Best Seattle Stairway Workouts: Around Union Bay

Our book offers 25 stairway routes through 20 neighborhoods, with an emphasis on discovering "new" neighborhood nooks and crannies on foot. Still, we're sometimes asked which stairways are best for exercise. In response, we're showcasing Seattle stairs that lend themselves to a good workout. This third post puts the spotlight on the Union Bay area - specifically the Ravenna, Laurelhurst and Montlake neighborhoods. 

The NE 52nd Street stairs - Ravenna (Chapter 1): One of the longer stairways in town is located in Ravenna, just north of the UW and University Village. The base is located way at the back of a P-Patch garden just off Ravenna Avenue NE, where NE 52nd Street would be if it weren't so darn steep. Here, NE 52nd has been replaced by a series of stairways that head up the hill for 218 steps, pausing briefly to cross 22nd Avenue NE and then 21st Avenue NE, finally coming to an end just before 20th Avenue NE. After that, NE 52nd Street starts up again.

The lower NE 52nd Street stairs start at the back of a P-PatchThe stairs pause briefly here to cross 22nd Avenue NE, then 21st, with one last gasp just before reaching 20th

The Laurelcrest stairs - Laurelhurst (Chapter 6): Also on the north side of Union Bay, in the Laurelhurst neighborhood, is a wonderful set of 94 stairs that provides views across Lake Washington toward Kirkland as they meander down from 50th Avenue NE to Laurelcrest Lane. They don't follow any particular street right-of-way, so we just call them the Laurelcrest stairs. The top of the staircase is just a couple of houses shy of where 50th Avenue NE dead-ends. You might have some fun finding it, tucked away in shrubbery on both sides. Sidewalk landmarks include a mailbox and a fire hydrant.

Looking up the Laurelcrest stairs; the bottom ends near a small shoreline access point adjacent to the Laurelhurst Beach Club

The 22nd Avenue stairs - Montlake (Chapter 14): On the south side of Union Bay, in the Montlake neighborhood, the 107 steps at 22nd Avenue E are a nice challenge. They don't have a particular point of interest, so you'll be sure to concentrate on your up-and-down circuits. After that, you can visit one of the nearby pub or cafe opportunities along 24th Avenue E; or take a stroll in nearby Washington Park Arboretum.

The base of the 22nd Avenue stairs

Best Stairway Workouts: North Seattle

Continuing our series on good workout stairs in Seattle, we'll look at three northern neighborhoods. The first of these is well-known and frequently used by locals: a series of stairways leading from the end of the old streetcar line at Loyal Heights, down toward Golden Gardens beach.

NW 85th Street stairs - Golden Gardens (Chapter 3): If you're driving, park at the Golden Gardens Park overflow lot, located just uphill of the pedestrian tunnel that runs under the BNSF railway. You can reach the overflow lot either by driving down Golden Gardens Drive NW from the top, or by heading up from the waterside, along Seaview Place NW. From there, walk uphill a few dozen paces on the left side of the street, until you reach the bottom of the stairway. 

Alternatively, you can start from the top of the stairs, where NW 85th Street ends at 32nd Avenue NW. Either way, you'll be heading up and down four flights of stairs covering a total of 258 steps, with the added bonus of fresh beachside air.

Looking up the top flight of the NW 85th Street (a.k.a. Golden Gardens) stairs

Heading up the lower section, Golden Gardens stairs

Maple Leaf/Thornton Creek Stairs (Chapter 5): This stairway workout takes place inside the precincts of a quirky mix of urban art and creekside habitat known by the unwieldy name of "Thornton Creek Water Quality Channel." Our book goes into some detail about this fascinating spot near the Thornton Creek headwaters, but for workout purposes all you have to know is that you'll have three stairways to chose from within this 2.7 acre development.

It's located at Thornton Place next to Northgate Mall. You can locate this hidden stairway treasure between NE 103rd Street and NE 100th Street, bounded on the east by 5th Avenue NE and on the west by 3rd Avenue NE. Here, condos and a retirement residence overlook Thornton Creek as it runs through a gentle channel full of native plants. We recommend that you explore all three stairways on your workout.

The east stairway comes down from 5th Avenue NE and has 36 steps. On the south, coming down into the channel from NE 100th Street, there's a 60-step stairway. To the west, 40 steps lead up through the creekside condos to a cafe and other eateries - a one-circuit workout total of 136 steps.

East entrance, from 5th Avenue NE, 36 steps

Sixty steps lead down from NE 100th Street

NE 135th Street stairs - Cedar Park (Chapter 4): NE 135th Street ends at 40th Avenue NE in a stairway well-known to local exercisers. It's fully capable of dishing out a tough stairway workout with its steep 196 steps.

Working out on 196 steps in Cedar Park

Counting sticks at the top of the NE 135th Street stairs