Location: West Seattle
Address: 5551 S.W. Admiral Way
Acreage: 53.1
It’s amazing to me how many people who have lived in West Seattle for years have never been to Schmitz Preserve Park. In fact, many of not even heard of it. At more than 50 acres, this park shouldn’t be hard to miss. But with the crowded and popular Alki Beach just blocks away, I guess Schmitz gets sidelined.
That’s okay with me because Schmitz Park is a hidden treasure. You can’t really get any better than this for a quiet, urban hike. Just a few steps into this park and you can’t believe you’re still in the city. The vegetation is lush and dense. Many of the trees are old-growth forest. A peaceful stream runs along the walking path. It’s easy to get lost in this park (yes, that was me today mumbling as I retraced my steps.)
Ferdinand Schmitz, a German immigrant and Seattle pioneer who served on the Parks Commission, was unhappy with the loss of Seattle’s forests and donated some of the land that is now Schmitz Preserve Park. Except for a few small patches of logging, the park has been mostly untouched since the early 1900s when it was established.
The park is so precious to its nearby West Seattle neighbors that they formed an organization to help preserve and protect Schmitz Park. Regular work crews remove invasive species and keep paths neatly trimmed.
Longtime West Seattlelite or not, if you live in Seattle you should know about this great park. After all, I may need your help finding my way out.
#25 (Visited 9/14/09)