West Seattle’s Schmitz Preserve Park is 53 acres of wilderness donated to the city in the early 1900s by farsighted former Parks Commissioner Ferdinand Schmitz. Afraid of losing all of our beautiful Northwest forests to development, he earmarked this land for preservation. One of the last stands of old-growth trees in Seattle features large paths, dusty trails and a creek crisscrossing the ravine. Many of the trails are easily negotiable, even by jog stroller, but signage is nonexistent.
GPS won’t be necessary, though — all trails end up in the neighborhood and most of the dead-end streets surrounding the preserve have trailheads. Proper footwear will help parents (and kids, too) hop the creek, cross the bridges and balance on the fallen logs.
