St. Edward Park

updated 9/20/2021

Saint Edward State Park is a 316-acre pocket wilderness hidden away right in the middle of Puget Sound’s most densely populated county. The park’s most wonderful feature is its 3,000 feet of undeveloped shoreline on Lake Washington. Two deep ravines with flowing brooks cut deeply into the hillside above the lake shore, comprising lushly forested havens of tranquility. A good network of trails allows exploration of the diverse terrain that the park offers.

Within the park is a magnificent building surrounded by expansive lawns. It was once used as a Catholic seminary, before the land was donated to the State Park system.

Park Map: https://parks.state.wa.us/DocumentCenter/View/1940/Saint-Edward-State-Park-PDF

Park info: https://parks.state.wa.us/577/Saint-Edward

Old seminary Building (photo from Wikimedia Commons)

Getting There

From downtown Seattle, catch the northbound Sound Transit 522 bus and ride it to the city of Kenmore. Get off at the major intersection at Bothell Way and 68th Avenue NE .

There, transfer to the Metro 225 bus at the bus stop on 68th just south of the intersection.

Once on this bus, it’s just a 5 minute ride to the park. When the bus makes a sharp left turn off Juanita Drive onto 153rd Place, get off at the first stop. Here you are close to the north edge of the park. Hike across Juanita Drive at the stoplight, then walk uphill on the road's west side shoulder until you find the start of the the Arrowhead Trail heading into the park .

The Hike

St. Edwards State Park is too small to recommend any definite itinerary. Just follow your nose and explore. Starting near the water tower above Bastyr College, the South Ridge trail drops steeply down through thick second growth forest to the lake shore, which on a sunny way is a wonderful place to relax and have a picnic. Once you are down at the lake shore, you can walk the various trails that travel along the shore, climb up the wooded slopes, or prowl through deep ravines. The South Canyon trail is a particularly nice choice as it ascends a forested, fern-filled valley up to the seminary grounds.

The south edge of St. Edwards Park is contiguous with Big Finn Hill Park and O.O. Denny Park. Trails connect these parks together, and you can use them for even more hiking mileage if you feel too cramped by St. Edward Park. See the "North Kirkland Traverse" chapter for more info on some of these trails.

Beach at Saint Edward State Park (photo by Joe Mabel, Wikimedia Commons)