A great short hike through the wetlands, close to U of W. Lots of bird watching opportunities, seeing lots of ducks, hummingbirds, raptors, and other water loving birds and creatures. A cool spot of nature, between lake Washington, Washington State Arboretum, and the University. Looking forward to coming back, when the ice is gone, and enjoying a sunny breezy day by the lake. Easy hike with lots of food and drink opportunities close by. Yelping on, Cheers! read more

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This was a nice easy nature walk we did before leaving for the airport. It was a rainy day and I had a great time exploring this haven near the University of Washington. If I were a student at the school, I'd definitely go running here. When I went by the water, I saw the cutest ducks and I swear I could tell that they were genuinely happy by their wiggles in their tails. So adorable. Highly recommend this serene spot for a wind down after a good meal or when you want to douse yourself in nature and be near the water. read more

Union Bay Natural Area - Mushrooms - Parks Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I love, love, love the nature! I love walks. Urban walks that make you feel like you've left the city hold a special place in my heart. The only bit that bothered me a little was related to this park being situated on an old landfill. I hear those leak eventually, and it was a little disturbing to see a couple of puddles of oil on the ground and some slightly unusual bubbles coming from the creek. I definitely prefer parks and trails to development and blocked off unused space, so... I guess this is as good as it gets for such a space. read more

Union Bay Natural Area - Parks Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I absolutely LOVE this place!! I will be planning multiple visits here over the summer. If you want to enjoy the outdoors and be out and about walking around while enjoying multiple scenery variations in one big area of land this is definitely the place!! It's about 50 acres which is awesome! I recently got into bird watching with my boyfriend and this was seriously the spot! It's not very crowded and it's very secluded all while being in the open of the bay on the edge into Lake Washington. There was plenty to enjoy, tons of benches when you want to stop walking and watch the birds or creep on the people out on their boats LOL. There was a ton of dragonflies and butterflies out which was super cool to see. Tons of wild bunnies out roaming in the grass. Unfortunately the visitor center was closed when we went so the bathrooms were closed so plan ahead for that. Make sure you bring your binoculars, water bottle, and snacks if you want to hang out there for the day! read more

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A difficult place to review, as there's not much to compare to. To convert a landfill to a park is something else. I find it entertaining the masses of lush plant life growing everywhere that they need to remove for wildlife restoration projects, not sure I get it. A great place to enjoy some local wildlife with nice gravel trails, I always park @ the UW Botanic Gardens. read more

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It's a pure delight to come here. The vast untouched area surrounded by lower UW, grass and nature.You can forget that you are near University Village and all the hub-bub. Just nice birds, skies and long trails to walk on. read more

Once one of the city dumps, it's been making a slow recovery back towards its natural wetland habitat for the last few decades. A friend tipped his kayak in the water and the wretched oily residue stayed on his skin for a week. The himalayan blackberries may be tempting in the late summer, but think twice about it -- the ecological cleanup is far from finished. In spite (and perhaps, because) of this, this is one of my favorite local natural paths. Last winter, when the temperature dropped below freezing for a week, the interior ponds froze over. It was fantastic. There are some good views and spots to relax in the sun/shade near the southwestern corner. Other than that, this is an easy spot to put in a kayak for exploring the wetland region around here and the Arboretum. read more

Despite the name, the Union Bay "Natural" Area is more reconstructed than natural. It's a large open space constructed over what used to be a dump. They've done a good job. There are lots of trails and ponds, and you can walk right up to the shore of the lake. I've often watched turtles sunning themselves on logs from this spot. I've never seen a beaver, but there's lots of evidence of their activity -- to the point that a lot of trees have been wrapped in a sort of fencing around the base to prevent the beavers from cutting them down. If you're driving to UBNA, the best place to park is at the Center for Urban Horticulture (turn onto Mary Gates Memorial Drive from the 5 Corners intersection). There's a good amount of free parking there, and when the visitor center is open there are restrooms available inside. Otherwise there aren't any restrooms in the park itself (I don't remember any porta-potties either although there might have been one near the sports fields). This is a great place to watch birds, and if you follow the trail from the Center for Urban Horticulture, there's a board where people have listed unusual bird species that they've seen that day or in the past few days. I've gotten quite close to herons -- they seem to love the ponds here. I've also seen plenty of bald eagles (including juveniles) and in the spring, the trilling call of the red-winged blackbird is everywhere. I've also seen lots of garter snakes! Unfortunately, you can't totally forget the site's past. On several of the trails, I've seen a weird oily substance oozing up, and if you follow the stream that runs through the site, you can see bubbles of a mystery gas coming up through the bottom. Also, if there are games going on in the sports fields nearby, they have a tendency to blare their music and sports commentary really loudly, which detracts from the "natural" feeling of the area. Overall, though, I think it's a good place to go for walks and watch birds and other wildlife, and it's inspiring how well the space has been restored. read more

The UBNA which in a past live was known as the Montlake Fill is a great spot in the heart of Seattle to experience a slice of nature. The small loop is always teaming with wildlife. The birding here is fantastic for such and urban place. Many rarities are always showing up. If you aren't bird watching you can stroll the path enjoying the sights of Lake Washington, the local trees and plants. Amazing so much wonder can come from the dirt thrown aside while making the the ship canal. read more

Who doesn't love a beautiful park in the middle of the city? Beautiful views of Lake Washington, excellent bird watching (lots of red-wing blackbirds, bald eagles, herons, etc.) Plenty of free parking - and an easy, walkable loop (just bring boots or waterproof shoes in the winter - it can get muddy!) read more