A Fall Hike at Seattle’s Lincoln Park, Complete with Wildlife

Posted on October 2, 2022 by

30 Comments

Last week we took our first fall hike at Seattle’s Lincoln Park on a gloriously sunny day. We walked through the woods,

and down to the beach on Puget Sound.

We saw crows

squirrels

harbor seals

caterpillars

spider webs

and the spiders who inhabit them.

It’s the season for spiders in Seattle and we have over 965 different species in Washington state, most of which (thankfully) are non-venomous. Still, I like to keep my distance.

Lincoln Park is perhaps my favorite Seattle park and good for walking year-round.

According to the Seattle Parks website, “Lincoln Park is West Seattle’s major multi-purpose park – a nose-shaped bluff on Puget Sound just north of the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal. Switchbacks on the north and gentle trails to the south connect a mile of seawalls, rocky beaches to a bluff of grassy forests and meadows with play and picnic areas galore.”

Next time you’re in town, why don’t you drop by and see for yourself?

~ Susanne

Category: Nature, Seattle, TrailsTags: , , , , , , ,

30 Comments on “A Fall Hike at Seattle’s Lincoln Park, Complete with Wildlife”

  3. I visited Seattle years ago and would love to go vack but do and see more. I like the Crows, spiders you can keep. They are every where here. I dont try to harm them but dont want to see them either lol. Great photos..

    • Thanks so much for your comment! The spiders come out from all their hiding places in the fall, and I see them everywhere. Most are harmless and do wonders in the garden where they feed on insects, so I let them be.

  4. Thank you for this wonderful photo essay of yours, Susanne, it was a brief but very enjoyable trip down memory lane for me. As a kid, my family spent literally every single Saturday morning visiting Lincoln Park. We lived just west of “the Junction” (yes I think we must have been sort-of neighbors back in the day!) and every Saturday rain, shine or – the best because of the fog horns – dense fog, off we went in the old Studebaker, or Ford, or whatever Dad drove depending on how well his Boeing job was paying as he climbed the corporate ladder. Later, when I was in college at the UW, I lived in a daylight basement rental apartment just a short walk past the ferry landing to the Park so – once again every Saturday, rain, shine, or fog. I think I loved the swings the most even when I was in college (wonder if they’re still there?). And the beach of course. The fragrance of the trees in the rain and Puget Sound at low tide. And watching the ferries. The last time I visited was over 20 years ago. I traveled from Oregon with my little old Jack Russell in early Fall for a final goodbye to the city I’d loved so much but sadly knew I’d never be able to afford to live in ever again. PS I’ve never seen those orange and black “woolies” anywhere else!

    • Thanks so much for your comment! I’m happy to give you a walk down memory lane! Lincoln Park hasn’t changed a bit in all the years I’ve been visiting. (I too visited as a child though not as often as you.) 🙂

    • Thank you! I couldn’t resist the beautiful spider web in the woods. And then when I saw a spider suspended in midair against the backdrop of Puget Sound, the web invisible, I couldn’t help sharing it! 🙂

  6. I love the caterpillar! I have to say that being a pest control guy’s wife made me not as scared of bugs as some, but that one suspended in the air looks like a black widow to me 😬🕷

    • Eek! I don’t know my spider species well. Apparently the black widow is more common in Eastern Washington, though there are supposed to be a few pockets this side of the mountains where they reside. I didn’t look at it except through my camera zoom lens so who knows!😮

  7. Great shots! We get many of those same caterpillars on the northern California coast.

  8. Lovely shots, Susanne. But 965 different spiders? That means my wife will never be going anywhere near Washington State! 🙂
    (And I agree that looks like a Black Widow.)
    Best wishes, Pete.

    • Thanks, Pete. I don’t like giant spiders, but the little ones don’t bother me. They’re helpful in the garden eating insects. In my research I learned that Washington has more species than most states in the U.S, except for California and Texas. There are 3,500 different species in the U.S but only 2 are most dangerous to humans, the black widow and brown recluse. We only have the black widow and they’re mostly found in Eastern Washington. This may have been one, but I didn’t see any orange on it (not that I was that close.) It could also have been a false black widow spider. Either way, I kept my distance!

  9. There’s little better than a walk through woods that leads down to the sea and this one looks lovely – apart from the spiders! Those you can keep 🕷🕷

  12. I LOVE your spider images and the crows too. Big spiders and big birds are perfect for those of us who like to observe but have less than stellar eyesight. I have a pet spider in my nectarine tree. She has a big white butt from which she spins an elaborate web every night. She makes taking the dogs out for their nighttime wee interesting.

  13. Great photos, Susanne. Love the squirrel and the caterpillar, and I’m pro spider too!

Categories
Follow Cats and Trails and Garden Tales on WordPress.com

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,664 other subscribers
Posts by Month