8 Secret Urban Hikes for Seattle-Area Kids and Families

Madrona Woods, also called Madrona Ravine, is the greenbelt above Madrona Park in the Madrona neighborhood of Seattle. This spot offers a quiet retreat from the sound of cars on Lake Washington Boulevard. Maintained by the dedicated Friends of Madrona Woods, the 9-acre forest features trails, a daylighted Madrona creek and waterfall, and the novelty of a weathered 1940s-era Ford sedan lodged into the hillside. The day we visited was rainy; boots are recommended in this case. However, the tree cover gave us good protection from the rain and the trails are wide and navigable for the baby jogger I had brought along.

On the trails, we met a volunteer who was laying gravel on a muddier route through the woods. The trails are hilly with reinforced planked stairs, and they branch off across the slope to emerge into the neighborhood or the lakeside park below. Down by the creek, the skunk cabbage was brilliant yellow and glowing in the low light of the afternoon.

Find it: Madrona Woods does not have an exact address. It has several upper access entries on 38th Avenue and East Spring Street in Seattle, as well as a crosswalk from Madrona Park below. I recommend parking in the neighborhood above the woods, where street parking is easy and there is no traffic. Bathrooms are available at the park below.

Length of trail: A quarter of a mile, with branching trails across a hillside. Look for views of Lake Washington through the foliage.

Tips: Madrona’s fine shopping district is close by, with treat destinations such as Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream and Cupcake Royale for after your hike.

Next trail: Pritchard Wetland