8 Secret Urban Hikes for Seattle-Area Kids and Families

Along the west edge of Mercerdale Park and the Mercer Island Shopping Center is a substantial greenbelt called Mercerdale Hillside. It is 24 acres of forested open space owned and managed by Mercer Island Parks and Recreation. The hillside of bigleaf maples and conifers contains a network of level trails and well-maintained stairways connecting the upper neighborhood to the retail area below. Signage posts on neighborhood streets along the woods point you in the direction of the trails, reading simply “Trail.”

The trails branch off the stairways at different levels and meander through the woods until terminating blocks away on neighborhood streets. We wore boots the day of our visit and were glad we did, as the trails are not graveled. The forest is mixed trees, with an indication of woodpecker activity, and also lots of groundcover that attracted two hummingbirds battling for turf as we walked by.

You could easily spend an afternoon exploring the whole stretch of greenbelt with kids.

Find it: Mercerdale Hillside is accessible from Mercerdale Park, located at 3249 78th Ave. S.E. on Mercer Island. Don’t miss the fabulous new playground here. Park at the Mercerdale Park parking lot (by the thrift store) and walk to the stairs that start at Southeast 32nd Street and 77th Avenue Southeast. There are bathrooms at the base of the stairs and this is an excellent starting point.

Length of trail: A half-mile round trip, and longer if extended to the northern section of the hillside. Find a trail map here.

Tips: The steep stairways are excellent for a more seasoned junior walker, and obviously not suitable for strollers. When you are done on the trails, the onsite playground and skate park are welcome diversions.

Next trail: O.O. Denny Park