Six Uncommon Places to Find Cherry Blossoms in the Greater Seattle Area
Cherry blossom season aka Sakura Biyori (iykyk) is at its peak here in Seattle and today, I wanted to share some not so common places where you can see these beauty in full bloom! If you search “cherry blossom Seattle,” you’ll most likely see “University of Washington Quad” pop up and while, yes they are pretty as a whole, it gets crowded there and the blooms itself aren’t as pretty as others in the area. There are definitely more places in the greater Seattle area to get some awesome shots with these beauties. Today I’m sharing some favorites and hopefully if you’re in the area, you can catch them before they float away…
Lake Washington Blvd. - Seattle
Lake Washington Blvd. Seattle, multiple spots: All around Lake Washington, starting from Seward Park, you’ll see some pretty blooms. While yes there may be some around Seward Park itself, continue driving north on Lake Washington Blvd. Not 1/2 mile north of the park is a couple standalone trees that are beautifully lush, especially with the lake as a backdrop. Search Ferdinand Street Boat Launch to find this spot. Keep driving north and you’ll see more blooms along the way and be sure to check out Leschi Park as well for some hidden blooms (and maybe grab a snack on the way!).
Madrona area
Madrona area: This is one of my favorite areas in Seattle. It’s a cute little neighborhood with some awesome restaurants and has some lovely cherry blossoms sprinkled throughout. After dinner the other day, we walked towards Madrona Playground where we saw a beautiful cluster of them right in the middle of the playground area. If you keep walking towards the lake, youo’ll also see some in Alvin Larkins Park. If you keep walking or driving on 34th Ave. you’ll see that it turns into E Denny Way, turn Madrona Dr. where you’ll see Denny Blaine Lake Park. It’s not really a lake or a park IMO and is very small, but it has serene lake (pond) with a beautiful cherry blossom tree that overlooks the pond and is usually filled with ducks! If you walk towards the pond the ducks may follow you, but they’re just looking for food and when they realize you don’t have any, they float back on the pond =)
Aloha Street in Capitol Hill
Aloha street (by St. Joseph and Holy Names Academy): Along the side of St. Joseph Church on E. Aloha St. and 18th, you’ll see the sidewalk paved with cherry blossoms arching over. I go here when I catch them in bloom and I love how incline of the hill can make for some awesome perspective shots. If you walk down the incline towards HNA (my old hs!), right on 21st to the left of the school is literally the most BEAUTIFUL row of blossoms! I don’t think I paid much attention to them while I was in school (they’re only so full for a short period of time), but when they’re fully blossomed, they’re stunning.
Cedar River Trail - Renton
Cedar River Trail in Renton: Right along the Cedar River trail on Logan Ave. S., there is a beautiful memorial ‘For those souls lost at sea in our own conflicts to gain world peace'“ right by the river with a nice patch of grass and cherry blossom trees. This location is right across Renton Memorial Stadium by the Renton Senior Activity Center. It’s so calm and quiet there it's honestly nice just to sit and and take in the scene. I’ve been here on the weekends and during the evening on the weekdays and I’ve only seen a handful of people talking a walk/jog to pass by.
Embassy Suites - Tukwila
Embassy Suites on Interurban Avenue: You can’t really tell when you’re driving by this street, but behind the Embassy Suites hotel is the most gorgeous pathway of blossoms that line through the middle of the parking lot! When they are in full bloom, they create this beautiful archway. You can get here by a) staying here or b) eating lunch at Basil’s Kitchen!
Tukwila Industrial Area
Industrial area in Tukwila: So… I wish I could pinpoint exactly where I went to find these, but I know they’re somewhere along Tukwila Station Access Road and during the weekend, all the lots are empty and there's little to no traffic around. I discovered this area in 2019 when my mom and I decided to drive around and out of nowhere we spotted them in the front of an office park building. Because it was a weekend, no one was there so it was a very unexpected surprise!
I hope you found this post helpful and inspiring next time you’re looking for cherry blossoms in the city. If you are able to get out this weekend and during the week to see the blossoms, remember to practice social distancing and wear masks around others. With these places above, 9/10 we were the only ones there and didn’t have to ‘fight’ or ‘wait’ for the perfect photo op. Some of these are in full bloom now, and some of these are almost there so there’s still a little bit of time to catch them in their glory. And sometimes by just driving or walking round, you’ll find them in the most unexpected places, maybe even in your own neighborhood 😊
What are your favorite places in the city to see cherry blossoms??
-Kirstie
