City Nature Walks

I am discontinuing my links to individual walkabouts because you can follow the link below and get a list of all walkabouts from the present to the first walk on May 3, 2001 at Totem Lake Wetlands.  All articles are by Cathy McDonald.

• Seattle Times Walkabouts

The links below show 3 years of my choices for best nature walks .

• Rainier Beach:  Uncover parks, views, and a Japanese garden    
  Kristen Jackson,  3/4/04
  

• Sharpe County Park:  Nature preserve  on Fidalgo Island, Anacortes    
  Cathy McDonald,  3/18/04
  

• Seward Park Trails:  lovely, forested peninsula jutting out into Lake Washington
  Cathy McDonald,  4/29/04
  

• Bloedel Reserve Trails:  Arboretum and natural reserve on Bainbridge Island
  Cathy McDonald,  6/10/04

• Wetlands at UW's Bothell Campus:  Boardwalk thru wetlands
  Cathy McDonald,  6/17/04

• Kayak Point Regional Park:  Gravel trails, beach, birds
  Cathy McDonald,  6/24/04

• Yakima Sportsman State Park trails:  
  Gravel trails, waterfowl on ponds, 140 species of birds, beavers, otters
  Cathy McDonald,  7/22/04

• Saltwater State Park trails:  
  Lush forested ravine with trails on surrounding ridges; paved trail on  beach (dogs on leash)
  Cathy McDonald,  7/31/04

• Point Defiance Park gardens:  Forest trails in upper part of the park; sidewalk runs along northeastern shore; gorgeous gardens (roses and dahlias peak in July and August)
  Cathy McDonald,  8/5/04

• Dead Horse Canyon:
  Shady retreat includes a half-mile trail weaving along and over the Taylor Creek on a series of bridges, and under a 50-foot-tall tree canopy (part of Lakeridge Park)
  Kathryn True,  8/19/04

• Sand Dune Trail at West Beach:
  1.2 mile loop through beach dunes and wind-whipped forest. Views across Strait of Juan de Fuca.
  Cathy McDonald,  11/11/04

• Mahler Park Trails, Enumclaw:  Open forests, short trail down to Newaukum Creek, salmon.
  Cathy McDonald,  11/25/04

• Wright Park Trails, Tacoma:  2-mile walk thru arboretum (800 trees from four continents).  
  3600 sq ft historic Victorian glass-domed conservatory (500 plant species)
  Cathy McDonald,  12/23/04

• Westside Park and Bridlecrest Trail:  Easy forested trail along the top of a small sloping ridge, with view of the plunging stream valley.  Birds.
  Cathy McDonald,  12/30/04

• Point Robinson Park Trail, Maury Island:
  Beach walk.  Winter is excellent for bird-watching.  Occasional sea lions and orcas offshore.
  Cathy McDonald,  1/27/05

• Lowell Riverfront Park / Rotary Park, Everett:
  1.75 mile path along the Snohomish River.  Birds.
  Cathy McDonald,  3/3/05

• Padilla Bay, Edison, Bow, N. of Mt Vernon:
  Padilla Bay Interpretive Center, Upland Trail, Dike Trail, Bayview state Park.  Birds, views, beach. Good eats in Edison.
  Kristin Jackson,  3/3/05

• Wilderness Creek Trail, Issaquah:
  3-mile loop up a forested stream ravine.  Overlooks of the valley, large boulder field, big-leaf maples and western red cedars.
  Cathy McDonald,  3/17/05

• Wallace Swamp Creek Park, Kenmore:
  Short trail through wetland.  See spawning slamon in the fall.
  Cathy McDonald,  4/28/05

• Black River Riparian Forest, Renton:
  Wetlands with short trail through protected lowland, deciduous, reparian forest.  Large heron colony, nesting waterfowl, rabbits and other animals. 
  Cathy McDonald,  7/28/05

• Longfellow Creek, West Seattle:
  4-mile trail starting at peat bog and following Longfellow Creek's meanderings along lush, shady areas to sections that border convenience stores.  Vine maples, beavers, thimble berries, great blue herons, cedar waxwings, butterflies and salmon call Longfellow Creek and its environs home.
  Kathryn True,  8/18/05

• Bellefields Trails, Bellevue:
  5 miles of trails through upland forest of Douglas firs, western red cedars and big-leaf maples on the east or meadows, wetlands, and Mercer Slough on the west.
  Cathy McDonald, 8/25/05

• Isaac Evans Park Trail, Auburn:
  1 mile of paved path along the Green River.  Huge cottonwoods.  Spawning salmon in fall.
  Cathy McDonald, 10/27/05

• Washington Park Arboretum trails, Seattle:
  Flat to moderately sloping dirt trails and grassy lawns through a 230-acre living plant museum; boardwalk on parts of Foster Island Trail.
  Cathy McDonald, 12/22/05

• Little Cranberry Lake Trail, Anacortes:
  2-mile loop through mixed second-growth forest with salal.  Wetlands plants on small boggy islands in the lake.  Waterfowl, beaver, river otters. 
  Cathy McDonald, 1/5/06

• Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden, Federal Way:
  Flat to moderately hilly gravel trails. Visit March thru May for peak rhododendron blooming season. Free admission Nov thru Feb.
  Cathy McDonald, 1/26/06

• Willapa Bay Salmon Trail
  Located at the headquarters office of the Willapa Bay National Wildlife Refuge just off Highway 101 near the Long Beach Peninsula, the recently completed Salmon Trail at Headquarters Creek offers a look at the interconnected ecosystem of the bay.  25 life-size bronze sculptures of amphibians found at the refuge.  Also see bald eagles, salmon.
  Linda V. Mapes, 3/23/06

• Ala Spit County Park trails, Whidbey Island:
  Gentle 1.0-mile r.t. grassy/sandy trail along spit, storm-tossed driftwood logs, lagoon with birds, clam digging.  Spectacular views of mountains, islands and water. 
  Cathy McDonald, 4/13/06

• Old Fort Townsend State Park, Port Townsend:
  Level-to-moderate 1+ mile r.t.  Walk the Rhododendron Loop trail during May.  Return segment of the loop on Old Fort Townsend Lane.  Located on Port Townsend Bay.  Connects to 6 miles of trails.
  Cathy McDonald, 4/27/06

• Lacamas Lake Park, Camas:
  1.2-mile Round Lake loop trail is part of a 6-mile trail system.  Blue cama lilies in the meadow
  (2 different sources say they peak in mid-April and mid-May).  Lake, upland forests, birds and wildlife. Series rock formations located in the potholes, near the falls.
  Cathy McDonald, 5/4/06

• Chetzemoka, Park, Port Townsend:
  Level-to-moderate 1/4 to 1 mile walks.  Extensive gardens and wooden lawn swings.  View of Admiralty Inlet and Mount Baker.  Walk to beach to see river otters, harbor seals and sea lions.
  Cathy McDonald, 6/8/06

• Lake Sacajawea Park, Vancouver:
  3.5-mile level trail around a lake.  119 species of trees, two fountains, water lilies in summer. Waterfowl abound (volunteers provide nesting boxes for colorful wood ducks).
  Cathy McDonald, 7/27/06

• Apple Capital Recreation Loop Trail, Wenatchee:
  Ten miles of level-to-gemtle paved and gravel trail along the shores of teh Columbia River. Connects several parks on the west side of the river; more natural wetlands habitat on the east side.
  Cathy McDonald, 8/10/06

• Seminary Hill Natural Area, Centralia:
  Two miles of trails through lovely mixed forest of Douglas firs and western red cedars, laced with big-leaf maples and alders.  Vine maples add color as the leaves turn.
  Cathy McDonald, 9/28/06

• Yost Memorial Park trails, Edmonds:
  One mile.  In spring, blooming pink rhododendrons and fruit trees, Indian plum near ravine, valley floor wetlands with yellow skunk cabbage.  Gravel trails and stepped wooden boardwalks.
  Cathy McDonald, 3/15/07

• Terrace Creek Park Trail, Montlake Terrace:
  One mile each way thru lovely forested ravine.  Level to gentle slope.  In May, tall salmonberry thickets bloom with deep magenta florwers.  In fall, plentiful vine maples provide gorgeous color.
  Cathy McDonald, 5/3/07

• UW Bothell/Cascadia CC Wetlands Trails, Bothell:
  Flat-to-gentle boardwalk and paved trails through wetlands and meadows undergoing restoration (part of North Creek ecosystem ongoing restoration effort).
  Cathy McDonald, 5/31/07

• UW Medicinal Herb Garden:
  Flat-to-gentle dirt, gravel, bark paths through fragrant garden of more than 600 species. Free parking on Sat afternoon and Sunday.
  Cathy McDonald, 6/21/07

• Capitol Lake paths, Olympia:
  About a mile of paved or gravel paths around the lake, which empties into Budd Inlet.  Hundreds of bats forage over the lake at night in summer, spawning salmon in the fall.
  Cathy McDonald, 7/26/07

• Old Robe Trail, Granite Falls
  Level path thru forest, then switchbacks down into the canyon. Wetlands where groves of alders and cottonwoods are interspersed with ponds. Follows river down in valley. Mine relics. Two+ miles r.t.
  Cathy McDonald, 12/6/07

• Soos Creek Regional Trail, Kent
  Seven miles of trail running along Soos Creek, an active salmon-spawning stream.  Winds through cattail marshes, meadows of wild Nootka roses & upland forests.   Guided late-night "owl prowls."
  Cathy McDonald, 12/13/07

• Klickitat Trail (Columbia Gorge)     (this looked too good not to link to directly)
  Thirty-one mile level to gentle rails-to-trail conversion.   Heads north from Lyle along the Klickitat River, then south through the rugged and remote Swale Creek Canyon.  Rolling oakd and pine-forested hillsides.  Great hike for wildflowers and excellent birding opportunities year-round.  
  Cathy McDonald, 12/18/08                                                     Klickitat Trail Conservancy