Saint Edward State Park (Part 1)

(Little Z on the play structure at Saint Edward)

The play structure at this park is EPIC. Seriously, just take a moment and look at it. See the stairs and the slides, the turrets and bridges, the hidey holes and musical instruments! It's any kid's paradise! My parents used to take us to one like this on Steel Lake in Federal Way when we were kids and we could get lost for hours in the magical world that it offered us. Without even seeing the rest of the park, Sean and I knew that Saint Edward was going to be awesome! We were lucky enough to spend the afternoon exploring all that this beautiful park has to offer. 

(The epic play structure at Saint Edward)

(Such a champ! Look how high off the ground he is!)

The grounds at Saint Edward are very spacious and offer beautiful walking trails throughout. The property at Saint Edward was formerly a Seminary used by the Supplican Order of Catholic priests which was donated to them by Bishop O'dea in 1920. In 1977, the Seattle Diocese sold the property to the State of Washington for recreational purposes. (Sinotte, 1996)

(Flowers on the steps of the former seminary)

A short walk from the former seminary is this lovely place called "The Grotto." There was a sign that mentioned that it was built as an Eagle Scout project in 1996. It was pretty upon first sight but upon further examination (and the discovery of a stone angel) that we deemed this place "Just Plain Creepy."

(The Grotto)

(DON'T BLINK!)

The walking trails around the main grounds were level and easy walking for a kiddo, but we weren't feeling brave enough to venture on the trails that led down to Lake Washington with a two-year-old.

 (A beautiful mossy tree in the main area of the park)

 There were quite a few picnic tables and fun trees to scramble up, though, and Zach had a blast looking over the fence into the forest and stomping on dandelions. Sean and I will be returning to this park at some point to discover the 3,000 feet of shoreline on Lake Washington that are only accessible by somewhat steep trails.

Between the wonderful play structure, easy trails, and fun trees, we had a really great day at Saint Edward State Park. It's a great place for a picnic lunch, a little bit of history, and a fun day with kids! Sean and I are looking forward to the next time we visit!

Until next time!

Rachel and Sean

For more information please visit: Complete Information for Saint Edward (parks.wa.gov)

We have found a great resource for the history of Washington State Parks; a book entitled Oregon and Washington: A Guide to the State and National Parks by Barbara Sinotte 

Here's the link to the book on Amazon.

Location of Saint Edward State Park:

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