Development of the once-remote Seward Park on Bailey Peninsula named after Secretary of State William Seward came slowly after the property was bought in 1911. But when Lake Washington was lowered the park began to take shape into a keystone of Seattle's park system.

A paved loop in the park at 5902 Lake Washington Boulevard South travels 2.4 miles around the peninsula and nine numbered trails explore the guts of the park that features Seattle's largest old growth forest. These sporty hikes take place under towering Douglas firs, red cedars and western hemlocks.

For a mountain hike with your dog travel 45 minutes to the east and Mount Si. Frances North, a state legislator, was instrumental in having more than 1000 acres of land set aside for conservation in 1987. Today nearly 9000 acres are protected. The mountain, named for settler Josiah Merritt known familiarly as "Uncle Si,” is familiar to television fans as the backdrop of the cult series Twin Peaks.

The walk up Mount Si is steep but any dog can make it - and at times it can seem as if every dog in Seattle is trying. Mount Si is often snow-free when trails around it are closed and the trail gets very crowded. The 200-car parking lot at the trailhead is not always adequate for everyone heading for the summit - from strollers to mountaineers on training runs.

Most of this canine hike is in the trees,

although they begin to fall away at the end of the 3400-foot elevation gain. From rocky ledges above the Snoqualmie River Valley you can often see Seattle and Puget Sound beyond.

At about 2100 feet the trail levels off at the Snag Flats with a nearby stream for your dog. In a bit over two more miles the 4-mile hike ends for most canine hikers at Haystack Basin. The final quarter-mile push up the Haystack can be tricky.

You can reach the Mount Si trailhead off Exit 31 of I-90. Go east on North Bend Way and make a left onto Mount Si Road.

copyright 2006

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