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* Seattle Channel's City Stream: Seattle Stairways (2016) 

* KPLU 88.1 "Tourist in Your Own Town" - Mount Baker Stairway Walk (2013)

* KING 5 Evening Magazine - Discover the Secret Stairways of Seattle (2013)

* KUOW News - The Hidden Legacy of Seattle Stairways (2013)

* AAA Journey - Last Stop: Stair Attraction (2012)

* Seattle Times - Guidebook Authors Show Ups and Downs. . . (2012)

Feet First - Seattle Walkability Advocates

* Sound Steps - Great Walking Groups for Over-50s!

* WalkOn inBellWa! - Walking Routes in Bellevue's Parks and Neighborhoods

Inventory of Seattle Stairs of 100 Steps or More website by Doug Beyerlein

* All Stairs Seattle Guide website by Susan Ott & Dave Ralph

* Year of Walking Seattle's Parks blog by Linnea Westerlind

*KOMO News - Year of Mapping Seattle's Stairs (2011)

*Seattle Times -  Queen Anne Stairways Map (2009)

* Washington Trails Association Magazine -  Urban Hiking (2007)

* Seattle Times - Seattle Stairways: Taking Time to Learn More About the City (2003)

* Seattle Weekly - Stairway Weekend (1999)

The Mountaineers as well as our publisher, Mountaineers Books

Seattle Stairway Walks: An Up-and-Down Guide to City Neighborhoods 

by Jake & Cathy Jaramillo

* The only guidebook to stairway walks in Seattle
* Explore Seattle neighborhoods in a new way with these interesting walks in Seattle
* Written for people of all ages who want to get outside, exercise, and explore
*Learn more --> 


ORDER TODAY

Saturday
Feb062010

Madrona and Leschi

There's a treasure trove of stairways and greenspaces atop the bluff next to Lake Washington, between the SR520 and I-90 bridges. In this area in 1891, an electric trolley line opened up the Madrona neighborhood for development (see photo below).  It approached from the west along E Cherry Street, then turned north up 34th Avenue, along today's little commercial village. It then turned east and down a heavily wooded canyon toward Lake Washington, along what is now Madrona Drive.

Unless you decide to stop in for a break, on this route you don't even pass through the commercial village at all. Instead you'll roam elsewhere, finding discreet stairs and passageways with lake-spanning vistas, gorgeous old homes and beautiful volunteer-supported greenspaces.

Additional pictorial content, referenced in the book, is contained in the slideshow below (indicated by the "www" icon). You can see several more views from the walk below that.

Madrona trolley turnaround and maintenance shed (University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, Lee 11); in Seattle, commercial and residential development followed newly placed trolley lines like this one

The 38th Avenue stairs - 137 steps down to Newport Way (and the cover image of our book)


 The Spring Street stairs


Madrona Park shoreside

Toward the end of the walk: up the Columbia Street stairs

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Reader Comments (5)

I am so excited for this!

March 3, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterMaggie

Thanks, great write up!

September 28, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterAnonymous

This is great! Several of us jog the Newport Way stairs on a regular basis. Thanks for giving us an extra step (by my count it's 136). We live in one of the Mignery houses on the stone wall along lower Grand and Spring Streets, right on your route. Junius has some history of the houses in his book.

And please add Bottlehouse to your list of recommendations for the Madrona business district. After all those stairs, a glass of Madrona wine will be in order!

Paul Beveridge

January 24, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterPaul Beveridge

We walked this today, it was a blast. When it's warmer we'll return and do the side trip and explore the woods.

February 26, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterJS

This was yet another terrific urban hike. One additional feature I'd like to share: at the Northwest corner of the intersection of 38th Ave. and Columbia Street E., where you emerge from the Madrona Woods, is a lovely Peace Park. Open to the public, and entered from Columbia Street, it contains formal gardens, a lovely water feature, and commanding views of Mount Rainier to the south. A labor of love by the owner of the adjacent property, this park is a wonderful place to reflect, and to catch one's breath.

February 23, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterBill Woods

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