Location: Central Seattle
Address: 2451 Delmar Dr. E.
Acreage: 51.7
If you’ve run the post-Thanksgiving marathon or half-marathon in Seattle, you’ve probably cursed Interlaken Park and its incredibly challenging hill.
I suggest you return on a non-race day to see what more relaxing features this incredible forested park has to offer. First off, if you like to hike with your dog, this is the park for you. The winding hiking trails are fun to explore on foot or on a mountain bike. You’ll also inevitably run into a lot of runners as they just can’t seem to stay away from these hills, even when they’re not being timed.
Interlaken Park is among Seattle’s oldest, and Interlaken Boulevard actually used to be a main buggy path that connected Capitol Hill to the lake. People also used to ride their funny-looking bikes with the tall wheel here, before switching to the more modern (and certainly more comfortable) style.
This change in how bicycles were built actually helped kick-off the bike craze in Seattle. Something like one-fifth of all residents owned a bike at that time. You can read more interesting history on the city’s site.
And, if you’re really not the exercise-loving type, another way to enjoy this park is by taking a peaceful, Sunday drive along this beautiful and historic boulevard.
#238 (Visited 1/7/11)