Paddling: Washington Park Arboretum

There are a number of reasons I frequently paddle around the Washington Park arboretum. It is an easy route that anyone can do, it is fun to paddle under the freeway to access a wetland full of plant and animal life, I can invite anyone to come along because there is a convenient kayak rental at Agua Verde and after a couple of hours exploration I can get a beer and a taco at Agua Verde's Mexican cafe upstairs! What I usually do is find a parking spot at the paddle club and unload my boat while my friends get a rental. There is a (very small) public launch adjacent to the paddle club.

Once on the water, you can go either go through Portage Bay to Lake Union or head east through the Montlake cut directly to the arboretum wetlands. The cut can be very busy during the summer, so stay alert for large boats. Also, the cut is narrow and big motor boats create wakes that will bounce you around a bit. Novices may be a bit anxious about this, but they'll get through. Its really only bad around 4th of July when everyone has their boat on the water and I've learned to avoid Lake Washington/Lake Union during these brief times.

Once you've managed the cut, head into the wetlands by cutting under the freeway. Its actually fun to pass under these and you can observe the abundant swallow nests. The arboretum creates a natural barrier between the traffic and the habitat, so once you get inside it becomes tranquil and passive. These are preserved nesting grounds for Great Blue Heron. Only paddle boats are allowed in these waters, and for that reason it is possible to come intimately close to the wildlife here.

You can do the entire trip at a moderate pace in about an hour and a half. You can also extend your trip around Union Bay to explore some other wetland areas that are great for birders. When you've made your way back through the cut to Agua Verde, stop in for a beer or margarita and some food.