Best Spring Hikes in the Seattle Area for Kids and Families

Just minutes from Bellevue’s urban center, Bellevue Botanical Garden is a fabulous place to visit to enjoy spring blooms and birds. There is no admission charge.

Favorite trails: Starting from the visitor center, the half-mile Tateuchi Trail winds through a wide variety of garden types. Many children enjoy the atmosphere of the Asian-themed Yao Garden, which feels secluded inside its wooden fence. The one-third-mile Lost Meadow Trail takes you through a peaceful natural forest area. And don’t miss the Ravine Experience, a 150-foot-wide suspension bridge that crosses a ravine in the heart of the garden. Bellevue Botanical Garden is free and open to the public from dawn to dusk daily. (Leave your pooch at home; pets are not allowed.)

Indoor options: The on-site Trillium Store is open Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., and Copper Kettle Coffee Bar is open Tuesday–Thursday, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. and Friday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. (closed Mondays)

Extras: Take a quick half-mile walk east to Wilburton Hill Park to play at the playground. The botanical garden also connects with segments of the Lake to Lake Trail, so older kids and adults can walk or bike several miles in either direction if they choose.

Next stop: headwaters of the creek