Beautiful day for a frontcountry walkabout from Ballard, over the locks, around Disco Park, and back again. Substantial erosion on the north part of the trail loop is being mitigated with new structures (blessed are the trail workers!).

Lupins were popping in a patch near the beach, which looked great on a sunny Seattle afternoon. Despite the good weather, crowds were modest, for a park that is minutes from downtown. 

Easy, easy, easy city hike. Low elevation gain, lovely views of both woods and the stunning Puget Sound. I'm not one for handing out 5 starts, but I can't see how this could be improved upon when you are looking to " get away from it all" in so short of a time for such a beautiful location. For a 3 mile walk inside the city limits, you can't get much better. 

The Visitor Center, east parking lot is closed for construction. Porta pottys placed for your use. You can park in the south parking lot or the north parking lot which has a lot of space. 

Many wouldn't consider this a "hike", but we are starting our girl scout troop out on a series of hikes with the goal to build their hiking abilities, enjoyment of nature and desire to do more.

Feeling that the weather, with a late season winter warning in the forecast, was a bit more than I felt like facing in more remote areas, I headed to Discovery Park to stretch my legs, get some fresh air, and try out this trail loop.

I think two things are important to understand about this park: parking is awful and bathrooms are very limited. 

The shore was rejuvenating, if odorous at times, due to the proximity of the sewage plant. Like Carkeek Park, parts just stink, but it is a minority of the total area, so it’s easy enough to ignore. Plus, it’s our crap. 

I really enjoyed the stairs into the water. I’d love to know their original purpose and how they are most often used now. It seemed ideally for divers.

Hiking with young kids pro-tip: Don’t expect to easily make it past the giant sand box at the top of the hill above the south shore. You didn’t really want to coax them back uphill anyways, right? Bring a picnic and hang out there, the view is great. 

Nice day for an easy walk around Discovery Park. Some of the plants are finally getting into spring mode. Flowering Currant near the South beach are blooming like gangbusters.

Our first time exploring Discovery Park. We were able to find an open spot in the north parking lot, and the nearby restroom and culture center were both open.

The trail system is very well marked. We spent a few hours wandering around and basking in the sun. There are some muddy areas, but otherwise both the paved and dirt trails are in good condition.

When we returned to our car around 3PM there were lines of vehicles circling the parking lot hoping to find an open space. Get here early, especially on a nice day!