A nice little hidden park that only the local homeless, crazies, junkies, and occasional neighbors…read moreknow about. It's all quite a bit cleaner than you might expect from a lawn with big willow trees barely a foot out of the water. Come and hang out while the under age kids drink and imbibe burning substances and watch the boats go by. I'm going to remember this place for most picnic activities while I remain in the neighborhood.

I love this park. It is nice to have a small patch of green within walking distance of my…read moreapartment. With easy access to the water, I can get my feet wet or jump in to cool off in the summer and make my dog splash around when he's hot. The view is fantastic and there is generally a good amount of sun and shade if you need to make the switch on a nice day. The only con is the noise of the freeway, but I am easily able to look over that when the sun is out.

Spanning 77 acres of Lake Washington lakefront on Mercer Island, Luther Burbank Park was named…read moreafter the famous 19th century U.S. horticulturalist, who crossbred to introduce flowers and crops, including the Russet Burbank potato (famously used by McDonald's to make their iconic french fries). I had the opportunity to visit it twice during a 2 night stay on Mercer Island. It was one of the nicest waterfront city parks I've visited. There are two entrances to the park, with the North and South entrances leading to large free parking lots. The South Entrance was the closer one to both the light rail station and our Airbnb, both about a 20 minute walk away. The South parking lot is closer to the Swim Beach (a nice little beach with a protected swimming area). It is also closer to the Earth Sculpture "The Source" (to me, a cross between crop circles, Indian mounds, and a labyrinth. My wife mentioned she felt a different energy from it as we walked by. The Meadow is a large picnic area between the two parking lots. The North lot is close to the tennis (now pickleball) courts, and all were filled when we walked by. The Amphitheater is also located nearby, and is the place for free performances during the summer months (for 2026, performances of Macbeth by Seattle's Shakespeare Company. At the north end of the park, are two off-leash dog areas (one for smaller, more shy dogs). My son-in-law and daughter took their mini-dachshund there to play, which was enjoyed by everyone. Small note about Luther Burbank: many parks and schools are named after him, including Luther Burbank Elementary School(s) in Long Beach, CA and Burbank, CA (though the city itself was named after a different Burbank).

This is a great park that I've visited periodically over the years. A nice spot to relax, fish and…read morenow play pickleball. I was looking to play during my last visit and a friend suggested going here. First off I had no idea they added pickleball courts and was impressed at the 8 very nice courts and good level of competition. The format took a little getting used to as it appeared to have been 4 on, 4 off. I could tell there were a lot of regulars here and everyone really came to play. I wish I could've played here again but I guess it will have to wait until my next visit.

A very nice walk through park to park (from West to East Montlakes). The trail is over the…read moreconnection to the lake. But the part underneath the bridge has a urine smell. Some people have painted the some walls. At the end, there is a little beach and a tiny spot for a picnic. Loved that there were some trashcans and a benches to admire the water. I advice to go back through this trail because if you yo back through the Arboretum, you'll have to cross some streets and cars don't stop in more of the times. And it can get very warm during the summer.

I love this area, one of a few places in Seattle where I can relax and breath. Has a nice view and…read morewater canal. Only street parking, 2 hours

With COVID still raging, I wanted to go somewhere that isn't necessarily popular and filled with…read morepeople, but still plenty charming. Cedar River Trail fit the bill perfectly. We parked at Liberty Park, which is next to the Renton library. From there, you can walk down to the trail, heading northward. The first part of the trail is a brick path, immediately adjacent to Cedar River. This portion gets flooded during the heavy rain season. On this pleasant day, we were visited by ducks and enjoyed some flowers along the way. This trail also goes pass one of the Boeing sites. If you trespass, you can get up close and personal to some 737's though I am not recommending that. :P The trail transitions to the official park portion, named Cedar River Trail Park. Normally, there are pamphlets for kids to explore nature. But with COVID, they are not leaving any papers out to grab. The area has picnic tables for your convenience. The north end of this trail is the Renton Rowing Center and the southern tip of Lake Washington. You can literally see Mercer Island in front of you, Seattle to the left, and Bellevue to the right. I loved standing here enjoying the breeze from the lake and the view. If you're lucky, there are several benches up for grabs here. Two sculptures during this walk were particularly fitting. A boat themed one with a message of we're all in this together, and a boy reading with a mask on. The round trip of my walk was just under 4 miles.

This is a great ~17 mile long trail that goes along the Cedar river that goes from Lake Washington…read moreall the was down to the watershed. Some portions are paved and very accessible while other areas are unpaved. I haven't been on the trial in it's entirety, but the areas I have been to are maintained nicely. Like many (if not all) of the trails in Washington, there's a variety of animals and scenery to enjoy and take in while you get some exercise in. There are also a few places along the way that have those "adult playgrounds," ...I mean exercise equipment...to further enhance your workout. There are actually playgrounds as well for the kiddos to enjoy! Well, once people decide to get with the program and keep their germs to themselves. Lots of open space, wear sunscreen!

I'm sitting here at the park hoping my little girl will sleep a bit longer so mama can enjoy her…read more"day off." This is my first time here and it checks off so many boxes for me as a mama of little kids. Even though it's located close to a busy street, it's quite serene here. The playground areas have enough for small and bigger kids to burn off energy. There's a climbing wall, a little zipline, slides and swings. There is a small paved path around the playground areas, which as a stroller user is nice. I took a stroll down towards the water, and it was nice and peaceful, even though it's right underneath 68th/Juanita Dr. There is a small covered picnic area and a couple of BBQs. There are bathrooms with a changing table(!) and the bathroom seems to be well kept. I'm not sure of dogs are allowed, but there is so much grassy area to run around, have a picnic in, or toss a ball around. This place is kind of an introverted mom's dream park. And TBH, I am not a botanist. So, I can't tell you how many rhododendrons there are, but there are certainly a lot of flowers in bloom. My allergies know this.

Great little park with a basketball court playground and shelter for events. I was here to attend a…read morebirthday on a warm summer day and it was very nice. There's a decent sized parking lot for this park and its off the busy road so you don't have to worry too much about runaway toddlers and kids.

The Mercer slough is a lovely place to walk...if the temperature has consistently been under 45. Ya…read moreknow what a slough is? It's a swamp/marsh/wetland/mosquitoes-will-murder-you place. Overall it's a beautiful place to walk. The trails are well maintained and there are some great views. This area has a few different trails to choose from that appear to be mostly loops. It's close enough to the freeways that you get a good amount of traffic noise, but if you go early in the morning it's not too bad. The mosquitoes are most certainly the worst part of this area. Either way, I think it's great we're letting nature be nature.

Since moving back to the Far East (aka Eastside) I was worried about places to walk our…read morenot-so-dog-friendly dog. Admittedly, having Green Lake at our front door was both a blessing and curse. Now we live right across the street from Mercer Slough, and it's been great! Nature right at our front door without the crowds!!! If you walk/run the perimeter it's about a 10k. Inside you'll find trails that are great for just about everyone. Beware you may see garter snakes, but also the occasional otter, beaver, and rabbits too! It's also great for birdwatching. Parking is VERY limited, especially with sound transit light rail being built by Bellevue Way. There is a small parking lot off 118th Ave SE, and some parking along that road, but check the road signs. There is also an Environmental education center and event spaces available. Overall, I enjoy being able to just go across the street and walk my pooch without fear of being run over by bikers and skaters.

Terminal 107 Park (T-107 Park) is a beautiful Port of Seattle park providing public shoreline…read moreaccess to the Duwamish River and walking trails to roam through groves of trees. I visited this park a couple of times in early September this year, 2020, and enjoyed each of my visits. A sign trimmed by a neon lime green metal frame is easily visible from W Marginal Way SW marking where to pull in if you are driving to this location. The park is also located alongside the Duwamish Trail, making walking access easy as well. Walking trails loop throughout the park and lead down to the shore of the Duwamish River in a few locations. The trees are cool and I encountered a number of apple trees so ripe and bursting with fruit that the ripened apples had started dropping to the ground. Birds are in abundance here as well, I even saw a Great Blue Heron befriend some ducks one day and a junco foraging away. The tail of the West Seattle Bridge can be glimpsed from certain spots along the river. In addition to the trails, trees, and shoreline access there is a scaled down replica of a former fishing boat used in the area, a story trail towards the south end of the park, large grassy areas to walk or play around, benches to look out over the water and the park, and covered picnic tables. The parking lot is easy to pull in and out of and can hold a small number of cars. Herring's House Park borders Terminal 107 Park to the north, and I found the distinguishing feature between the two was that the trails in Herring's House Park were paved near the boundary of the two parks. The two parks have separate parking lots though there is walking access between them.

Now renamed the name of the native village that was here at least 1400 years. Archaeological dig…read moreproved natives well living here along this river and eating shellfish here since before the time of King Charlemagne. Duwamish Tribe has its longhouse & museum across the street from this archaeological site. Someone needs to erect a marker that this place is on the World Historic Cultural Register. See 1970's archaeological report inside the Duwamish Longhouse. More info at www.DuwamishTribe.org Chief Seattle was joint Chief of the Duwamish & Suquamish Tribes. Seattle's mother was Duwamish. Some Duwamish lived along the river. Seattle's mother was from the People of the Lake. Chief Seattle's father was Suquamish so Chief Seattle ended up being chief of both related Coast Salish tribes. From this park you can see bird life and Kellogg Island in the river. Look North towards the West Seattle bridge to see Osprey nesting platform and Perigrine Falcons who nest under the bridge. The Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition, especially James Rasmussen, have worked decades to clean up the environmental damage businesses have done to this river since non natives settled starting in the 1850's. Currently fish caught in this river would still be carcinogenic, but many people are fighting so that perhaps someday the fish is not carcinogenic and it becomes safe to wade in the polluted river. Lots of native plantings have been added in the parks along the river. If you are attending an event at the Duwamish Longhouse, probably you would park here at the park's parking lot. Soon a proper crosswalk will be added so people can safely cross the road with fast truck drivers not always watching for pedestrians. A new path along the river has been added so pedestrians and bikes can travel more safely. This park parking lot also might be overflow parking for events at the Heron's Nest property, about a half mile South of this park.

Nice trail, came on a Saturday at 8am and was able to find parking in the main lot easily. Got…read morepretty crowded on the trail after 10am. Seeing lots of dog poop bags near the trailheads very disappointing to see, pick up after yourselves and leave no trace!!

This is my Go-To trail to take anyone visiting! Best bite-sized PNW hike…read more It is 12/10 on the reward-to-effort ratio. It's just hard enough to feel like a challenge (in a good way) but not too hard that it's not fun anymore for a non-hiker. The summit is stunning - you can see the lake and a blanket of beautiful evergreens from the top. Plenty of parking and places to picnic at the base too. The only con - it can get REALLY crowded as it is a popular hike, but hey make some new friends and see some cute dogs ^__^