St. Edward State Park

St. Edward State Park is the largest undeveloped area remaining on Lake Washington — 316 acres. The park is located a little more than a mile south of Kenmore, between Arrowhead Point and Manitou. The land was once private; from the late 1920s to 1970s it was owned by the Seattle Catholic Diocese for use as a seminary. The magnificent seminary building is now maintained by the state park system.

A small portion of the park, the St. Thomas Conference Center, is still owned by the Diocese for religious retreats and other nonprofit uses. The state park grounds, heavily wooded and criss-crossed with trails, give visitors a sense of what Lake Washington was like before logging and development forever changed the landscape.

Moorings and Anchorage
The underwater terrain makes for tricky anchoring: the hard bottom descends gradually to about 30 feet, then drops off abruptly to 100 feet. The sloping ledge is narrow and doesn’t afford much swinging room between the beach and the drop-off, though there is a slightly wider portion of this ledge near the state park sign.

Most boaters stop here for lunch and a swim. If you intend to spend the night here, anchor in deep water, as the holding ground is better and the distance to shore greater. Watch out for crayfish pots.

Getting Ashore
You can put ashore anywhere along the park. There’s no beach to speak of, so you’ll need to tie your dinghy to a tree or snag.

Things to Do
The hiking trails are extensive, steep and energizing. All trails eventually lead up ravines and gullies to the former Catholic seminary’s impressive Romanesque Revival style brick buildings. Nearby is public gym and Olympic-size swimming pool. Here also are facilities for tennis, handball, and racquetball, as well as fields for soccer, baseball, and volleyball. St. Edward State Park is for day use only — no overnight camping.

Sailor, writer and teacher Migael Scherer, who divides her time between Seattle and Lopez Island, is the author of “A Cruising Guide to Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands,” published by International Marine/McGraw-Hill. The guide can be purchased online through Armchair Sailor Books & Charts, Captain’s Nautical Supplies, Amazon and other retailers.

About Migael Scherer

Sailor, writer and teacher Migael Scherer, who divides her time between Seattle and Lopez Island, is the author of “A Cruising Guide to Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands,” published by International Marine/McGraw-Hill. The guide can be purchased online through Armchair Sailor Books & Charts, Captain’s Nautical Supplies, Amazon and other retailers.

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