clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

On the Hunt for Seattle's Hidden Urban Oases

View as Map

In Seattle, we are lucky to have many spectacular pocket parks where you feel as though you have truly escaped the city - if only you know where to look. Walking around Seattle on a sunny afternoon, Iooking for an escape from the hot summer sun, it's surprising just how many hidden spots our city offers.

The following parks allow you to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, take in the fresh fragrance of flowers in bloom, eat lunch while enjoying a view of the mountains, or go for a hike in the middle of the forest while still being in the middle of the city.

Fremont Peak Park is a true neighborhood secret. This little gem overlooks Lake Union and the Olympics, and as a local commented, it is a fabulous place to enjoy the sunset.


Saint Mark's Green Belt is the perfect example of an urban oasis - offering a quiet escape from the city while still being completely surrounded by it! Literally built as a buffer between I-5 and Capitol Hill, this park offers secluded hiking trails, including wooden bridges passing over streams. In spite of its location next to a freeway, you are greeted with complete silence while making your way down the trail.


Located just adjacent to Saint Mark's Greenbelt is Streissguth Gardens. This one acre park offers gardens surrounding the East Blaine Street stairway and is family-maintained. A visit to these lush public gardens is a must where you will be surrounded by hundreds of trees, shrubs and plants with a view over Lake Union and beyond.


Louisa Boren Lookout offers a serene view of the Cascades and Lake Washington and provides a nice alternative to Volunteer Park. Hiking trails make their way down the steep hillside below into endless verdure.


Entering Parsons Gardens will make you feel like Colin Craven discovering your own secret garden for the first time. When this park is not used for weddings, it usually escapes the notice of passersby.


Bhy Kracke Park is the less-visited and more intricate version of Kerry Park, greeting you with a winding path passing through ivy tunnels up a steep hill revealing incredible views of downtown and Lake Union.


So go out and start exploring all the hidden gems Seattle offers! Here's a map to get you started...
· All Outdoors Week coverage [CS] Written by Alyssa Campbell

Read More

Fremont Peak Park

Copy Link

This quirky park with jaw-dropping views of the Puget Sound and the Olympics is a relatively new park, designed by Marieke Lacasse of GGLO Architects. It has been recognized as one of the 45-best public art projects in the US.

Streissguth Gardens

Copy Link

This one-acre stairway climb and hillside garden in Capitol Hill offers a refuge in this otherwise busy neighborhood. The gardens have been transformed over the past 40 years into a springtime paradise with the personal care of the Streissguth family.

Parsons Gardens

Copy Link

This little pocket park used to be the private family gardens of Reginald H. Parsons but was donated by his children as a memorial to the public. Get away from the tourists frequenting Kerry Park and come and relax in your own little corner of Seattle taking in the smells of fresh flowers and verdant grass surrounding you.

St. Mark's Greenbelt

Copy Link

Nearly three acres of forests and trails awaits you at St. Mark's Greenbelt, a buffer of trees separating Capitol Hill from the noise of I-5. This park was put into place as a result of the city's Green Space Policy to preserve green space around Seattle.

Louisa Boren Park

Copy Link

Instead of going to Volunteer Park, give Louisa Boren Park a try the next time you are wandering around Capitol Hill! A jogging trail winds its way through the park up to an inspiring viewpoint overlooking the Cascades.

Bhy Kracke Park

Copy Link

One of Queen Anne's best kept secrets! This park is located on a steep slope, with expansive views overlooking downtown, South Lake Union, and Capitol Hill. A steep path aligned with ivy, azaleas, and rhododendrons leads the way to a children's playground. This park was named and inspired after the designs of Bhy Kracke, a man who lived on the upper lot of what is now the park.

Waterfall Garden Park

Copy Link
[Photo credit]

Harborview Park

Copy Link
[Photo credit]

McCurdy Park

Copy Link
[Photo credit]

Ella Bailey Park

Copy Link
[Photo credit]

Kobe Terrace Park

Copy Link
[Photo credit]

Loading comments...

Fremont Peak Park

This quirky park with jaw-dropping views of the Puget Sound and the Olympics is a relatively new park, designed by Marieke Lacasse of GGLO Architects. It has been recognized as one of the 45-best public art projects in the US.

Streissguth Gardens

This one-acre stairway climb and hillside garden in Capitol Hill offers a refuge in this otherwise busy neighborhood. The gardens have been transformed over the past 40 years into a springtime paradise with the personal care of the Streissguth family.

Parsons Gardens

This little pocket park used to be the private family gardens of Reginald H. Parsons but was donated by his children as a memorial to the public. Get away from the tourists frequenting Kerry Park and come and relax in your own little corner of Seattle taking in the smells of fresh flowers and verdant grass surrounding you.

St. Mark's Greenbelt

Nearly three acres of forests and trails awaits you at St. Mark's Greenbelt, a buffer of trees separating Capitol Hill from the noise of I-5. This park was put into place as a result of the city's Green Space Policy to preserve green space around Seattle.

Louisa Boren Park

Instead of going to Volunteer Park, give Louisa Boren Park a try the next time you are wandering around Capitol Hill! A jogging trail winds its way through the park up to an inspiring viewpoint overlooking the Cascades.

Bhy Kracke Park

One of Queen Anne's best kept secrets! This park is located on a steep slope, with expansive views overlooking downtown, South Lake Union, and Capitol Hill. A steep path aligned with ivy, azaleas, and rhododendrons leads the way to a children's playground. This park was named and inspired after the designs of Bhy Kracke, a man who lived on the upper lot of what is now the park.

Waterfall Garden Park

[Photo credit]

Harborview Park

[Photo credit]

McCurdy Park

[Photo credit]

Ella Bailey Park

[Photo credit]

Kobe Terrace Park

[Photo credit]