A long (6.5 mi) scenic walk along Lake Washington on the eastern edge of Seattle with views toward Bellevue and the Cascade Mountains.
You can start along this route anywhere you please. Our walking route will start at Seward Park. You can get here by vehicle or by taking the 39 bus.
Head north along the sidewalk. To your right is Bailey Peninsula, home of Seward Park. Depending on the weather, there may be quite a few boaters anchored in the water here.
As will be the case throughout most of this walk, here are quite a few impressive homes perched upon the hill overlooking the Lake.
After a short walk, the sidewalk will diverge from the road briefly to stay near the water, as it will do occasionally along the lake.
You will veer left and pass another parking lot and a conglomeration of water lilies near the shore near Lakewood Moorage.
A little farther along you will reach Sayres Memorial Park, named after Stanley Sayres who brought hydroplane racing to Seattle. This park is used to launch hydroplanes during the annual Seafair festival and is also home of the Mount Baker Rowing and Sailing Center.
It’s about another mile until you get to I-90 and there is not much in between except for a couple piers that will take you farther out into the beautiful blue of the lake. Lake Washington Blvd will veer left at Lake Washington Blvd Park and pass through Colman Park, but feel free to continue along Lakeside Ave S to enjoy the flat ground and stay near the lake.
A row of houses will interrupt the view of the lake around this point, but some of these homes are sights in themselves. I-90 marks the halfway point between Seward Park and Madison Park.
After passing some apartments, you’ll encounter the only commercial area along the walk, including some upscale lakeside dining. There are some parking lots in this area, so you’ll have to be careful for vehicle traffic.
You’ll encounter some slight elevation gain and another row of houses between the path and the water. You’ll pass by Viretta Park and then a complex intersection. Washington Blvd goes into Lakeview Park. Stay along McGilvra Ave E.
Continue north past the Seattle Tennis Club and into the neighborhood of Madison Park. Here you can start the short Madison Park walking route or get a bus ride back into downtown Seattle via the 11 bus. Or feel free to head 6.5 miles back to where we started.
highlights: Uninterrupted path with no streets to cross, lake views, beautiful homes, several parks
lowlights: A few parking lots, some interruptions to the lake view, not many places to stop for a drink
