Piper’s Creek Trail (Carkeek Park)

Another hidden gem in Seattle’s park system, the Piper’s Creek Trail in Carkeek Park is a great place to wander for a few miles in the trees while listening to the flowing creek. The first part of the trail from the road is steep and not accessible; from the main parking area the trail is flat, eventually meeting up with the Wetland trail, a stretch of boardwalk that runs into the railroad tracks near the beach.

Key stats:

Distance: The Piper’s Creek Trail stretches couple miles along the creek, eventually reaching the Puget Sound.

Wheelchair accessible parking? Yes

Wheelchair accessible bathrooms? Unknown

Trail condition? Hard-packed gravel. The trail is 6 feet wide in many spots but also narrows at times. The boardwalk is well maintained and extends for a few hundred yards.

Highlights? 

The boardwalk is great, weaving through a section of the park with good trees and vegetation, and the sound of the creek trickling nearby. You can actually get all the way to the railroad tracks and watch the trains go by. There’s also a bridge that goes over the tracks with great views of the Puget Sound and Olympic mountains beyond.

More information about the Piper Creek Trail here.