If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I live for my daily walks. I walk for at least 30 minutes every day and normally it is more like 60 minutes a day. They give me time to think, get some exercise, and take in the fresh air. For the first 6-8 months of quarantine, I did not go into Seattle once. More recently I have been driving into Seattle every couple of weeks to have a change of scenery during my walks and get in my Seattle fix. I wanted to round up a couple of my favorite places to walk in and around Seattle!
Alki Beach. A long time favorite of mine. From my first trip to Seattle I have loved West Seattle and more specifically Alki Beach. I often say if I were to live in Seattle-proper it would be in this lovely little area. Walking along the beachfront, you get amazing views of the Cascade Mountains, Bainbridge Island and the Seattle skyline. Depending on where you start and stop you can walk for as little as a mile or more than 5 miles. It is the perfect choose your own adventure walk. Parking can be a bit of a nightmare, so I suggest going early in the day to avoid huge crowds.
Green Lake Loop. An actual lake located in the north part of Seattle. It is not a huge lake, but a lake nonetheless. The loop is about 2.75 miles around and absolutely gorgeous. Whether it is the beautiful greens of spring and summer or the vibrant reds, oranges and yellows of fall, you are in for a treat. There is a fairly wide path that runs all the way around the lake with a lane for walkers/runners and a lane for anyone on wheels (bikes, roller-skates, skateboards, etc.). I normally do two loops around and always want to do more. There are plenty of bathrooms, stops for picnics, and vending machines to get water/snacks if you forget yours. You can also rent auqatic equipment if you want to get in the water during the warmer months!
Downtown Kirkland Waterfront. This is part of my go-to walking path(s). If you walk from Marina Park in downtown Kirkland to the Woodmark Hotel and back, it is about 3.5 miles total. It feels so refreshing to walk by the water and have the lake breeze splash you every once in a while. I will warn you that this path can get CROWDED during certain times. This didn’t always bother me pre-covid, but I have come to love my walks without a ton of people. I have gotten pretty good at predicting when there will be lots of people and can normally avoid it. During the cooler months, this is less of a problem. On a sunny, warm summer day…. oh lawdy is it crowded.
This path is also great because it has plenty of places to stop if you need to take a break or want to grab a coffee or a snack. On the path that I take, there are four paths you walk through that get you right down to the lake’s edge. You can also stop, read, eat a meal, go for a paddle board, or just hang out. In addition that everything downtown Kirkland and Carillon Point have to offer, there is a small grocery shop and a fish & chips place you can stop at along the way.
Jaunita Bay. This is actually two parks that I tend to walk both of at the same time. I normally start at Jaunita Beach Park (because there is a bunch of parking), then continue to Jaunita Bay Park, then back. It is about 3.5 miles, but can be longer if you do loops around one or both of the parks. These parks can get busy on sunny days (read harder to find parking), but they are nonetheless some of my favorite sunny day spots. Juanita Beach Park has been going through a huge renovation to include volleyball courts, aquatic rentals and a huge playground. While there isn’t a place directly in either of the parks to grab a snack or a drink, directly across from Juanita Beach Park is a little shopping district with coffee shops, fish & chips, and a few different restaurants.
Cross Kirkland Corridor. A roughly 5.75 mile trail/park that runs through the heart of Kirkland. It sits up higher than the lake and provides some of the most beautiful, sweeping views of Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains, with little peaks of Seattle. The great thing about this trail is that you can enter and exit the trail at a bunch of different points, which allows you to make it as short or long as you want it to be. They are also working on expanding the trail to include more park areas and make it a bit longer. The trail also links up with a trail in Bellevue (if you want to continue south) or Woodinville (if you want to continue north).
Heritage Park. I a sweet little park just north of downtown. It has a huge grass area with a little path all the way around and a beautiful little garden. Regardless of the time of year, the garden is beautiful to enjoy. As you walk around the grass area path, you also get all of these cute little peekaboo views of Lake Washington, Seattle, and the Cascades. It is only about a half-mile loop but can be the perfect addition to a downtown lake walk or as a way to warm up and cool down from a workout in the park. The park is also the perfect place for a picnic with friends and family.
Walks have provided me with moments of peace throughout the pandemic and a way to appreciate the beautiful place that I live in. This is not an exhaustive list of every place you can go for a walk in the area, simply a list of places I have walked and loved. I will add to the list as I find new gems throughout the area. Until next time, friends… CML
