Trip Report
Urban Walk - Husky Stadium to Washington Park Playfield
This route was a good choice for a January urban walk. Everyone enjoyed exploring the new pedestrian pathways at the Montlake/520 interchange and the arboretum's Witt Winter Garden added extra interest due to the witch hazel and other blooming fragrant plants. We also enjoyed seeing the sculpture shown to the right, titled Union by John Grade; it is represents western red cedar cell structures.
Patty Ryan
- Fri, Jan 31, 2025
- Urban Walk - Husky Stadium to Washington Park Playfield
- Seattle Olmsted Circuit: Ballard Locks to Rainier Beach to Ballard Locks
- Urban Walking
- Successful
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- Road suitable for all vehicles
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The walkways and paths on our route were in good condition. There were a few mud puddles on the Arboretum Waterfront Trail which we took on our way back to our starting location. We did not encounter any hazards or obstacles.
Our urban walk was a delightful loop route. We started at the south end of the light rail station at UW's Husky Stadium, went south on the Montlake Bridge, then made a quick u-turn to go down the steps to the Montlake Cut. We walked east for approximately 1 block, then headed up to the new pedestrian walkways on the eastside of the Montlake/520 interchange. It's delightful to walk on those new, wide paths that are well marked. There are new plantings to create a wonderful urban park in the mist of a very busy interchange.
Using the new pathways, we walked to the edge of the Montlake neighborhood and then headed to the arboretum. To our delight, we walked over the Wilcox Footbridge; then on to the Graham Visitor Center.
After a short break, we walked through the arboretum to the Stone Cottage. Next, we headed back in the direction of the visitor center, winding our way through the center of the arboretum.
We stopped by the Union sculpture, a lovely artwork by John Grade which represents western red cedar cell structures. After our visit to the sculpture, we went on to the Witt Winter Garden. Witch Hazel and other winter plants were just coming into bloom, providing interest and some nice scents for us.
On the last leg of our trip, we took the Arboretum Waterfront Trail over Marsh Island and back to the Montlake bridge. We saw turkey tail fungi (below), several different types of ducks, and two eagles.
My Gaia track recorded 5.25 miles with 187 ft of elevation gain. Our total time on our walk was 2 hours and 47 minutes. In summary, this was a delightful route that I will certainly make use of again.