Seahurst Park Service Road

Dogs Leashed

Features River/Creek

Despite the superior unpaved trails of Seahurst Park, the former service road between the beach and neighborhoods above remains a popular option for visitors.

The service road begins as an extension of the Shoreline Trail, near the Environmental Science Center. Keep right as the gravel of Shoreline fades; the left route leads to a vocational skill center. The asphalt single-lane road, in good condition despite seeing little use or maintenance for years, heads up into the trees in a series of hairpin turns. The majority of the Service Road is at a moderate grade with few level parts. At just under a mile in length, it's a good spot to train for bigger objectives. The Seahurst Park Nature Trail, and its related segments and shortcuts, cross the Service Road in several places. Missing one is no big deal, as another can be found just a short distance further.

The Service Road ends at a neighborhood street about three hundred feet above the water. The Salmon Creek Ravine trail can be found a few hundred feet to the north.

Seahurst plant life is typical of the wetlands and forests found along the Puget Sound. Grasses and ferns lie low along the trails, and watch for lilies, huckleberries, salal, snowberries, elderberries. Stinging nettles are an uncommon but present hazard. Tree varieties are dominated by evergreens, with several maples making appearances as well. English Ivy, English Holly, and blackberry bushes are problematic invasive species; feel free to pull out any you encounter along the way to help (though watch for blackberry thorns).

Both large and small birds are present in great numbers around Seahurst. Seagulls, eagles, woodpeckers, herons, and owls can be found here. Landborne animals are less frequently sighted, confined mostly to suburban woodland creatures like raccoons and mice. The creeks in Seahurst were once return routes for spawning salmon, and a hatchery near the Science Center researches their movements.