Kelsey Creek Farm Park in Bellevue is a largely overlooked gem. We hope no one minds us adopting it as a Seattle stairway walk! Kelsey Creek is Seattle's largest watershed. It runs right down the middle of the park, providing habitat for spawning salmon and for an abundant population of migratory and resident birds. One of our favorites is the Belted Kingfisher, a medium-sized bird with a big crested head and an outsized, dangerous-looking beak. These birds are often seen perched on a snag, looking to spear a meal.
By the early 1900s the area around the park was a logged-out wasteland. In 1921 the land was sold and transformed into a farm and dairy. In 1968 the City of Bellevue agreed to buy the land for a very generous price, once the city agreed to maintain the farm as a park and education center. Today the animals on this working farm can be seen year-round (a good bet for kids!). Two large barn structures remain, one of them partly devoted to school tours and preschool-age classes about farm life.
The route starts by going on a trail past the farm buildings on the western side of the park, then crosses the Kelsey Creek wetlands on a long, gently sloping wooden footbridge. Then it heads up the verdant hillside on a bark-surfaced trail that feels pleasantly springy underfoot. Several stairways take you up and down the north and south ends of the hillside; the main route is short, just 1.2 miles, but you can add another 2 miles with a side trip to Wilburton Hill Park and the gorgeous Bellevue Botanical Garden.
The "www" icon marking the slideshow below refers to additional pictorial content referenced in the book. For even more pictures, scroll below the slideshow.
Heading up the hillside stairways
Stairs and then more stairs...the trail itself is a springy bark carpet, a great rainy-day surface
A view of Bellevue Botanical Garden - well worth the side trip, which adds about 2 round-trip miles to the main route
A Hosta along the path, in Bellevue Botanical Garden