Bellevue: Kelsey Creek Farm

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 

Mount Baker

Among Seattle stairs, the Dose Terrace steps are one of the classics. This stairway features an inlaid brass sign at the top, an ornate wedding cake-like balcony near the bottom and fantastic views across Lake Washington. This Seattle stairway walk starts with a flourish, but it continues on a series of high notes, carrying into beautiful Colman Park before turning into the residential neighborhood. There you'll encounter more cool stairways, and scenic and historical highlights at every turn: Bradner Gardens Park; the East Portal Viewpoint; and Mount Baker Ridge Viewpoint.

The slideshow marked by the "www" icon includes additional pictorial content referenced in the book; see more pictures and a side-trip suggestion below the slideshow.

 

We love Bradner Gardens Park! It has so many working parts - P-Patch; demonstration garden; nice views of downtown; an incredible log sculpture depicting the life-cycle of salmon (including a kingfisher eating a fry). Check out the amazing unisex bathroom!

Photo by Joyce Moty
Bradner bathroom mosaic artists: Liz, Joyce, and Gyda (Photo by Clair Cloquitt)

Mount Baker Ridge Viewpoint is a highlight of this walk; from here you can see Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains through the gap left by the Dearborn Regrade (partially hidden by tree on right)

From the start of this route, it's a 0.9 mile one-way side trip over to the Horton Street stairs, which feature a water-spouting gargoyle at the bottom (rainy days only)! Check out the picture here.