Seward Park (Seattle)
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Seward Park is a 300 acre (1.2 km²) park in Seattle, Washington that occupies all of Bailey Peninsula, a large, forested peninsula off south Seattle that juts into Lake Washington.
One approaches the park from the north by Lake Washington Boulevard S., or from the west by S. Orcas Street.
Seward Park features numerous small beaches, the largest one on its southwest side, as well as a playground and an arts center. The main parking lot and a tennis court are located in the southwest corner.
The most commonly used trail is a car-free loop around the park. It is flat and 2.4 miles long. Others lead all over the interior, including a few car-accessible roads that lead to amenities including an amphitheater and picnic area.
Lately, the park has become home to a growing colony of Peruvian conures (either the Chapman's mitred or the scarlet-fronted), who were released into the wild by their owners. The park is also home to two nesting pairs of bald eagles, who can frequently be seen flying over Lake Washington and diving to the water's surface to catch fish and ducks.
At the entrance to the park, in a wooded island between the circular entrance/exit road, there is a little-known monument. It is a gift of friendship from the City of Yokohama to the City of Seattle, dated some time in the 1930s.
History
The city of Seattle bought Bailey Peninsula in 1911 for $322,000, and named the park after William H. Seward, former United States Secretary of State, of Alaska Purchase fame.
External links
- Parks Department page on Seward Park (http://www.cityofseattle.net/parks/parkspaces/sewardpark.htm)