Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SIGHTS
Madison Park
WASHINGTON PARK ARBORETUM
PARK
( 11)
This wild and lovely park offers a wide variety of gardens, a wetlands nature
trail and 200 acres of mature forest threaded by paths. More than 5500 plant species
grow within the arboretum's boundaries. In the spring
Azalea Way
, a jogger-free trail
that winds through the arboretum, is lined with a giddy array of pink- and orange-
flowered azaleas and rhododendrons.
Trail guides to the plant collections are available at the
Graham Visitors Center
(2300 Arboretum Dr E; 10am-4pm)
. Free guided tours of the grounds take place at 1pm
on Saturday and Sunday from January to November.
FOSTER ISLAND WETLANDS TRAIL
TRAIL
( 25)
The northern edge of Washington Park Arboretum includes this wonderful
woodchip-paved trail around Foster Island in Lake Washington's Union Bay, a picnic
spot that once was a burial ground for Union Bay Native Americans. The waterfront
trail winds through marshlands and over a series of floating bridges to smaller islands
and reedy shoals.
Bird-watching is popular here, as are swimming, fishing and kayaking. It's just too
bad that the busy, elevated Hwy 520 roars above the island.
DENNY BLAINE PARK
PARK
( 2)
South of Madison Park toward the tail of Lake Washington Blvd is Denny Blaine
Park, found at the end of a looping tree-lined lane. This predominantly lesbian beach is
surrounded by an old stone wall, which marked the shoreline before the lake level was
dropped 9ft during construction of the shipping canal.
