The Best 5 (easy!) Nature Hikes Near West Seattle

ROBERT LEBRON WALLACE, WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER AND DESTINATION: WILDLIFE TEAM MEMBER

By Robert Wallace

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well and keeping safe (as best as possible during these crazy times). We are doing our best here in West Seattle. But, rather than dwell on the ugliness that we are seeing and hearing about, let's dive into the real heart of the Seattle area, the parts that will leave you smiling.

Since moving to West Seattle a year and a half ago, I have been fortunate enough to photograph many amazing places and wildlife. My foot surgery last November put me out of commission for a while. Still, after lots of rehabilitation, I can start putting in the (easy!) miles again.

In the last few months, I’ve found a handful of places that I continue to go back to time and time again. I want to share my top five places here in the Pacific Northwest's magnificent state of Washington.

#1 Lake Fenwick Park, For the Love of Birds

THE FLOATING BOARDWALK AT LAKE FENWICK PARK ALLOWS FOR A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. IMAGE: ©ROBERT LEBRON WALLACE.

✓Trip Tips
Fenwick Lake Park
ADA: No
Pets: Yes, Leashed Rest Rooms: No
Trails: Paved/Unpaved
Floating boardwalk
Reconstruction
Note: Stairs!
Fee: No

If your true love is for our avian friends, you cannot go wrong with Lake Fenwick Park in Kent, Washington, located only 20 miles due south of Seattle's iconic Space Needle. I love Lake Fenwick Park, especially during the winter and spring.

One of the best things about this small park is that it gets very little foot traffic, and thus, it remains relatively quiet. During the winter months, several species of waterfowl arrive and stick around until spring. A few species, such as mallards, wood ducks, and Canada geese, nest and raise their offspring here until they are ready to take to the sky.

Heck, you might even get lucky and spot a family of river otters at Fenwick Lake Park!

WOOD DUCKS NEST IN TREES. THE TINY CHICKS THROW THEMSELVES OUT LANDING (BOUNCING!) ONTO THE LEAF LITTER BELOW, THEN HEAD, SEEMINGLY UNPHASED, TO THE WATER. THE IMAGE ABOVE IS A MALE. IMAGE: ©ROBERT LEBRON WALLACE.

#2 Alki Avenue From Jack Block Park to Constellation Park

ALKI POINT JUTS INTO PUGET SOUND. LIGHTHOUSE (1913) TOURS ARE PERIODICALLY OFFERED BY THE US COAST GUARD AUXILIARY.

On the other hand, Alki Avenue, is a year-round birding destination. I am particularly partial to it during low tide in the summer. Lucky for me that this area is so close.

Several gull species live here and are in constant competition with Great Blue Herons, Crow, and Bald Eagles for anything left behind in the tide pools that that slithers, or swims, or crawls. You also want to keep your eye out for seals and whales passing by off shore, too!

My favorite section of Alki Drive runs from Jack Block Park to Constellation Park, about a 3.5-mile stretch. A half-mile of that, from Alki Beach Park to Constellation Park, is closed off to thru car traffic to create a safe walking and biking area.
✍︎ Editor’s Note: Harbor seals breed in the area. Learn about how citizen seal-sitters protect the adorable pups.

HARBOR SEAL PEOPLE WATCHING AT ALKI POINT

YOUNG GULL AND (RED ROCK?) CRAB

For the Love of Everything Else

As a wildlife photographer, I learned the hard way about what sells at art shows and what struggles. It was surprising to me that while wildlife such as deer, elk, and bears, garner lots of attention, inevitably, it is the smaller "cuter" wildlife that has no problem finding a home. Yet, despite my better judgment for my wallet, it's the bigger species that I love to seek out.

Maybe it's the thrill and potential risk involved with these species, or perhaps just the awesomeness of seeing them in the wild. I don't know. What I do know is, I have three go-to places for such animals as well as our feathered friends and cute furry faces.

#3 Hurricane Ridge for Landscape or Wildlife

CONSIDERED A SUBSPECIES OF MULE DEER, GRACEFUL BLACK-TAIL DEER CAN BE FOUND ACROSS THE PARK. IMAGE: ©ROBERT LEBRON WALLACE.

✓Trip Tips
Hurricane Ridge
ADA:One section
Rest Rooms: Yes
Visitor Center,
check schedule.
Pets: Leashed, paved trail only
Fee: Yes
Note: On-going renovation, Updates

Of all the parks, trails, and towns I have visited since moving here, one stands out for wildlife photography. That place is Hurricane Ridge.

Hurricane Ridge is located 20 miles south of Port Angeles in the northern section of the Olympic Mountain range. It is part of the National Parks, and a fee is required but so worth it! There is so much to photograph there, even near the Visitor Center. The Center sits at an elevation of 5,242 feet, but you can drive all the way up to it! (A big plus when recovering from foot surgery!)

Whether you are into landscapes or wildlife, Hurricane Ridge has it all. The blacktail deer that roam the mountains here and the cute and cuddly looking Marmots that call it home have little to no fear of us bipeds.

OLYMPIC MARMOT (ENDEMIC) GATHERING NEST MATERIAL

MARMOTS IN SERIOUS DISCUSSION

That allows for beautiful pictures without a long lens. I have even heard rumors of Black Bear and Mountain Goat sightings along the ridge! However, until I photograph one or the other, they will remain a rumor.

#4. My Newest Discovery, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

THE THREATENED COLUMBIAN WHITE-TAILED DEER ARE UNIQUE TO SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON AND OREGON. IMAGE: ©ROBERT LEBRON WALLACE.

✓Trip Tips
Ridgefield Ntl.Wildlife Refuge
ADA: See map
Restrooms: Yes
Pets: No
Bicycling: No Jogging: No
Hiking trails and Auto Tour route
Fee: Yes (See schedule)
Notes: Lewis & Clark Ntl. Historic Trail Site. Cathapole Plankhouse

My newest discovery near West Seattle is the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. Located just 18 miles north of Vancouver, WA, or 156 miles from the Space Needle, the refuge is 5,200 acres of protected marshes, grasslands, and woodlands. Ridgefield reminds me of Cade's Cove (a previous story) in Tennessee. How so, you ask?

The Refuge has a 4-mile driving loop. Although, unlike Cade's Cove, you cannot walk, hike, or bike in this section of the refuge. That's okay, though. I went there four straight days and found the traffic was very light, allowing ample opportunities to photograph Whitetail Deer, Nutria, ducks, and more.

#5. Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge

LUCK AND QUIET MIGHT BRING YOU A GLIMPSE OF A COYOTE. THEY PREY ON THE SMALL MAMMALS AND RODENTS. IMAGE: ©ROBERT LEBRON WALLACE.

Trip Tips:
Nisqually Ntl. Wildlife Refuge
ADA:Yes more details: here
Restrooms: Yes
Visitor’s Center: Yes
Pets: No
Bicycling: No Jogging: No
Trails: Yes 5 different trails with and without boardwalks
Fees: Yes

Number five on my list and “honorable mention” goes to Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is an hour south of Seattle and makes for a great day trip.

Of the refuge's 4,529 acres, over 762 acres are marsh and tidelands. You also have four or so miles of trails that start at the visitor center, with most of the course consisting of two different boardwalks. One of those is near the visitor center and loops around a small freshwater pond. There, you may find Blue Herons, numerous duck species, Blacktail Deer, Beaver, Bald Eagle, songbirds, and don’t forget the frogs. It is sure to delight.

✍︎ Editor’s Note: the Refuge was named for Nisqually tribal member, Billy J. Frank, who devoted himself to Native American fishing rights and was crucial in the preservation of this land into a wildlife refuge.

BULLFROG

NORTHERN PINTAIL

The second boardwalk stretches out into the estuary for about a mile, and you often will get treated to the sight of curious Harbor Seals. But for me, the Harbor seals cannot outshine the kings and queens of flight, bald eagles! And they are not the only birds of prey here; harriers and hawks hunt the estuary too. And there are also plenty of wading birds to fill your camera's memory card if you are not careful!

Once again, I hope you are all safe, healthy, and able to get outdoors to explore our natural world. If you have visited the Pacific Northwest or live over this way and have a favorite place that isn't listed here and you care to share, drop me a line. It might be a place I haven't been to yet, and that will go on my "to do" list for hopefully another article down the road.