Walkabout: Bloedel Reserve trails

By Cathy McDonald
Special to The Seattle Times

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Location: Bainbridge Island.

Length: Several miles of trails.

Level of difficulty: Flat to moderately sloping, well-manicured paths and paved service roads.

Setting: This stunning 150-acre arboretum and natural reserve was the former estate of Prentice and Virginia Bloedel, who consulted landscape architects and chose some recommendations but rejected others so that "organization should not destroy a sense of naturalness." The result is a unique blend of groomed gardens and native forest that should not be missed.

Highlights: At the gatehouse, visitors receive a map and a guidebook to use during their self-guided tour. A walk through a meadow leads to a manmade pond flanked by lush vegetation that provides food and cover for birds. From the pond area, a trestle bridge passes into a second-growth forest, with a boardwalk that traverses its wetlands. Emerging onto the paved drive, walk by the groomed lawns and stop at the Bloedels' former house, and continue out back to the bluff overlooking Puget Sound. To the north of the house, a forested glen features many varieties of plantings, and winds up to the Japanese stroll garden designed by Fujitaro Kubota (whose land was preserved as Kubota Garden Park in South Seattle). Then, pass through an astonishing moss garden that would be a hobbit's pride, followed by a reflection pool that provides a glimpse of Europe, before you cross the meadow back to the gatehouse.

Facilities: Restrooms and water fountains at both the gatehouse and visitor center.

Restrictions: No pets (except guide dogs), bicycles or picnicking. Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays (except federal holidays) year-round by reservation only (to restrict crowds). Admission: $10 person; $8 for those 65 and older; $6 for children 5-12 (children younger than 5 free); $4 to qualified groups. Memberships available.

Directions: Take the Bainbridge Island ferry to Winslow, and from the ferry terminal head straight north on Highway 305. In about 6.5 miles, before the Agate Pass Bridge, turn right on Northeast Agatewood Road (watch for reserve sign). The entrance to the reserve is in about a half-mile, just before the road takes a sharp left.

For more information: 206-842-7631 or www.bloedelreserve.org

Cathy McDonald is coauthor with Stephen Whitney of "Nature Walks In and Around Seattle" (The Mountaineers, 1997).

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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