Washington Park Arboretum

The Washington Park Arboretum is Seattle's great botanical landscape and a calm, free counterweight to downtown. Covering about 230 acres along the western shore of Lake Washington, it is run jointly by the University of Washington Botanic Gardens and the city, with a plan shaped by the Olmsted Brothers, and it holds one of the most important collections of woody plants in the country — thousands of trees and shrubs from around the world, laid out in groves and gardens connected by trails. The arboretum changes dramatically with the seasons, which is its charm. Spring is the headline, when Azalea Way, the broad grassy central avenue, blooms with azaleas, rhododendrons, magnolias and flowering cherries. Autumn rivals it, as the maples and other deciduous trees turn red, orange and gold, and October and early November are among the best times to visit. The Winter Garden near the visitor center is planted for fragrance and color in the dark months, with witch hazels and winter-blooming shrubs. The Pacific Connections Garden displays forests from the Pacific Rim regions that share the Northwest's climate. Waterfront trails thread through marshes and islands near the lake, good for birdwatching. Everything is free except the Seattle Japanese Garden at the southwest corner, a serene, carefully designed stroll garden with a modest entry fee and a seasonal schedule. The Graham Visitors Center has maps and staff. Fit: outdoors-lovers, couples on a long walk, families with energy to burn, photographers chasing seasonal color, and anyone wanting a quiet green escape.

The arboretum began in the 1930s on city parkland with the Olmsted firm's plan and a public-works labor force that laid out its trails and collections; it has grown into a research and teaching landscape for the university as well as a public park. Its collections are organized by plant family and region, so a walk becomes a tour of the world's temperate forests: maples from Asia, oaks from North America, conifers from mountain ranges across the Pacific Rim. The adjacent Seattle Japanese Garden, built in 1960 by Japanese designers, is one of the oldest and most authentic gardens of its kind in North America, with a pond, stone lanterns, a teahouse used for ceremonies and a carefully choreographed path.

Working a visit: start at the Graham Visitors Center on the north end for a map and the current bloom report, walk the Winter Garden nearby, then follow Azalea Way south through the heart of the collection. Detour into the Pacific Connections Garden, then decide whether to finish at the Japanese Garden near the southern end. Allow two hours for a broad loop, more if you add the garden. In spring and fall, go on a weekday morning to avoid crowds. The free public tours offered by the botanic gardens are excellent for first-timers. Paths can be muddy in the wet season; wear sturdy shoes.

Practicals and fit: the arboretum lies between the Montlake neighborhood and Madison Park, about fifteen minutes by car or bus from downtown, with free parking along Lake Washington Boulevard and near the visitor center. The grounds are open daily from dawn into the evening; the visitor center keeps daytime hours from Tuesday through Sunday. The Japanese Garden charges a modest fee and keeps its own seasonal schedule, so check before planning around it. Pair with the Burke Museum across Montlake, or with lunch in Madison Park by the lake. The arboretum also connects by trail to the marshy shoreline of Union Bay, where herons and ducks are common and kayakers from Montlake paddle the channels. Fit: outdoors-lovers, couples, families, gardeners and photographers.