Best parks for a Thanksgiving Weekend stroll - Greater Seattle on the Cheap

Here are some recommended mostly urban parks and trails that make for a nice after dinner “constitutional” on Thanksgiving Day or anytime over the long weekend.

These easy, beautiful nature walks are perfect for a leisurely stroll with the whole family. All are all open daily from dawn to dusk.

(Grouped buy regions running north to south throughout the Puget Sound region)

Parks for an easy walk north of Seattle

Everett Evergreen Arboretum & Gardens is situated on 3½ acres in American Legion Memorial Park includes ten themed gardens, sculptures, and ADA approved pervious pathways in most areas.

Best Seattle parks for an easy walk

Aerial view of Green Lake photo by Dcoetzee (public domain). Green Lake is a small “pot hole” lake in a dense urban area, with a flat, paved 3-mile path circling the lake.

Seattle Green Lake Park is Seattle’s iconic urban park and natural preserve for hundreds of species of trees, plants, and birds. The 2.8-mile path around the lake is well-maintained and a popular recreational spot for walkers, runners, bikers, and skaters.

Seattle Commodore Park offers great views of Salmon Bay along the south side of Seattle’s Lake Washington Ship Canal (across from Ballard Locks). Water flows through the spillways and ships and boats of all sizes can be observed traversing the Ballard locks. There is a short, comfortable walk along a promenade.

Seattle Washington Park Arboretum offers year-round interest along the trails that wind through 230 acres of gardens, natural areas, and wetlands.

Seattle Olympic Sculpture Park, maintained by Seattle Art Museum is a 9-acre former industrial transformed into open and vibrant green space that provides you a unique opportunity to experience BIG art outdoors against the beauty of the Olympic Mountains (weather permitting) and Puget Sound.

Seattle Seward Park in south Seattle features an easy, flat, paved perimeter path around an old-growth forest with beautiful, natural views of Lake Washington, including Mount Rainier.

Seattle Chinese Garden is one of the largest Chinese gardens outside of China. The 4.6 acre garden is a showcase for elements customary to Chinese gardens: plants, stones, architecture, and water. Admission is free, although donations are greatly appreciated.

Seattle Kubota Garden features a stunning 20-acres of hills and valleys, the streams, waterfalls, ponds, rock outcroppings and an exceptionally rich and mature collection of plant material. Open year-round during daylight hours.

King County Parks with easy, family friendly walks

A couple and their dog on a Cougar Mountain trail walk (CC2)

King County Parks system covers 26,000 acres of public lands and trails at 200 parks. Don’t know where to start? Here are several of the best-known parks:

Burke-Gilman Trail runs more than 20 miles from Shilshole Bay in the City of Seattle to the City of Bothell where it intersects the Sammamish River Trail.

Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park has over 35 miles of trails wending through diverse habitats such as mature second growth forests, streams and wetlands, cliffs, and caves. Depending on where you go, you may enjoy sweeping views, waterfall, and wildlife. We’ve listed a few specific trails below that are easy and suitable for family outings with children or dogs on leash. Caution: Hiking shoes or boots are recommended, especially if it’s been rainy and trails may be muddy or slippery. Be sure to visit the WTA link for each trail and read current trips reports about trail conditions.

(Cougar Mountain Trails listed by length of trip)

Mine Shaft Trail (0.6 miles roundtrip) is a short jaunt to a deep mineshaft left over from mining activities that used to take place on Cougar Mountain in the late 1800s.
Red Town Meadow & Trails (1.5 miles roundtrip) is an easy, very green trail in the northwest corner of Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park. View artifacts from the coal mining era.
Coal Creek Falls (2.5 miles roundtrip) is a wonderful destination for any day hiker looking for an easy and/or family friendly trail with a picturesque culmination at Coal Creek Falls. It’s a well maintained trail that meanders beneath a thick canopy and a dense understory.
Shangri La (3.4 miles roundtrip) is appropriately named. This is a gorgeous trail accessible from Harvey Manning Trailhead (formerly Anti-Aircraft Trailhead) on Cougar Mountain. On clear days, views of the Olympics and much closer-in Tiger Mountain grace hikers’ field of vision.
Wildside Trail-De Leo Wall (4.2 miles roundtrip. A moderate, popular, year-round loop trail in the Issaquah Alps. Enter at the Red Town trailhead.
Anti-Aircraft Peak Trail (4.75 miles roundtrip). Begin your hike at the Sky Country Trailhead. Hike past sites associated with coal and clay mining, and a former 1950s-era anti-aircraft missile installation. Enjoy good forest trails and a million-dollar view.

Interurban Trail links Tukwila, Kent, Auburn, Algona, and Pacific along a near-straight 14 mile-long alignment following the historic Interurban Railway Line. Access and parking are provided at numerous locations along the trail.

Sammamish River Trail (SRT) runs 10.1 miles along the river from Bothell to Marymoor Park in Redmond and is part of the “Locks to Lakes Corridor.” The trail is paved its entire length and is one of King County’s most popular regional trails with extraordinary views of the river, the broad Sammamish River Valley, Cascade foothills, and Mt. Rainier. Access the SRT from Blyth Park, Bothell Landing, Jerry Wilmot Park, 60-Acre Park, or Marymoor Park.

Snoqualmie Valley Trail (SVT) meanders through one of the most beautiful agricultural valleys in the region. The trail flows past working farms as well as preserved open space areas, and connects to the cross-state John Wayne Pioneer Trail in Iron Horse State Park. Points of interest along the SVT include Tolt-MacDonald Park, Meadowbrook Farm, Three Forks Natural Area, and the Tokul Trestle.

Soos Creek Trail features a gentle grade in a natural setting suitable for leisurely strolls. A Connection to the Lake Youngs Trail (9 miles, unpaved) can be made along SE 216th St corridor.

Parks for an easy walk south of Seattle

Aerial view of Foothills National Recreation Trail

Foothills National Recreation Trail meanders for 21 miles through the river valley from Puyallup to Buckley (CC2)

Lake Wilderness Arboretum in Maple Valley includes five acres of display gardens and 30 acres of forest trails with a diverse plant collections in both natural and cultivated landscapes.

Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden situated on 10½ acres adjacent to the North SeaTac Community Center is a one-of-a-kind heritage location that was created to preserve some of the area’s most treasured gardens.

Foothills National Recreation Trail begins in the City of Puyallup and continues through the Puyallup River Valley passing through Orting before ending at the White River in Buckley. The entire trail is 21 miles! But there are several trailheads where you can pickup the trail and walk for as long as you like and return the same way. The sections east of Orting are considered the more scenic routes.

Best Tacoma parks for an easy walk

Stunning view of Mount Rainier from Ruston Way park in Tacoma – DepositPhotos.com

Tacoma Point Defiance Park is 760-acres including a natural forest, saltwater beaches, and spectacular views. Open daily and parking is free. The Primary trails through the park are foot trails (no bicycles). The Five Mile Drive outer loop is closed to vehicle traffic in the morning (M-F until 10AM, Sa-Su until 1PM).

Tacoma’s Ruston Way Waterfront is a stunning two-mile path along the saltwater banks of Puget Sound with views of Mount Rainier and Commencement Bay.

Tacoma Gordon Dee Alcorn Arboretum on grounds of the University of Puget Sound honors biology professor and campus arborist Gordon Alcorn tireless dedication to his students, academic excellence, and the preservation of nature and the environment.

Fort Steilacoom Park located south of Tacoma offers 340-acres of trails, which you can navigate on foot or by bike.

But wait, there’s more!