet, leafy, secretive paths. It creates a strong feeling of immersion, of being cloaked in trees and shrubs as you thread your way through the backyard heart of the Lakewood neighborhood.

As with the Laurelhurst and Madrona walks, Lake Washington is a big presence here, too. Lakewood has an interesting history that is closely tied to the level of the lake, which fell drastically in 1917. You can learn more about that below the break.
The directions below the break also include an optional walk through Genesee Park, adding 45 minutes and additional perspectives on the history and charms of this delightful neighborhood.

48th Ave. Stairs to Genesee

Length: 2.0 miles (add 1.5 miles with optional Genesee Park walk)

Leisurely Walking Time: 1 hour 15 minutes (add 45 minutes with optional Genesee Park walk)

Steps Down: 174 (Ferdinand 68; 48th 43; Angeline 63)

Steps Up: 207 (Ferdinand 133; Angeline 24; 47th 50)

Cafes/Pubs en route? There's a PCC market and a Caffe Vita at the southwest edge of this route, near where 50th Ave. S. turns into Wilson going south. For a cozy neighborhood coffee or bite to eat halfway through your walk, try Both Ways Cafe near the bottom of the 48th Ave. stairs on Genesee. Flying Squirrel Pizza is next door, though they're only open after 5PM.

Note that you can zoom the map or drag it around inside the window as needed. You can zoom the pictures, too, by clicking them. Map numbers in gray boxes correspond to numbered text descriptions. Continue below the map to see detailed directions and photos.

If you drive to this walk, park in the lot off Lake Washington Boulevard just south of S. Ferdinand Street. This is where the walk officially begins and ends. From the north end of the parking area walk north across the grass, angling toward Lake Washington Blvd. S. Ferdinand will come quickly into view, dropping down the hill to meet the boulevard.

A Note About Lakewood/Seward Park
Strictly speaking, this Stairway Walk is within the confines of the Lakewood Park neighborhood. Seward Park is just next door to the south, but the area is often referred to collectively as Lakewood/Seward Park. In 1907 the Rainier Valley area was annexed to Seattle, including the future neighborhoods of "Lakewood" and "Seward Park." In 1911 the city bought Bailey Peninsula from the Bailey family in order to create today's Seward Park. If you have time, Seward Park is always a great place to visit. It has miles of walking trails around the peninsula perimeter as well as through the old growth forest within. It has a swimming beach and play areas, as well as an Audubon Center that helps visitors view and understand the local habitat and animal life.

1. Ferdinand Stairs: Take the crosswalk at Lake Washington Blvd. and S. Ferdinand St., maybe 50 yards north of the parking area. Head uphill on Ferdinand toward the base of the Ferdinand Stairs, which you can see just ahead. These stairs plunge up the shoulder of a hillside covered with trees and scattered homes.

Base of Ferdinand Stairs

You'll be traversing 3 1/2 blocks and 133 stairs, much of it lined with beautiful trees. As you climb up, the shoulder of the hillside also slopes down to your right. Soon you'll reach your first street crossing, at 54th Ave. S. The stairs resume immediately beyond the street crossing, as shown below.

Ferdinand Stairs Beyond 54th Ave. S.

As you step onto 54th, take a moment to look left (being careful about approaching cars). Someone installed dazzling vintage car bumpers as a sort of railing between their driveway and the street, pictured below:

Classic Do-It-Yourself Railing at 54th Ave. S.

Continuing on the stairs above 54th, you'll soon notice another stairway intersecting your own route at right angles. It comes in from above on your left and drops off to your right. This stairway marks the 53rd Ave. S. right-of-way. There's no actual street crossing here, but if you peek down through the trees you'll see 53rd Ave. below.

At 52nd Ave. S., the Ferdinand right-of-way switches from stairway to street for just a half-block, after which you begin your brief and only downhill section of the Ferdinand Stairs, 68 steps in all. At the bottom, Ferdinand becomes a street for good, so you won't have any more use for it. Turn right onto 51st Ave. S., skirting Lakewood Park along its eastern edge. On a sunny day, you'll probably see lots of parents and kids cavorting on the playground here.

Head of Ferdinand Stairs to Lakewood Park

2. Angeline Stairs, First Glimpse: After skirting the east side of Lakewood Park on 51st Ave. S., turn left at the park's northeast corner, onto S. Angeline St. Continue for a block along the north edge of the park, where you'll run into 50th Ave. S. This is a major thoroughfare for Lakewood, so be careful crossing over to the other side.
Once you've crossed safely, you can see the Lakewood Community Club at the corner to your right. The LCC is a venerable neighborhood institution founded in 1910. Ahead you can see the next set of stairs, which climb a short slope just after you cross 49th Ave. S.

Angeline Stairs, Just Beyond 49th Ave. S.

After just 24 steps, you'll be back on Angeline street again. Continue on Angeline one-and-a-half blocks, turning right onto 47th Ave. S.

3. 47th Ave. S. Stairs: Once you've turned right from Angeline onto 47th Ave. S., continue walking north two blocks. At S. Snoqualmie St., 47th Ave. S. ends in a stairway at the base of a steep slope, shown below. Head up the stairway and after 50 steps, you'll find yourself on a concrete walkway almost as steep as the steps before!

47th Ave. Stairs in Fall (Concrete Walkway Not Visible)

After about 25 yards of walkway, the street resumes. Continue a half-block further on 47th Ave., turning right onto S. Oregon St. After one block, turn left onto 48th Ave. S., heading north.

4. 48th Ave. S. Stairs: As you walk north on 48th Ave. you'll quickly reach and descend a stairway curving down to S. Genesee St., shown below.

Head of 48th Ave. S. Stairs

After descending the 48th Ave. stairs to Genesee, continue east on the sidewalk towards the next major junction, Genesee and 50th Ave. S. For ongoing directions to the main walk, skip the "Optional Excursion" section immediately below.

Optional Excursion: Genesee Park

The satellite photo below shows a large green-space labeled "Genesee Park/Old Wetmore Slough" (click to enlarge). You can take a side trek to see this historic area, which adds about 45 minutes to your walk.

Before 1917, the surface of Lake Washington was 9 feet higher than it is today. The area pictured below was isolated and little travelled, and today's parkland was a watery slough ("Wetmore Slough," named after one of the early landowners). The land to the east of the slough was essentially a peninsula jutting north into the lake. The slough extended south from Lake Washington to where Genesee St. is today, then west almost all the way to today's business center of Columbia City, on Rainier Ave.

Satellite Photo: Google Earth

Some developers planned to dredge the slough and dig a canal through Beacon Hill, connecting Lake Washington with the southern part of Elliott Bay. The idea was to transform the slough into a freshwater port, attractive to ship-owners partly because fresh water eliminates many of the sea organisms that can fould a seagoing ship's hull.

The Beacon Hill canal project was actually started in 1895, but was abandoned a few years later following various financial, political and geological setbacks. The soil from these excavations was used to help build Harbor Island and to fill in the mudflats south of Pioneer Square. In 1917, Montlake Cut was opened and Lake Washington's level fell almost 9 feet to match the level of Lake Union. As a result Wetmore Slough was drained and reduced to a mucky wallow, no longer feasible as a port.

In 1945, the City of Seattle began using the area as landfill. This went on for two decades, drawing huge populations of rats and gulls. The neighbors were ecstatic when, in 1968, construction started on a park that would eventually cover the landfill. Today the old slough has been transformed into a lively bird habitat and a lovely, walkable park.
Directions for the optional Genesee Park walk start below the map.

Thanks to HistoryLink.org: Lakewood History; Seward Park; Montlake Cut

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Directions: Optional Genesee Park Excursion

Start your Genesee Park exploration at the base of the 48th Ave. stairs. You can cross S. Genesee St. here, but for safety's sake we strongly recommend taking the sidewalk east on Genesee to 50th Ave. S., where you can use the crosswalk. Then, reverse course, walking west along the north side of Genesee for 5-6 blocks.
  You'll soon see a soccer field on the other side of Genesee, and then a crosswalk coming across the street to intersect your path from the left. At this point turn right off the sidewalk, following a park sign and a walkway into Genesee Park. There will be some park outbuildings on your right.
  Just past the outbuildings, the walkway curves between a seasonally-open bathroom and a play structure, and the park itself becomes visible. Walk north through the park, with the old slough and landfill beneath your feet. On your left you'll see a covered picnic structure and beyond that, the perennial garden. You can explore the garden along small side paths, or just skirt it on the right, continuing on the main path.
  Along the main path you'll soon come to the park exit at Lake Washington Blvd. Carefully cross here, taking the walkway curving down toward the water. This walkway continues, scenically, right alongside the lake.
  In less than a quarter mile, cross back over the boulevard to 49th Ave. S., walking south for one block. Turn left on S. Dakota St. and then right at the next block, onto 50th Ave. S. (In case you wonder: we recommend crossing L. Washington Blvd. at 49th rather than 50th, because there's a blind corner nearby, and less visibility to car traffic.)
  After walking two blocks south on 50th Ave. S., you'll be back at the Genesee/50th junction and ready to rejoin the main walk route. Turn left onto Genesee and continue with the directions below.

5. Angeline Stairs: Continue the main route by walking east on Genesee from the four-way stop at Genesee/50th Ave. After one block turn right onto 51st Ave S., as Genesee angles away down the slope toward the lake.
You'll walk only one block on 51st, quickly turning left onto S. Oregon St. Continue on Oregon as it curves around to the right. Soon the street straightens and you'll be heading south on 52nd Ave. S. Here the street heads rather sharply uphill and continues uphill all the way to the Angeline Stairs. At the S. Alaska St. junction, look for the retaining wall on your right, which sometimes features neighborhood art "installations" (pictured below).

Neighborhood Whimsey, 52nd & Alaska

Continue uphill on 52nd. The Angeline stairs begin on your left, just opposite of where you see S. Angeline St. coming in from the right. Start down a short section of walkway to the head of the first flight of stairs. You'll soon discover that most of the Angeline "stairway" is actually a concrete walkway tucked between laurel hedges and trees as it heads down toward the lake. You'll step down just 24 stairs the whole way!

Looking Back Up Angeline "Stairs" (far right)

Exiting the Angeline Stairs

After traversing the length of the Angeline Stairs/Walkway, continue walking down Angeline for a block and-a-half, until it ends at Lake Washington Blvd. There's a crosswalk on either side of Angeline here. After crossing, turn up the sidewalk to the right, following it alongside the lake shore to your starting place.

Stairway Walk #6: Laurelhurst

2010-12-14T08:16:00.000-08:00

  On this stairway walk you might try to imagine the childish voices of the Duwamish kids who played here 150 years ago, when this little peninsula jutting into Union Bay was a seasonal Indian camp. You might think of the sound of heavy machinery gnawing on the last of the old growth forest, when Yesler Town with its gritty little mill stood here in the 1890s. Or you could consider the 'thwack' of a golf ball being struck on Seattle's first course, laid out here around the same time as Yesler Town was built.
  All of this is almost unimaginable nowadays. By 1910, when Seattle annexed "Laurelhurst," it was a small community of less than 20 homes, though still largely isolated by water and rough terrain. Today, it's known as the neighborhood where Bill Gates Jr. grew up and where Senators Magnuson and Evans retired. It's more family-oriented than much of the rest of Seattle, too: the percentage of households with kids is twice that of Seattle as a whole. It's said that many residents who grew up here returned later to raise families of their own.
  Laurelhurst is sited spectacularly on winding, hilly streets overlooking Union Bay and Lake Washington. You'll explore a lengthy stairway ending at the Lake Washington shore, right next to the Laurelhurst Beach Club (you can join if you live south of NE 50th Street). You'll discover a hidden stairway disappearing down a shadowy arbor just off someone's driveway, and pay a visit to an unexpected pocket park tucked between shorefront homes. If you do a stairway walk here in April, you might be lucky enough to witness the carefully tended landscaping exploding into flower, saturating the neighborhood with sweet perfume.

Laurelcrest Stairs

Length: 1.8 miles; optional walk (no stairs) adds 3.5 miles, for 5.4 miles total

Leisurely Walking Time: 1 hour 15 minutes; with optional walk, 3 hours 15 minutes total

Steps Down: 241 (NE 45th St. 91; NE 43rd 68; NE Laurelcrest LN 82)

Steps Up: 102 (NE 43rd 68; NE 42nd St 34)

Cafes/Pubs en route? Nothing en route, but nearby University Village or Sand Point Way directly to the north offer many choices. If you pack a lunch, the Center for Urban Horticulture and the nearby Union Bay Natural Area are great places to picnic.

You can zoom the map in and out as well as drag it around inside the window. Map numbers in gray boxes correspond to numbered text descriptions. Continue scrolling below the map to see detailed text directions and photos. Photos can be zoomed in with a click.

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Note: Optional Walk to West Side and Union Bay Natural Area
  The main stairway walk covers less than two miles on the east side of the peninsula, with views of Lake Washington to the southeast. To see the west side,with its southwest views toward Montlake Cut and Husky Stadium, we provide optional directions that add 3 1/2 miles and perhaps 2 leisurely-paced hours to this walk (but no more stairs, alas).
  In lieu of more stairs, you'll get to visit The Center for Urban Horticulture, a UW research center. It has exceptionally lovely gardens and is the gateway to bird-friendly footpaths going deeper into the Union Bay Natural Area. Pack a picnic lunch for this add-on!
  A map and directions for this additional walk are provided below the main walk.

A Brief History of Laurelhurst

  Prior to 1855, the Duwamish people used this peninsula between Union Bay and Lake Washington as a seasonal fishing and hunting camp. In 1855 they were moved under treaty to the Suquamish Reservation on Kitsap Peninsula, opening the way for new settlers. In the 1860s William Surber, the Sheriff of Seattle, built a homestead here. He ranged widely over the peninsula as a hunter, supplying fresh venison and bear meat to distant Seattleites. Surber Drive, on the western edge of Laurelhurst, is named after William.
  In 1888 Henry Yesler built a mill town (Yesler Town) at the western border of today's Laurelhurst, along 36th Ave. NE between NE 41st St. and NE 45th St. The old growth trees on the peninsula fed the mill and the West's burgeoning appetite for lumber, replaced in turn by orchards and farms. Construction of the mill was made possible by the extension of the Seattle Lake Shore and Eastern Railroad, owned by Thomas Burke and Daniel Gilman, to the town site the year before. (The old SLSE railroad bed marks the northern edge of the original Union Bay before it was filled in, and now makes up part of today's Burke-Gilman pedestrian and bicycle trail, running almost 19 miles from Ballard to Bothell.)
  In 1890 Seattle's first golf course was built on 40 acres of peninsula orchards, though it only lasted eight years. By 1906 realtors were busy selling a new development called "Laurelhurst," with lots radiating from a small boat landing on the west side of the peninsula, known today as "Waterway 1" and still a place for public lake access and neighborhood gatherings. By 1910 the population had grown sufficiently for annexation to Seattle. But, even with the SLSE railroad link to the western edge of the community, and a launch carrying passengers back and forth across Union Bay from Madison, Laurelhurst remained a relatively isolated neighborhood well into the middle of the 20th century.
  For more historical and local background, try these links: HistoryLink.org; The Laurelhurst Blog; and Friends of Waterway 1. For information on Seattle's progam for the 149 shoreline street-ends in the city, go to SDOT Street Ends. Thanks to the Laurelhurst Blog and the Laurelhurst Community Club for additional information.

Entrance to "Hidden Stairs" at NE 45th

1. The Hidden Stairs: If you're driving, park in the lot at Laurelhurst Community Center at 4554 NE 41st St. (bathrooms available whenever the center is open). From here, walk east on 41st St. You'll catch glimpses of Lake Washington in front of you before turning left at 51st Ave. NE. The streets intersect at crazy angles here; all you have to know is that once you pass 50th Ave. NE, you just take the next left, which is 51st Ave. NE. From here, you'll be heading up a fairly steep uphill grade past well-tended homes until 51st Ave. comes to an end. This marks a "T" junction with NE 45th St.
At the "T" turn right, walking east along NE 45th. Here are a couple of landmarks to help you find the top of the elusive "Hidden Stairs:" Just where the street bends to the left will be a sidewalk leading away from the street to the right, alongside a driveway (pictured above). On the street just beyond this point is a sign indicating the junction of NE 45th St. and 52nd Ave. NE. Take the sidewalk away from the street.
Just beyond the curve of the sidewalk pictured above, you'll see the top of a staircase leading down into a leafy laurel tunnel. At the bottom of the stairway, (alertly) cross 53rd Ave. NE to the next set of stairs. After just 28 steps, the grade once again becomes gentle enough for a real street. Continue downhill on NE 45th St., with views of Kirkland across the lake (pictured below). Cross 55th Ave. NE. where NE 45th St. ends, turning right to walk along the far (eastern) side of 55th.

Looking Down NE 45th St., Ending at 55th Ave. NE

2. Palisades Landing: Walk south along the eastern side of 55th Ave. NE. Just where 55th starts a gentle curve to the right, look for yet another stairway heading down to the lake. Across the street is a sign for NE 43rd St., but no actual street. Take the stairs, which end in a broad pathway leading past an enormous sequoia tree to a lovely little lakeside overview (pictured below). You're visiting one of Seattle's 149 public shoreline street-ends, maintained, as funds are available, under the city's "String of Pearls" program. (See link in "History" section above.)

Staircase to Palisades Landing at NE 43rd St.

Lakeside View from NE 43rd St. Stairs

In the early 1900s this site was known as "Palisades Landing," used by a commercial launch to transport passengers between the eastern peninsula and Madison Park. Along with two landings on the western side, the Laurelhurst Launch provided the primary city connection for an isolated neighborhood. The pilings shown in the picture above are what remains of a later pier, built farther out by a nearby resident after Lake Washington receded 9 feet with the opening of Montlake Cut in 1917. Today this is a peaceful, if highly encroached, public refuge for lakeside viewing.

3. NE 42nd St. Stairs: To continue your stairway walk, exit old Palisades Landing back to the street, turning left at the top of the stairs. Continue down the shore side of 55th Ave. NE until you see the sign for NE 42nd St. across the street. Carefully cross the street and head up the stairs, continuing on NE 42nd St. once you reach the top.

Looking Back From NE 42nd St. Stairs

3. Laurelcrest Stairs: Once on NE 42nd St., you'll be twisting and turning from one street to another in order to reach your next stairway. As you continue walking, you'll start recognizing some of the streets you've walked before. From NE 42nd Ave. take the next left at 51st Ave. NE, which you traversed in the opposite direction earlier. Turn right at the next block, NE 41st St. Again, you've covered this territory before - in the opposite direction. Now, heading west along NE 41st St., you'll quickly pass Latimer Pl. and 51st Ave. NE on your left. Turn left at the next street, 50th Ave. NE. Walk south down this street almost to its end, where you'll see a stairway railing on the left side of the street - the wonderful Laurelcrest Stairs.

Laurelcrest Stairs - 82 Steps Down

  As you go down these steps you'll gain interesting views of Lake Washington and fleeting glimpses of neighboring residences alongside the stairs. At the bottom, you'll find yourself in an open area with parking spaces to the right. To reach the lake, walk alongside the fence on the right, which separates the public access area from the Laurelhurst Beach Club (a private club for neighborhood residents, open from late Spring to early Fall). To get a water-level view at the lake shore, pick your way between the parking barrier and the fence.
  To return to your starting point at Laurelhurst Community Center, walk uphill on 51st Ave. NE. Turn left at NE 41st St. and continue west to Laurelhurst Park and the Community Center at 48th Ave. NE, on the right near the top of the hill. You can either end your stairway walk here, or continue with the optional add-on described below.

Option - Western Peninsula and Center for Urban Horticulture:  If you're still feeling frisky and want to add distance and maybe a picnic at the Center for Urban Horticulture or adjoining Union Bay Natural Area, here's how to do it. This optional walk doesn't have any stairways, but it does show you the west peninsula with shoreline access, and takes you near old Yesler Town. It starts at Laurelhurst Park, where the "short walk" described above ends. You'll find detailed directions below the map.

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1. NE 31st Street-end Lake Access: This section of the optional add-on walk gives you another lakeside view, but this time from a much more southerly point on the peninsula than you had from the NE 43rd St. street-end.
 At the southeast corner of Laurelhurst Park (corner of NE 41st st. and 48th Ave. NE) walk south down 48th Ave. NE. Continue one block past NE 40th St., turning right at NE 39th St. The street soon curves to the left before ending at 47th Ave. NE. Turn left, following 47th Ave. NE south for one block, where things get a bit tricky. If you continue straight ahead and slightly uphill, on what appears to be the same street, you'll find yourself on the wrong street - 47th PL NE. Instead, veer right and then quickly left to continue generally south and downhill on 47th Ave. NE.
 After passing NE 35th St. and NE 36th St. in quick succession, E. Laurelhurst Dr. NE merges from your left-hand shoulder. From this point you're no longer on 47th Ave. NE, but on E. Laurelhurst.
 Continue down E. Laurelhurst Dr. past where 46th Ave. NE merges from the right, followed by NE 33rd St. Then look for a sign on the right side of the street marking NE 31st St. - but no actual street. At this point across from you, on the left, is what appears to be a driveway, and may actually be occupied by a car or two, but which in fact is a narrow slice of Lake Washington shoreline street-end access. The driveway soon gives way to a narrow sidewalk between a fence and hedge (pictured below). Follow the sidewalk down toward the water and a somewhat overgrown shoreline. From this viewpoint you can look across the lake to the Eastside, and north up the eastern peninsula, back in the direction of Laurelhurst Beach Club.

Narrow Access (Looking Back to Street)

Lake Washington from NE 31st St. Access

After your adventure in shoreline street-end access, retrace your steps back up E. Laurelhurst Dr. to NE 33rd St, turning left there. Walk along NE 33rd St. for a block, continuing straight as you pass W. Laurelhurst Dr. NE coming in from the right. At that point, you'll be on 43rd Ave. NE. Continue along 43rd Ave., where you'll enjoy occasional views of Union Bay and the lovely homes lining the edge of the western peninsula.
The next street you'll approach is NE 35th St., running off to your right. Over on the left you'll see a basketball court next to the street, and behind that an open expanse of grass leading down to the water. This is a community gathering place known as "Waterway 1," because here, starting in 1909, the Laurelhurst Launch provided passenger service between Seattle (Madison) and the new development of Laurelhurst. That first residential development was located right here, with plots fanning out from this important transportation node.

View from Waterway 1 - Husky Stadium in Background

2. Belvoir Park Lake Access: Continuing past Waterway 1 along 43rd Ave. NE, you'll quickly pass two houses on your left before coming to 42nd Ave. NE. Turn left here, and follow 42nd Ave. toward NE Surber Dr. Just before you reach Surber, look for a Seattle Parks sign on the left indicating Belvoir Park. Next to the sign is a wood-nugget pathway leading into a small wooded area off the street. Follow the path, which quickly opens up to a broad grassy area curving left down toward the Union Bay shore. At the end of the grassy area is a rickety wooden dock (photo below).

Belvoir Park from Dock

Belvoir Park is named for the Belvoir Subdivision, a development of "Uncle Joe" Surber, King County's first sheriff, and one of the first residents of the peninsula. Once you've enjoyed the view and exited the park, resume your course on 42nd Ave. NE, quickly turning left onto NE Surber Dr. As Surber curves to the right, you'll notice the houses have disappeared, replaced by scrub and wetlands. You're now walking beside Surber Grove and, just behind the trees, Yesler Cove. This is the eastern edge of the Union Bay Natural Area, which extends west to the UW campus.

3. Union Bay Natural Area and Center for Urban Horticulture: Continue walking up the sidewalk next to NE Surber Dr., which soon ends at NE 41st St. Turn left on 41st, which marks the northern border of Union Bay Natural Area. Continuing along the sidewalk, the Center for Urban Horticulture (CUH) parking lot soon appears on your left. Note too that the site of old Yesler Town was centered, north to south, along 36th Ave. NE just across 41st St. from here. Continue diagonally across the lot, angling slightly away from the street, where you'll see the entrance to the CUH, pictured below:

Entrance to Center for Urban Horticulture (CUH)

The CUH is a research station of the UW Botanic Gardens. It's also a beautiful architectural and garden space, open to the public. The garden area pictured above is fun to walk through; the plants are well-labeled and colorful. If you do have plans for a picnic, you can find benches here, or perhaps a grassy spot around the Union Bay side of the complex.

Don't stop here, though - an extensive trail system weaves through the Union Bay Natural Area (see map above). There's an incredibly diverse collection of habitats in a small space here, and University teams work to replant native species in each one. This results in a terrific concentration of more than 240 bird species that can be seen here at different times during the year.

Once you're ready to return, it's a perfectly straight shot back to Laurelhurst Park and Community Center, walking east along NE 41st St.

For a link to additional background on Union Bay Natural Area (Montlake Fill) history, trails and birds from Seattle Audubon's website: Birdweb - Union Bay Natural Area. For a link to info on tours, trails etc. from CUH's website: Center for Urban Horticulture

Stairway Walk #5: Ravenna

2010-03-26T19:28:00.000-07:00

The casual visitor to Ravenna sees a lively, bustling University neighborhood just north of UW. But this stairway walk peels away a layer or two of the onion, as it were. It takes you far from the hustle and bustle as you descend timber stairs through dense forest canopy, traverse pedestrian-only bridges hidden in the woods, and explore the shaded, creek-fed ravine that lies at the heart of this special neighborhood.

At the start of your walk, while you're fresh, you'll ascend the 218 steps of Ravenna Stairs, spanning four streets from Ravenna to NE 20th. Then you'll descend to Ravenna Park, where you'll step down a scenic stairway into the depths of Ravenna ravine (pictured below). You'll stroll alongside the recently daylighted Ravenna Creek, which is blooming under the restorative attentions of neighborhood volunteers, and cross two of the three pedestrian-only bridges spanning various parts of the ravine. The largest of these pedestrian bridges, at NE 20th St., gives lofty views up and down the main course of the ravine.

If you can, save time to explore the extra neighborhood attractions mentioned below. These include Ravenna Boulevard, conceived and created as part of John C. Olmsted's 1903 parks plan. "Professor's Row" is a leafy, quiet portion of Ravenna Boulevard that traces the edge of the ravine. It's lined with graceful homes, and feels like a time and place apart. You can also take an optional loop that extends your walk into the upper reaches of Ravenna ravine and enables you to cover its entire 1/2 mile length, including the playground/parks at either end.

Ravenna Ravine Stairs

Length: 1.6 miles; 2.4 miles if adding the optional Upper Ravenna Park loop

Leisurely Walking Time: 1 hour 15 minutes; with optional Upper Ravenna Park loop, 1 hour 45 minutes

Steps Down: 160 (Ravine Timber and Pathway Steps 41 + 18, done twice; Pedestrian Bridge 21; Ravine Path/Steps 21)

Steps Up: 264 (Ravenna 218; Pathway Steps 18; Pedestrian Bridge 28)

Cafes/Pubs en route? There are plenty of places along 25th Ave NE or in University Village. For an in-the-neighborhood experience, try Cowan Park Grocery, which has great cafe/lunch fare. It's near the upper end of Ravenna/Cowan Park, at Brooklyn Ave. NE and NE Ravenna Blvd.

Note that you can zoom the map in and out as well as drag it around inside the window. Map numbers in gray boxes correspond to numbered text descriptions. The optional upper-ravine route is described in the text, but not shown on the map. Continue scrolling below the map to see detailed directions and photos. Photos can be zoomed in with a click.

<a href="http://www.mapmyhike.com/hike/united-states/wa/seattle/194126790392930363">Ravenna Stairs</a> <a href="http://www.mapmyhike.com/find-hike/united-states/wa/seattle">Find more Hikes in Seattle, Washington</a>

If you're driving, we suggest you park your car on NE 55th St., at the southeast side of Ravenna Park right alongside the ball-field (see Start/End markers on the map). This will put you right next to your car as you end your walk. However, at the start of the walk, you'll have to cross NE 55th to get to Ravenna Ave. Traffic comes from several directions and can move fast, so please be alert and defensive, and use the crosswalks!

About Ravenna Ravine

According to geologists, the Seattle area has been buried under glaciers four times in the last 300,000 years. The latest of these glacial periods left behind a complicated topology. One of the low-lying areas left behind by the ice became a drainage basin that included today's Green Lake, which drained along the route of today's Ravenna Boulevard, carving out the Ravenna Ravine.

By the turn of the last century, development had cut off the Green Lake drainage, leaving Ravenna Creek to be fed solely by springs along the ravine, as it is today. The town of Ravenna was annexed to Seattle in 1907, along with West Seattle, Ballard, Southeast Seattle, South Park and Columbia City. These annexations almost doubled the land area of Seattle during a time of remarkable growth and development for the city.

The developer who platted Ravenna, W.W. Beck, owned and ran the ravine as a pay-to-enter attraction until he sold it to Seattle Parks in 1911. The few remaining old-growth trees in the ravine were cut down soon after. In the 60s much of the ravine at the upper/northwest end was filled in with debris from the construction of I-5, and the Cowen Park playground and meadow was built on top of it. At the lower end, Ravenna Creek was drained via pipeline into the sewer system.

In 1990, Metro proposed to divert Ravenna Creek separately from the sewer system into Union Bay. A neighborhood coalition counter-proposed a larger project, in which Ravenna Creek would be daylighted throughout the ravine and all the way to Union Bay. Local merchants, including the owners of University Village, objected to this vision. A compromise plan was eventually adopted, in which Ravenna Creek would be daylighted only along the length of the ravine, then drained out of the lower ravine through a dedicated pipeline into Union Bay (see "Down the Drain" below).

For more background, check out the following links:
Ravenna History (HistoryLink.org)
Ravenna Park (Seattle Parks)

1. Ravenna Stairs: After carefully crossing from your starting spot on NE 55th St. over to Ravenna Ave., continue south on Ravenna. On the west side of the street, look for a short flight of stairs (pictured below). They lead to a pathway going back from the street and past a P-Patch on the right. At the far end of the P-Patch is the base of the 218 steps of the Ravenna stairs, just visible in the upper-right section of the picture below.

Entrance to Ravenna Stairs, from Ravenna Ave.

At the top of the first flight (pictured below), you'll cross 22nd Ave. before heading up the second flight, which has a small plaque at the base commemorating SDOT's rehabilitation of these stairs via the "Bridging the Gap" bond program. Midway up the second flight on the left side of the stairs, a small house nestles among cedars and below a large stand of bamboo - giving it a sort of treehouse effect. At the top of the second flight, cross 21st Ave. to begin the final flight of stairs.

Top of 1st Flight, With 22nd Ave. and the 2nd Flight Beyond

At the top of the 2nd flight pictured above, cross 21st Ave. NE and continue up the final flight. At the top of the final flight of stairs, continue up a short cul-de-sac to 20th Ave. NE and turn right. Walk one block, then turn right again onto NE 54th St. After one block on NE 54th, zig to the left onto 21st Ave. NE. Walk one more block, then zag right onto NE 55th St. Go one more block, crossing Ravenna Ave. NE into Ravenna Park.

2. Entering Ravenna Park: Walk up the crushed gravel path into the park for a few yards, turning left onto a larger crushed gravel trail. Soon you'll see a bathroom structure on the right, just beyond a small play area with rope ladders, slides and swings. Continue walking up the path past the bathrooms and tennis courts, also on the right. Soon you'll enter a grove of maple, cedar and madrona trees, as the path begins to turn to the left uphill.

The path soon straightens, and shortly after you'll see a log fence on the right (pictured along the extreme right-hand side of the picture below). This fence marks the south lip of Ravenna Ravine at this point. Ahead of you is a broad grassy area with picnic tables and a shelter on the left. There's another bathroom structure straight ahead, also pictured below. Head across the grass in the direction of the bathrooms.

Maybe 15 yards before reaching the bathrooms, you'll see a wooden sign on the right, near the edge of the ravine. A few feet to the right of the sign is the top of the stairway that you'll be taking down into the ravine.

3. Ravenna Ravine Stairway: Take the 41 steps down to the base of the Ravenna Ravine stairs. There are several landings along the way where you can take stock of the view. In winter you can peer across the ravine and juuust see a pedestrian bridge in the distance through the trees (clearly shown in the zoom photo below, though you may have to click to enlarge). You'll soon be traversing that bridge!

Zoom View of Footbridge, From Ravine Stairs

At the base of the stairs continue down the pathway, which is interrupted here and there by 18 scattered steps before reaching the bottom of the ravine. Curve left toward a small pedestrian bridge that crosses Ravenna Creek, ignoring paths to the right. Pass over the bridge; you're now heading generally toward the west end of the ravine, along the main walkway.

After the bridge, about 5 yards down the main path, you'll pass a small pathway on the right heading up the ravine; it's marked by a sign reading "Ravenna Park Trail System NE 58th St." Continue on past, moving another 5 yards or so down the main trail, where you'll encounter a lovely little tributary to Ravenna Cr. that flows down a side ravine from the right.

About 15 feet beyond this tributary, turn right onto a smaller trail marked by a couple of timber steps leading uphill, as well as this trail sign: "Ravenna Park Trail System NE 62nd St." Climb the steps and continue straight up this trail, past smaller trails heading off to either side. You'll soon be climbing a few more pathway steps - 18 in all - before arriving at the pedestrian bridge above you.

4. Side Ravine Pedestrian Bridge: At the top of the trail turn left to cross the bridge, heading west. You might be interested to know that there's a similar bridge just out of sight up the stairs behind you, a matter of just a few seconds exploratory walk. Both bridges carry a large pipe slung underneath. NE 61st St. is interrupted by the side ravines here, so the bridges serve to carry pedestrian and, er, other traffic across the interrupted right-of-way.

At the far side of the bridge, you'll climb 28 steps to emerge onto NE 61st St. (the steps are pictured below, looking back - note the trail you came up on, which intersects the bridge from the right).

Looking Back: Side Ravine Bridge (Westernmost Bridge)

Congratulations! You've just descended the south rim of Ravenna Ravine and climbed back up the north rim. Not exactly the Grand Canyon, but a fun urban adventure nonetheless! Keep walking along NE 61st St. You'll quickly approach another street heading in from the right toward a steel traffic barrier at ravine's edge. At the far end of the barrier you'll come to a gravel pathway heading off at a slight angle to the left. Take this path, paralleling the street alongside the north edge of the ravine.

Soon the trail runs into a pedestrian/bicycle-only bridge (20th Ave. NE) spanning the main ravine, north-to-south. Turn left onto the bridge (shown below from the south, looking back where you came from).

20th. Ave. NE Pedestrian Bridge

This magnificent steel-arched bridge was built in 1913, and has been closed to traffic since 1975. Both this, and the NE 15th St. bridge that you'll see further up the ravine, are on the National Register of Historic Places. If you decide to take the optional Upper Ravine Loop, you'll get a wonderful view of both bridges from below.

5. Ravenna Ravine Pedestrian Bridge (20th Ave. NE): A stop in the middle of the bridge gives great views up and down the ravine, including the main path running generally down the center of the ravine next to Ravenna Creek. There are parallel paths that flank the main path along the north and south slopes of the ravine, and we'll recommend one of them as a side-option later on.

Continue south to the end of the bridge. Between the end of the bridge and the residential street ahead, look for a packed gravel pathway curving off to the left. Take this path and soon you'll find yourself at the familiar grassy picnic area and bathroom structure right next to the top of the stairway you first took down into the ravine.

You'll also see the sign and map pictured below. If you want to try the optional Upper Ravine Loop going to Cowen Park at the head of the ravine and back, you can orient yourself using this sign.

6. Ravenna Ravine North Trail and Optional Upper Ravine Loop: Head down the now-familiar timber stairs into the ravine. At the bottom, cross the small footbridge over Ravenna Creek as before.

At this point you can choose either to continue on the main walk, or take the optional Upper Ravine Loop. The optional loop adds maybe another round-trip mile of easy trail to and from Cowen Park at the head of the ravine. It's described immediately below. If you want to continue on the main walk instead, skip down to the continuation of part 6.

Optional Upper Ravine Loop:

The map in the photo above loosely describes the loop you'll take, except we suggest you continue past the NE 15th St. bridge instead of looping around there. This will take you all the way to the head of the ravine. For general orientation, just remember that the ravine has one broad, major trail along the middle and two smaller parallel trails running along each wall of the ravine. Connector trails tie these three parallel trails together at various intervals, so it's easy to get "lost" and "found" again.

From the small footbridge across Ravenna Creek continue as before, walking up the ravine past the side trail you took earlier (marked "Ravenna Park Trail System NE 62nd St"). Just continue up the main, central trail and soon you'll pass underneath the NE 20th St. pedestrian bridge that you crossed over just a few minutes before (pictured below):

Passing Beneath the NE 20th St. Pedestrian Bridge

Continue under the NE 20th St. bridge along the main trail, and in a few minutes you'll come to a second bridge, this one a major street carrying auto traffic (NE 15th St.). The 15th St. bridge was built by the WPA in 1936, and is also, along with the NE 20th St. bridge, on the National Register of Historic Places. After passing beneath it, continue just a little way to the end of the main trail, at which point the ravine "surfaces," opening up into Cowen Park.
If you're hungry or want to break for a coffee, consider the homey neighborhood Cowen Park Grocery and Cafe, visible from Cowen Park as you look south across the broad meadow there. Then, begin the return part of your loop along the same main trail you came up, until you pass once again beneath the NE 15th St. bridge.

Soon after you pass back under the NE 15th bridge, you have two options for heading back down the ravine. The first of these is to take a connector trail heading up to the right just after the bridge, being careful not to wander all the way to the top of the ravine. This will quickly put you onto the "South Trail" that follows the ravine midway up the south slope. You'll get occasional glimpses of the main trail running down the middle of the ravine below. The other option is to stay on the main trail, which runs close to Ravenna Creek. From the main trail you'll see the extensive volunteer restoration work that has been done here between the trail and the creek.

If you choose to walk along the less-travelled South Trail, merge with the main trail where it crosses the by-now familiar footbridge across Ravenna Creek. Then, follow the directions below to rejoin the main walk.

6. Ravenna Ravine North Trail and Optional Upper Ravine Loop (continued): From the footbridge across Ravenna Creek, walk a few steps along the main trail in the upstream direction. ("Upstream" is underlined so you Optional Upper Ravine Loop walkers can reorient yourselves back to the main walk). Take a right up the side trail marked "Ravenna Park Trail System NE 58th St." In a few steps take the fork in the trail leading off to the right. Your objective is to follow this trail, the "North Trail," as it works its way down the ravine along its northern slope, parallel to the main trail. Eventually this trail will rejoin the main trail and lead you out the lower end of the ravine near the ballfield.

This portion of your Stairway Walk takes you through the ravine along a route that is quieter and pedestrian-only, unlike the main trail. The north trail gets you right in among the trees and shrubs and provides nice views of the creek daylighting and restoration work that is going on up and down the ravine. In springtime along the wetter portions of the landscape, look for skunk cabbages with their yellow, spearhead-like blooms. Soon the North Trail merges back with the main trail, after crossing back over Ravenna Creek (pictured below).

Where North Trail Crosses to Main Trail

7. Where Ravenna Creek Goes Down the Drain: After rejoining the main trail you'll continue to see the effects of the extensive daylighting and restoration work along Ravenna Creek, just beyond the log fence on your left. This work continues and broadens as the ravine itself opens up, ending in a ballfield, and beyond that, NE 55th St. near the start of your walk. Just beyond center field, the creek disappears down a pipeline that takes it to Union Bay (photo below). With that, your Stairway Walk in Ravenna also comes to an end.

A Spectacular Ending