Not for Tourists Guide to Seattle by Not for Tourists

Author:Not for Tourists
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781628735871
Publisher: Not For Tourists
Published: 2014-04-04T04:00:00+00:00

General Information

NFT Map: 11

Address: 3801 W Government Wy Seattle, WA 98199

Phone: 206-386-4236

Website: www.seattle.gov/parks/environment/discovery.htm

Hours: 6 am–11 pm

Overview

Discovery Park is by far Seattle’s largest park, covering over 530 acres. Located on the Magnolia bluffs, the park occupies most of the former Fort Lawton military base. Discovery offers the most extensive hiking trails within the city, just under 12 miles worth of trails, making it the perfect destination for those times when you’ve just had enough of the city, but don’t want to go too far away.

You will find that Discovery has an amazing amount of natural diversity. On a single trail you will encounter open meadows, breathtaking sea cliffs (don’t get too close!), forested areas, thickets, streams, and even an active sand dune. There is a short hike down to two miles of protected tidal beaches with tree houses along the way for scenic views of the Puget Sound and a resting place for the brutal hike back. All of the trails are well marked, but be sure to remember which parking lot you left your car in, because it’s easy to get lost. You can print out a map of the trails from the Discovery Park website.

The views you’ll find at Discovery are phenomenal. You can see Puget Sound spread out before you, framed by the majestic Olympic Mountains. On a clear day, there is also the opportunity to gaze upon Mt Rainier, which true Seattleites never get sick of seeing. Stroll by the Coast Guard Lighthouse or look for the enormous West Point Treatment Facility located just next to Discovery Park.

Park History

Discovery’s history is an interesting one. The city of Seattle originally donated this land to the Federal Government to use as a military base. In 1938 the US Army offered to give all of Fort Lawton back to Seattle for the bargain price of one dollar. The city actually refused this sweet deal because they weren’t sure they could afford the upkeep. Then in 1964, the US Secretary of Defense decided that 85% of Fort Lawton was to be surplus and Seattle would have to cough up 50% of fair market value (whoops). Luckily, in 1965, legislation was passed that said Seattle could have it for free because it was given as a donation in the first place (phew). Then the United Indians of All Tribes jumped into the mix in 1970, claiming that all lands might be declared surplus, so they were allowed to lease 17 acres. You can now find the Daybreak Star Cultural-Education Center on those 17 acres.

How to Get There—Driving

Discovery is huge, and if you stray from the main path, it is easy to get lost in the maze of homes surrounding the park. When all else fails, just keep heading west. However, if you follow these directions, you can’t miss it.

From I-5 take the 45th Street exit and head west. 45th Street becomes 46th Street then turns into Market Street. From Market, turn left onto 15th Avenue NW and take the first right after the bridge onto Emerson Street.

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