Schmitz Preserve Park

Right off the main road but feels like you’re in a different world. Can be hard to find the entrance as it’s literally off a Main Street with little signage, but once you find it, it’s quite wonderful to walk through. Could spend hours in here lost in the greenery and calm.

What an incredible opportunity for W Seattle! The colors, the sounds, the location and the simple joy of just walking and observing your surroundings. Such a treat to spend some time in here going solo...talk about replenishing the spirits! Outstanding trails! Go get some!

Walked through a main trail. Went to find big trees and saw a few huge singletons. However, if you’re wanting to relieve urban claustrophobia you might need to go farther out of town. Lots of traffic noise and “camping” trash/waste and old clothing scattered about the place when I walked through. A truly urban green space. I recommend carrying pepper spray.

I completely shocked to have found this truly hidden gem in the middle of west seattle. It's worth finding it. It's an easy afterwork hike that allows you to forget about work lol.

My favorite place in West Seattle and possibly one of my favorite places in the entire city. This is one of the few stretches of old growth still remaining in Seattle: most of the area looked like this before the arrival of the settlers, all lush ferns and mossy trees that are so dazzling in their height that their uppermost branches remain hidden. There is nothing particularly artful or consciously designed about this area: aside from the paths and bridges winding through it, much looks exactly as it did before Seattle existed. There is one area that particularly captivated me, wherein these immense Western red cedar trees emerge out of the monumental stump of a much older tree that no longer exists. The stump is so large and worn that it looks more like a stone Cliff from a distance, but it is in fact the foundation of a collection of new trees that have emerged, their trunks arcing and winding at different angles to provide space away from the parent tree, only then to shoot upward, their grainy and richly textured branches reaching toward the sunlight. One turns so sharply from horizontal to vertical that it creates a right angle not dissimilar to the curve of an elbow. It is in red cedar trees like this that one feels most fully the age of the area, feeling that there was an entire world here before the Victorian establishment of the city.

Fairly easy hike. A few steep grades but overall flat trail. A few muddy areas. Very scenic mixer of old and new growth. Lots of ferns, plants and streams.

It was very beautiful! It felt like being very deep in a forest. The dogs enjoyed it a lot also. The sound of the water was very soothing.

Some of the oldest trees in Seattle live in this park and it has a magical energy!

A bit tough to find if you're searching in Google Maps, as it's smack dab in the middle of a residential neighborhood, but once you do - and navigate parking - it's a beautiful jaunt through nature. Possibly slippery when wet, as the trail is packed with leaves, it makes for a journey and an adventure in a short (or lengthy) walk. The trail is easily navigable, occasionally with wooden/metal grates, bridge-like pathways leading hikers up and over the more wet, sloshy areas. It seems to be a quiet hike through the woods, possibly most intended for those who live in the neighborhood. But it's a nice walk, peaceful and the minimal other people we saw respected distance and trail etiquette. Only slight altitude gains, which makes for easy family walks and adventuring.

Beautiful, very little garbage to pickup . Great trail system. Muddy in many low areas . I'll be back !

I pass one of the entrances to the Schmitz Preserve Park on a regular basis but had never actually gone inside until today. Just steps away from busy Admiral Way is an oasis with some of the tallest trees I've seen in West Seattle. -- From Seattle.gov: Schmitz Preserve was donated to the city in pieces between 1908 and 1912. The most generous chunk came from a German immigrant/pioneer/banker/realtor named Ferdinand Schmitz, who served on the park commission during those years. It was Schmitz's idea, as he saw how rapidly the great forest was disappearing, to preserve part of it in its natural state. Even Schmitz's land had not been completely untouched by logging, though. Some huge stumps in the park still show deep notches hacked high above the ground for the "spring-boards" on which axe men would stand to avoid having to chop through the lower root crown, the thickest and hardest part of the tree. After 1908, however, the new park rapidly gained popularity as a quiet complement to the West Seattle park complex. Except for the paved entrance and a parking lot at the northwest corner, the park has remained essentially unchanged ever since. (Edited from the files of Don Sherwood, 1916-1981, Park Historian.) --- The trails of this preserve are perfect for an after-work mini-hike or a long weekend stroll. I've heard that a neighborhood pony makes its home on a property adjacent to the preserve (but don't try to pet him! I've heard he bites!). Tonight I had a very short visit due to time, but even as the sky was starting to darken there were individuals walking the paths. Next time I will spend a couple of hours here. Easy off street parking near the Admiral Way entrance/exit makes this a no-brainer for a quick getaway to destress while still within the city limits.

What a little piece of peace, tranquility, and beauty tucked between neighborhoods in the hills of Seattle. You will need to park on one of the side streets next to the park because there is no parking for the Schmitz Preserve Park. Once inside, there are different trails in this 51 acre park. You will definitely get your steps in and a little workout depending on if you traverse some of the trails that go up one of the steep hills. While walking through some of the trails, you'll feel as if you are walking through the Enchanted Forest. Safe, kid friendly, peaceful environment, you can't go wrong visiting Schmitz Preserve Park while in Seattle.

MY FAVORITE PLACE IN ALL OF SEATTLE!! I love it. It's gorgeous. It's like suddenly stepping foot in the jungle in the middle of the city! It's relaxing spot to meditate and escape. Totally recommend!!

Totally loved it. It is a true Seattle gem. You feel peaceful here even when is not a huge forest, you still feel in nature. Is a refuge for plants but you can still get a great walk through their trails. There is a stream that my dog enjoyed. Really lovely place. Parking wasn't an issue on the neighborhood. Just make sure to hit hard the brake ;)

I love Schmitz Park for a great dog walk. It's a 53 acre old growth forest with lots of hiking trails. It's not off leash, but if you have voice control of your dog most people are good about letting their dogs roam. There are several loops to choose from. It's a really dense forest less than a mile from the beach, coffeehouses and traffic. But my dog Cosmo is who really loves the place so below is his review. Schmitz? We're going to Schmitz? Okay. I need to run around like a crazy person for a minute. I love Schmitz. Best Pee-mail trees in town. I have so much P-mail from other dogs to read. And all those trails, which one should I choose? The long one up the hill, the loopy one? Or maybe we can do the loop and take the extra trail down to the beach and you can buy me a scone at the bakery.

Glorious! Old growth forest, with a stream and little waterfalls all along the trail. Hard to believe its right off of Admiral Way, like a little oasis. Short 1 mi walk that connects to the Admiral trail, if you'd like a longer hike. Easy walk that is perfect for kids. Lots of dogs on the trail, many of them off-leash. Limited street parking. If I lived closer I would walk there all the time!

On a nice, partially cloudy day in between rainy ones, we ventured not far into West Seattle to see this old-growth forest. There are countless old growth trees, particularly cypress, bright yellow skunk cabbage in full bloom and zooming hummingbirds. The path has overall been taken care of by many wonderful volunteers, however, there are many low spots that are extremely muddy so wear your boots! Pleasant, short, kid-friendly loop is available with one tree crocodile which has seen better days yet remains fun for a picture and a crystal clear creek. Take advantage of our local wildlife! Note: Look up more detail on Washington Trail Association's (WTA) website, however, the description on this page is outdated. There are no blowdowns except on the far south dead-end section near Orleans/Manning Streets and 53rd Ave SW. Also, the wood sculptures no longer exist with the exception of the large crocodile off the main trail loop.

This is a West Seattle gem you may fly by on your way to Alki- but it's worth stopping by! There were only 2 things I didn't like: 1) that there wasn't a parking area, but I didn't have any trouble finding a spot on the street, and 2) the only map I saw was handwritten and faded from weather. Once you're in, there are acres of trails to explore full of trees and plants I haven't seen anywhere else in the city! It is truly an escape; I forgot what "quiet" really sounded like until I found myself in the middle of the park. It was the perfect escape for a Sunday afternoon. Stop in for a stroll and remember all the beauty were surrounded by in the Pacific North West!

Near Alki, this park has a nice trail to walk along. It has old growth and is a great place to search for mushrooms, but no luck today!

Cool park. Great place to bring your dog. Trails, streams and lots of trees.

Gorgeous trail. It's so nice to have this persevere park in our back yard. Thank you to everyone that helps keep in clean and pristine. Great little hike/walk. Pretty little waterfalls too ;)

A lil bit spooky with its eery beautiful nature!!! Our backyard!!Rhetoric bridge area freaks me out a bit...lots of energy -_- I LOVE THIS RECHARGING SPOT!!!!!

Perfect place to get grounded with nature--for a bit--in the city. There are two distinct loops with offspring trails to get lost in the green. #WestSeattleBestSeattle

Growing up in the Portland area, you could say that I've been spoiled by the largest naturally forested city park in the nation - Forest Park. Now attending school in Seattle, I've been looking for something that could perhaps replace the fun of miles and miles of hiking just minutes from the city. While it can't even begin to compare to the wonder that is Forest Park in size or length of hiking trails, Schmitz Preserve Park provides a wonderful and much needed section of nature just a few minutes bus ride from downtown Seattle. Be it walking, a short hike, or a retreat into nature, an hour wondering around Schmitz Park is fun and relaxing and is something that every Seattleite must do at least once.

An awesome canopied oasis within the suburban neighborhood of west seattle. A great retreat away from the roads and houses, you kind of feel like it's your own little jungle. Pretty low key and not heavily traveled either.

Shmitz Park is the largest contiguous piece of old growth forest in the city of Seattle and within moments of entering it you feel as though you are a hundred miles away. The forest is a lovely mix of many native trees, including some huge examples of Douglas Firs, Western Red Cedar, Big leaf maple and Western Hemlock. This is also wonderful place for birding if you enjoy that activity. If you're lucky you might even get to see a Pileated Woodpecker.

Love this park, we live near Alki and stumbled upon it. Awesome place to stroll around, explore and get lost in nature. Dogs love it.