City of Seattle, WA
08/27/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/27/2024 16:21
Take Transit to A New Park!
By Todd Burley
Seattle has a vast network of nearly 500 parks all over the city, from Puget Sound in the west to Lake Washington in the east. Unless you happened to write the book on Seattle's parks, it is unlikely that you've had a chance to visit them all, just due to the vast amount. More than likely, you've visited parks in your neighborhood, since 99% of residents in Seattle live within a 10-minute walk to a park.
Many people have challenges to access parks in parts of the city outside their neighborhood - whether based on income, time, mobility, or transportation. Yet affordable and accessible transit options exist in Seattle to get you out to explore a new city park not so near to you.
The Wilderness Society (TWS) published a report on transit access to parks in King County (see fact sheet), noting that many people find it difficult to access some parks due to inadequate transit service or too many transfers leading to long travel times. Luckily, in Seattle there is good access to most parks via King County Metro and Link Light Rail. However, identifying which routes to take and when they operate can be tricky. Here are some tips to take transit to some of the top parks identified in TWS's report.
Seward Park - Looking for big nature in the city? Seward Park offers old growth forest trails, a perimeter path, playground, swimming beach, a clay studio and an Audubon Center. Route 50 stops just one block away from Seward Park and has connections to the Link Light Rail Columbia City Station and continues all the way to West Seattle, turning around at Alki Beach Park.
[Link]Discovery Park - Discover Discovery Park, a former military base with acres of trails, forest, beach, and meadows to explore. Route 33 leaves downtown and winds through Magnolia to end at Discovery Park.
[Link]Lincoln Park - The RapidRide C-Line will take you from Lake Union Park to Lincoln Park through downtown, even offering a stop at Fauntleroy Park. Enjoy Lincoln Park's forests, trails, beach, playgrounds, and watch the ferries leave across the Sound.
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Carkeek Park - Plan a trip to see salmon spawn in the fall, watch the trains zoom by, hike the forested paths, or explore the beach at low tide. Carkeek Park is a natural wonderland. Hop on the Route 28 bus in downtown or Ballard and plan for a hike, as the bus stop is at the top of the park and you'll need to walk down to explore it.
Kubota Garden -Route 106 drops visitors off right at the entrance to Kubota Garden and even continues on to Lakeridge Park. This route connects to Light Rail, the Mt. Baker Transit Center, and the International District, so you can see a stunning Japanese Garden in the morning and get food in the Chinatown-International District for lunch.
[Link]Everyone's journey is unique, so make sure to plan ahead using the King County Metro Trip Planner. If you have mobility issues, consider using Metro's Access Transportation service that uses specialized vans to get you where you need to go. If you live just outside the city and in one of the pilot areas, consider trying the Community Van to get to a park that has always seemed out of reach.
However you get there, Seattle's parks are open for all and ready to welcome you to get into nature or attend a program. Explore our many parks and discover your next adventure, maybe by transit this time!