Carkeek Park

Natural Features

Found in the Broadview neighborhood of northwest Seattle, Carkeek Park spans 216 acres of diverse Pacific Northwest landscape. Established back in the 1920s, this urban escape features forests, shoreline, and varied terrain.

Walk through this park and you'll journey through forests, meadows, wetlands, and creeks before reaching a stretch of Puget Sound shoreline. The park doesn't make it too easy though - steep ravines and hillsides create some challenging hikes, but the viewpoints are worth the effort.

Piper's Creek and its tributaries Venema Creek and Mohlendorph Creek form one of Seattle's few remaining salmon sanctuaries. Come fall, you can witness something truly special - salmon fighting their way upstream to spawn. It's a fascinating natural phenomenon that showcases the local ecosystem.

Keep your eyes peeled for the resident wildlife. Industrious beavers have built dams throughout the wetlands, constantly reshaping the landscape. You might spot seals playing in the Sound or encounter any number of bird species that call this park home.

Trails and Beach Access

With about 6 miles of paths winding through the park, there's plenty to explore. The trails take you through dense forests of Douglas fir, western red cedar, and bigleaf maple, then open up to sunny meadows and serene wetland areas.

To reach the sandy beach, you'll cross over a pedestrian bridge spanning the BNSF railway tracks. When trains pass underneath, the bridge rumbles and shakes, adding an interesting element to your journey. Once you make it to the beach, low tide reveals tide pools where you can discover mini ecosystems filled with crabs, starfish, and anemones.

Looking up at golden autumn leaves against blue sky

Historic Orchard

One of our favorite spots in the park is Piper's Orchard, a historic fruit tree grove dating back to the late 1800s. After years of neglect, community volunteers rescued and restored this hidden location. Now it is a living museum of heritage fruit varieties.

The dedicated volunteers who maintain the orchard have preserved various apple varieties that you just don't see in grocery stores anymore. Visit in spring when the trees burst into delicate blossoms, or in fall when the fruit hangs heavy on the branches - both times offer their own unique charm.

Educational Facilities and Recreation

The Carkeek Park Environmental Learning Center hosts programs that help connect people with the natural world around them. There's also a salmon imprint pond where young salmon are raised before release - a hands-on way the park contributes to local conservation.

If you're bringing kids along, they'll love the playground with its quirky salmon slide that's become something of a local icon. Sprawling grassy areas provide plenty of space to throw a frisbee, have a picnic, or just stretch out with a good book. You can find picnic tables around the park, including some covered shelters with BBQ grills that you can reserve for gatherings.

Views and Atmosphere

The views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains from Carkeek are impressive. At sunset, the golden light reflects off the water while the mountains take on purple hues in the distance - a reminder that you're experiencing nature despite being within city limits.

Even on beautiful summer days, Carkeek rarely feels overcrowded. There's a peaceful quality here that's harder to find at some of Seattle's more popular beaches. Whether you're hiking the forest trails, exploring the wetlands, or sitting on the beach watching waves roll in, Carkeek provides a nice balance of accessibility and natural space.