Chief Sealth Trail

The Chief Sealth Trail is a somewhat hidden gem in the Beacon Hill, New Holly and Rainier Beach neighborhoods of south Seattle. It traverses miles along a ridge in one of the highest parts of Seattle and yet it’s relatively unknown to those who don’t live nearby. The trail mostly travels under powerlines and crosses some busy arterials yet sometimes feels more remote than it actually is.

Take some time studying the Google maps to figure out where to access the trail since it’s not immediately obvious. Our favorite entry point is heading south from Orcas street which you can get to by parking near Dearborn Elementary school or in the parking lot of Seattle Chinese Alliance Church.

Key stats:

Distance: The entire trail stretches 4.3 miles. We’ve done the first section from Angeline street to Dearborn Park (about a mile) and another section from Orcas St. to New Holly (a little over a mile).

Wheelchair accessible parking? No

Wheelchair accessible bathrooms? No

Trail condition? 

It’s a wide, paved trail that is mostly well maintained with some bumps and cracks. There are some steep hills along the way that will give you a workout if you’re pushing a manual wheelchair (or give your battery a workout if your driving a powerchair).

Highlights?

Because it’s on a high ridge it’s possible — at different points along the trail — to see the Cascade Mountains to the east, the Olympics to the West, and Mt Tahoma (Rainier) to the south. We always seem to hit the trail on days when the clouds are pronounced (see pictures below) and if it’s sunny in late spring or summer it can get very warm since there’s not a lot of tree cover. That’s why it’s best to go on a brisk (but relatively clear) fall day.

Another highlight is the p-patch/ community garden in the northern section of the trail by Beacon Ave. It must be one of the biggest in the city and it’s always interesting to see what’s growing.

More information about Chief Sealth Trail here.