Yesler Swamp is located on the east side of the Center for Urban Horticulture, and is part of the Union Bay Natural Area. A walking loop through the swamp takes you on a boardwalk to the edge of Lake Washington and the site of the old pier of the Yesler Sawmill.
In 1916, the water level of Lake Washington was lowered 9 feet with the construction of the Lake Washington Ship Canal between Lake Washington and Puget Sound. Before the lake was artificially lowered much of the Yesler Swamp site was underwater forming an inlet of Union Bay. For millenia, native peoples used this area and called it ʔadid(a) (“a dee da”), which translates to “dear me” or “oh my”. The Yesler Sawmill operated adjacent to the site in the late 19th century, using waterway here for transport and processing of logs from the nearby forests for nearly 40 years. University of Washington bought the land after the mill burned for the second time in the 1920s. During World War 2 much of the site was used as a Victory Garden due to its rich soil and lack of trees. Between 1946 and 2000 the site remained vacant and undeveloped for the next 70 years.
In 2000, a series Capstone Projects carried out by UW Restoration Ecology Network students led by Professor Kern Ewing and others began restoration of Yesler Swamp. The faculty and students established the existing rough trail, cleared invasive plants, planted native flora and proposed an all-weather upgrade to the trail.
In 2010, Friends of Yesler Swamp, assisted by a grant from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Matching fund, retained a consultant to design an environmentally sensitive, all-season trail and boardwalk to provide community access to Yesler Swamp. Video tour of boardwalk.
Yesler Swamp in the News
- Christensen, Jill. “New Yesler Swamp boardwalk brings UW community together.” The Daily of the University of Washington. 14 November 2016.
- Weisbaum, Herb (Host). “Yesler Swamp gets new boardwalk trail.” KOMO Radio. 3 November 2016.
- Cerny-Chipman, Kat. “UW Community Gathers to Celebrate the Completion of the Yesler Swamp Boardwalk.” UW Botanic Gardens blog. 1 November 2016.
- Ma, Michelle. “Completed boardwalk trail in Yesler Swamp offers access to wildlife, natural areas.” UW Today. 26 October 2016.
- Mapes, Lynda V. “Seattle’s own urban swamp gets a boardwalk trail.” The Seattle Times. 21 October 2016.
Click on thumbnail to view a larger image or to scroll through gallery.
