Dreaming of spring hikes? Updated West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails map will get you into Seattle’s largest forest

(Photos courtesy West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails Group)

One month ago, we told you about a new website for the West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails. Now, there’s word of a newly updated map to help you safely and knowledgeably get out into the forest! Here’s the announcement:

The West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails Group (WDGT) has updated an extensive map of trails in the West Duwamish Greenbelt as part of its mission to activate the park and draw people to the vast green space.

The West Duwamish Greenbelt is Seattle’s largest forest, covering more than 500 acres spanning more than four miles north to south. There are two distinct networks of trails. The northern network is between Highland Park Way SW and the West Seattle Bridge and includes the Duwamish Longhouse, South Seattle College, the Seattle Chinese Garden, Riverview Playfield, Puget Park, and Pigeon Point Park. The southern network includes Westcrest Park. WDGT would ultimately like to see the northern and southern trail networks connected, but it has been challenging to maintain a viable trail in the section of greenbelt between Highland Park Way SW and Westcrest Park.

The updated map includes additional trails, trailheads, landscape features and points of interest. Trails on the map are color-coded as improved; partially improved (soft surface); rough, steep and adventurous; pedestrian path, and paved public trail. To help guide you in real-time in the greenbelt, download the map to a phone using the Avenza Maps app. You can also create a route or track a route.

Throughout the map, users will find names of different areas in both English and Lushootseed, the language of the Coast Salish, such as Seven Cedars — c̕úʔkʷs x̌payʔ.

The updated trail maps are posted at various trailheads throughout the greenbelt and are also available as a downloadable PDF at wdgtrails.org/trails. The QR code to download the map to your phone is also available on the map.

Trail conditions and quality vary throughout the year. The soft trails are often muddy and slick during periods of heavy rain. Avoid hiking in the forest when wind speeds are high. Because there is currently little to no signage in the forest, the trail map is a helpful navigation tool for hikers new to the area.

The updated map was supported by a Community Partnership Fund grant from the city of Seattle. (The grant also supported an update of the West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails website and creation of an exhibit at the Log House Museum.) Matt Dressler, Cartographer and GIS Analyst at Mountains to Sound GIS in West Seattle, who created the map in 2022, updated the map from sources of available GIS data along with GPS tracks recorded by WDGT members.

WDGT is a collection of neighbors who promote walking and hiking trails in the greenbelt in partnership with the Duwamish Tribe. WDGT has been offering seasonal (April- November) free guided hikes in the greenbelt for nearly a decade. Find more info and opportunities to get involved at the new website.

10 Replies to "Dreaming of spring hikes? Updated West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails map will get you into Seattle's largest forest"

  • Desiree January 3, 2025 (8:25 am)

    So appreciate all the work here by this great organization. I went to the site and the PDF isn’t currently working so I sent an email to them. I wonder if there is a way to partner with WTA to design the connector trail between between north and south. 

  • JudyB January 3, 2025 (10:14 am)

    It seems to be working now.  Here’s the  link. 

    • Oakley34 January 3, 2025 (1:15 pm)

      Doesn’t seem to work on iOS 

      • Desiree January 3, 2025 (3:16 pm)

        Yep. Seems to be the case for Apple / IOS products. 

  • Jay January 3, 2025 (5:00 pm)

    It looks like newer versions of iOS have trouble viewing PDFs. As a temporary solution, I will add a high res JPG version of the map as an alternative download button tonight. That should work on every device. Alternatively, try the Avenza link. Trailforks has a more complete version of the map than all trails currently. Sorry about that, some of the recent decisions by Apple are very frustrating and I only have Android devices to test on.

  • JoJo in WS January 3, 2025 (5:18 pm)

    Here is the  link to download it to your phone (iOS or Android) for use in the Avenza Maps app: https://link.avenza.com/y14N

  • Jay January 4, 2025 (12:05 am)

    I just added another button on the website for downloading a high-res JPG. That should work for phones that are having issues reading PDF files.

  • J January 4, 2025 (7:58 am)

    I have to admit I’ve avoided some of these areas out of concern for stumbling into encampments.  Are there still many in the greenbelt?

    • April January 6, 2025 (9:40 am)

      This has been my concern as well. I used to walk extensively in the green belt from the trail entrance at 14th and Holly just south of the community college with my friend and her toddler who lived in that neighborhood. She and her family relocated in part because in August she was followed with her toddler on that trail by a young male creeper giggling and hiding behind trees, scared her to death. There’s also an entrance part way up Highland drive that has been looking quite iffy for a long time. I have long wanted to explore this green belt, but even with 100 lb dog with me, I’m not sure I’m ready to risk it after a woman with a dog in Point Defiance was attacked. Can someone address this? 

    • JoJo in WS January 7, 2025 (9:06 pm)

      The number of encampments in the greenbelt have decreased in recent years and are mostly near West Marginal Way or Highland Park Way, they are also off the beaten path, so stay on the main trails. I regularly hike the trails between Pigeon Point and Riverview Park and have not come across any encampments.

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