6 Best Burien Parks for Joggers

Going for a jog is a great way to keep fit, and running outside is a lot more interesting than hitting the treadmill. When you live in Burien, finding a great path is almost as easy as stepping out your front door. Burien is home to more than 365 acres of open space, and offers nearly a dozen parks with running trails. Lace up your Nikes, and discover the six best local parks in Burien, Washington, for joggers.

1. Dottie Harper Park

This 3.5-acre wooded park is adjacent to the Burien Community Center, and offers runners a scenic path through mature firs, cedars, and other native hardwoods. Dottie Harper Park also features a remodeled playground, space for a picnic lunch, and an amphitheater where you can catch the occasional live performance. Dottie Harper’s trails are within walking distance of apartments and family homes, making it the ideal place for a quiet run right in the city. 

2. Hazel Valley Park

Located on the north side of Burien, Hazel Valley Park covers a modest 2.9 acres accessible from 124th Street. The park offers paved and unpaved trails neighbored by a delightful grove of fir trees. A lovely community park, the trails are mostly flat and are ideal for a leisurely jog.

3. Mathison Park

When you want a view with your run, head out to Mathison Park. Situated over 5.3 acres at the highest point in Burien, this neighborhood park’s paved trails lead you up in elevation to picturesque views of Puget Sound and Mount Rainier.

4. Shorewood Park

Shorewood Park encompasses 3.4 acres of wooded parkland that is well maintained by community volunteers and members of the Shorewood on the Sound Club. It offers novice runners a short and little-known forested trail right near the elementary school.

5. Salmon Creek Ravine

If jogging in an undeveloped open space is more your style, head out to Salmon Creek Ravine. Featuring 88 acres set along the Salmon Creek, it’s a favorite destination of joggers who enjoy a mostly primitive trail system. The path winds throughout the wooded hillsides, and is accessible from Shorewood Drive SW.

The ravine is heavily wooded with cedar trees and offers runners access to the mile-long, year-round stream, and spring-fed tributaries. Catch sight of bald eagles, raccoons or an elusive red fox. The ravine is also home to muskrat, bats, osprey, otters, and gray squirrels.

6. Seahurst Ed Monro Park 

Referred to as the jewel of Burien’s park system by residents, Seahurst Park offers access to a beautiful salt water beach on Puget Sound. Jog several trails with spectacular views of the Olympic Mountains, then enjoy a lunch in one of the reservable picnic shelters.

There’s a playground, and a variety of natural features to explore including forests, streams, and wetlands. In addition to offering an exceptional backdrop for a run, it’s a favorite spot for photographers to capture Burien’s natural beauty.

Jogging in the great outdoors is much better than pounding a treadmill. Get outside and explore one of Burien’s many parks with a mood-boosting run today.

Image via Bernard Spragg | Licensed by CC0 1.0

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