Schmitz Preserve Park — Attraction in Seattle

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...

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 Note: Look up more detail on Washington Trail Association's (WTA) website, however, the description on this page is outdated.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...

We've been to Schmitz a handful of times with the pooch. It's a great little pocket park near the Admiral section of West Seattle. Peaceful streams abound during the wetter times of the year. Some of the smaller sections can get slightly muddy, so don't wear your nicest white shoes and make sure to bring a towel for the doggo if you drive. Also bring your own bags as their doesn't seem to be a regularly stocked...