Bellevue, Naturally Mercer Slough Thrives In Urban Setting

In the midst of this Seattle suburb lies Mercer Slough Nature Park, a wildlife wonderland set on 320 acres of wetlands.

“It’s a nature park that’s preserved right in the middle of a thriving, growing urban area,” said park manager Geoff Bradley.

Owned by the Bellevue Parks and Recreation Department, Mercer Slough connects Kelsey Creek with Lake Washington. Once a marsh that drained into Lake Washington, Mercer Slough was created when the locks opened in 1917. It is the largest wetland on Lake Washington, which separates Seattle from its eastern suburbs.

Forty-thousand visitors a year enjoy one of the area’s most diverse ecosystems. Visitors might see more than 100 species of birds, 70 species of animals and amphibians and 100 species of plants.

Although mostly urbanized animals are prevalent, wildlife such as coyotes, red foxes, porcupines, beavers, mink, raccoons, weasels, deer, muskrats, river otters and squirrels have been spotted.

Six wildlife-enhancement ponds were built to create more habitat.

The marshes, meadows and forest provide critical habitat for wildlife and ample opportunities for discovering nature.

“A lot of people come here for environmental education and passive recreation like walking and watching the wildlife,” Bradley said.

Free guided one-hour nature walks are given Sundays at 11 a.m. Topics vary from wetlands to wildlife, history to habitat.

“It’s cool to see all the bugs and other neat stuff,” said Mary Nguyen, who was touring the park with her first-grade class from Bellevue’s Ardmore Elementary School.

“It’s neat because we get to dig in the soil, learn about the trees and look at snails,” added Nguyen’s classmate Michelle Whet.

The trail is flat and covered with boardwalk or thick wood chips. Trails are walkable year round, but the best time is spring through fall.

Signs note the length of each trail. The whole system totals five miles and takes about 90 minutes.

A three-hour guided canoe trip is also available May to September for $5 a person or $12 per canoe. Soloists can try two miles of canoe trails.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: IF YOU GO Historic Winters House, a former estate adjacent to the park, is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday noon-4 p.m. Admission is free. The address is 2102 Bellevue Way S.E. For more information, call (425) 452-2752.