Follow the yellow brick road, take a walk on the wild side and see what Seattle neighborhood you wind up in! You can bet Fremont will be one of them! Check out Seattle’s own Emerald City Trail, a 75-mile adventure divided in roughly twelve six-mile sections through some of the City’s best known parks. Fremont shows up in the first section, at the Zoo coming from Shilshole, exactly at the junction between the end of Section 1 and the start of Section 2.*
The Emerald City Trail was created in 2023 as a joint venture between the Mountaineers and Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted Parks (FSOP) and a book is set to be released Sept. 1, 2026. The trail links parks designed in the early 20th century by John Charles Olmsted, adopted son of Frederick Law Olmsted Sr., landscape architect, known for designing Central Park in New York City and Forest Park in Portland. Green Lake, Woodland Park, Volunteer, Jefferson, Seward, Schmitz and Lincoln Parks, these are just some of the Olmsted highlights to encounter along the way on this beautiful meander through the city. It’s inspiring and accessible to all, regardless of how good of shape you’re in.
The idea for the trail came about in nearby Queen Anne at a coffee shop. Seattle Mountaineers Urban Walk Committee Chair, Peter Hendrickson met with Bob Siegel who offered his quintessential enthusiasm for launching an extended Seattle walk similar to his gem, the San Francisco Crosstown Trail (17 miles). Peter had completed a 25-mile walk through several Olmsted parks with an FSOP board member. Bringing these park jewels together in one long urban walk seemed an obvious route for Seattle’s own magical trail. Which is his favorite section? “Each of the dozen sections has unique features that delight me whenever I lead a walk on that stretch,” Hendrickson said. “When one of the 12 grandchildren asks me, ‘Am I your favorite, Papa?’, my response is, ‘My favorite is the one I’m spending time with today.’”
According to Wiki page “List of Seattle Olmsted Parks” the Seattle Parks and Recreation system is one of the best-preserved Olmsted park systems in the country. In 2016, the Olmsted parks system was added to the National Register of Historic Places as a multiple property submission. What an incredible honor.
My husband, Paul Bryant, and I completed Section 5 recently, experiencing the smells, sounds, and history of parts of Seattle we’d never seen before. Pritchard Beach Park? What a lovely spot! It wasn’t always the way it looks now! What happened there? Bring your curiosity, a lunch and a special friend to find out!
*How about starting with Section #1 into Fremont? From the Locks to the Zoo! Sunday, May 3, 10 am, meet at the Nordic Museum, 2655 NW Market St, Seattle, WA 98107 .
Leave a Reply