Mercer Slough Nature Park - 3 easy loops

Here is a guide to exploring a fun hiking treasure in the heart of Seattle's Eastside: Bellevue's Mercer Slough http://parkstrails.myparksandrecreation.com/Details.aspx?pid=471.  This place has an amazing variety of easy hiking trails!  While there is a large loop to the south, this post focuses on the Mercer Slough Environmental Center and the two smaller loops to the north - the western loop by the blueberry farm and the eastern loop by the Bellefields Trailhead.

There are 6 different driveways accessing the park, several of which confused me my first time around.  Before getting into the trails, here is a map with some info about the driveways.  Map:
http://parkstrails.myparksandrecreation.com/ParksTrails/UserFiles/file/bellevue_park_info/trail%20guide%202010/trail_guide_map_mercer_slough_nature_park.pdf


On the west side of the park, there are 4 driveways from Bellevue Way.  From north to south they are:
*Winters House Visitor's Center - 2102 Bellevue Way SE (upper left blue icon with house )
*Mercer Slough Blueberry Farm - 2380 Bellevue Way SE (lower left blue icon with restroom)
*Park & Ride - at Bellevue Way & SE 112th Ave
*Sweyolocken Boat Launch - 3000 Bellevue Way SE
On the east side of the park, there are 2 driveways.  From north to south they are:
*Mercer Slough Environmental Center - 1625 118th Ave SE (upper right blue icon with restroom and house)
*Bellefields Trailhead - 2101 118th Ave SE (lower right blue icon with restroom)

If you're interested in a stroller-friendly and possibly even wheelchair-accessible trail, jump down to the Mercer Slough Blueberry Farm.  If you just want to check out the treehouse and .1 little trail, skip to the Mercer Slough Environmental Center.  Note that the tree house is only open during ranger hours.  If you're interested in a 3/4 trail in the woods with 2 little hills, scroll down to the bottom to the Bellefields Trailhead section for a wonderful first hike experience!

***Winters House Visitor's Center - 2102 Bellevue Way SE (upper left blue icon with house )
The Winters House Visitor's Center has a trailhead and leads to the western loop.  The map indicates a restroom but we didn't see an open one when we went there.  There were quite a few parking spaces, though.  If the parking lot at the blueberry farm is full, this would be a great access point to the western loop.  If a little one needs a potty the blueberry farm is on the way.

***Mercer Slough Blueberry Farm - 2380 Bellevue Way SE (lower left blue icon with restroom)
This is a wonderful trailhead for the western loop!  First of all, there are there restrooms in the parking lot.  There is not a diaper changing station, but the restrooms were clean.  In addition, except for a small packed dirt path from the parking lot to the main trail, the entire trail is either paved or on a wooden boardwalk.  It would be an easy hike for someone with a stroller or a wheelchair.

To get here from I-90, head north on Bellevue Way and turn right into the blueberry farm parking lot.  To get here from Bellevue, head south on Bellevue Way, go past the blueberry farm because of the median, turn around in the park & ride, then turn right into the blueberry farm.

There are 2 great options from this trailhead: either walk the entire mile loop past the blueberry farm and Bellevue Way.  A shorter and more scenic option is to walk out to the bridge and back.  Since the path by the blueberry farm is on woodchips, the out-and-back to the bridge is the only real stroller and wheelchair option.  It's also about .5 or .6 miles, so it's an easy little walk.

From the parking lot, it looks like the trail splits in two.  The left path goes down into the blueberry fields and connects up with the Winters House Vistor's Center.  Instead, go right on the dirt and gravel trail past the post with the blue sign. 

Within a minute or two, the trail comes to a "T."  The right path goes to the park and ride.  Instead, head left and you're on the western loop!

Once you turn left, the path goes along a great boardwalk which keeps feet dry in this naturally muddy area.  Also, kids seem love boardwalks!  They are different, interesting, and kids seem to pick up that they're walking someplace kind of special.

 

 

 Soon, the top of the Bellevue skyline pops into view.

Just before the western loop reaches the Mercer Slough, the boardwalk turns into a 4-way path. 

  

The left leads to the northeast corner of the western loop, past the blueberry fields, and eventually winds towards the Winters House and back along Bellevue Way to the parking lot.




The right path juts out to a tiny floating dock.
  

Continuing straight leads to a bridge across the river.   

 

View of the little dock from the bridge:

Beyond the bridge, the trail continues for about a minute or two and then connects with the eastern loop that starts at the Bellefields Trailhead.  If you have an extra 20 or 30 minutes, you can do that loop, too.  Otherwise, turn around on the boardwalk and return across the bridge back to the blueberry farm.

Park & Ride - at Bellevue Way & SE 112th Ave
This would be a good overflow option if the blueberry farm parking lot is full.

Sweyolocken Boat Launch - 3000 Bellevue Way SE
The limited parking here is intended for boat launch use.

***Mercer Slough Environmental Center - 1625 118th Ave SE (upper right blue icon with restroom and house)  http://parkstrails.myparksandrecreation.com/Details.aspx?pid=471
There is a parking lot just north of the Environmental Center.  Since we decided to check out the tree house before taking the Bellefields Trail, we parked at the Bellefields trailhead and just walked a couple of blocks down the sidewalk to reach the center.  At the center, there is a ranger station, a small walking path, and a fun treehouse!  There is also a restroom with a changing station for kiddos in diapers.  You might not spend a lot of time here, but hitting the treehouse before the Bellefields Trail was an exciting way to start the morning!  Note that the tree house is only open during ranger hours so you may want to call ahead of time to make sure it will be open.

 

***Bellefields Trailhead - 2101 118th Ave SE (lower right blue icon with restroom)
This is a fantastic 3/4 mile hike through the woods!  Between the very small hills and the marshy trail, leave strollers behind and have little ones wear rain boots, even on a sunny day.  To find the trailhead, follow the signs south of the parking lot. After winding down a little hill, find a handy trail map.  For some reason this one has South pointing up.  We took the smaller loop detour and then continued around to complete the large loop.  Even with many stops to investigate plants and bugs it only took us 30 minutes. 

 

At the bottom of the entrance hill, we found a stream.  It was flat and shallow enough that I let Jake play around.  He loved crossing back & forth over the rock path, like a real adventurer!  Past the stream we took a right over a little bridge.  It went up a few stairs and then right back down.  As this path merged back with the main trail, we found blooming skunk cabbage and some curious little den.

Since it rained off and on that day, we had to avoid mud.  There was enough to make me suspect that it could be muddy even on sunny days, too.

 Halfway around the loop, we found a bench and interpretive sign next to the Mercer Slough.

 In the southwest corner, we found this boardwalk.  The sign says it goes to the blueberry farm, so we skipped it to finish up our loop.  Later I discovered that it is about a 1 minute walk to the cool bridge over the Mercer Slough.  It would be totally worth it to go out this boardwalk to the bridge & back as part of this Bellefields Trail loop!