8 Secret Urban Hikes for Seattle-Area Kids and Families
Photo:
A chorus frog like the ones visitors can spot in Seattle’s Prichard Wetland.
Pritchard Wetland, Seattle
What kid doesn’t love access to mud and water? Pritchard Wetland, part of Pritchard Island Beach in the Rainier Beach neighborhood of South Seattle, offers a wetland, pond and boardwalk. My son found a stick along the willow-lined gravel trail leading in and promptly began poking the mud from the elevation of the boardwalk. A few steps later we discovered neon-green moss on the rock wall opposite the duck pond.
The short trail through the wetland spans only about 1.5 city blocks, but contains lots of wildlife. On our visit, we saw mallards and a green-winged teal on the pond, and wrens and song sparrows in the lower trees. In the summertime, you can see many other birds, such as red-winged blackbirds and swallows, as well as frogs, butterflies and dragonflies.
Find it: Pritchard Wetland is accessible from the Pritchard Island Beach parking lot at 8400 55th Ave. S. A trail begins at the kiosk on the south end of the parking area. The trail ends at South Cloverdale Street, where you simply turn around and repeat your steps.
Length of trail: Less than a quarter of a mile.
Tips: Pritchard Wetland is next door to the Seattle Tilth/Seattle Parks-run Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands, open to the public on select days and hours.
Next trail: Lakeridge Park
