Happy Trails — Enjoy Bellevue’s urban landscape on foot.

Bellevue is home to 2,500 acres of parks and enticing green zones offering around 100 miles of tranquil trails for walkers, joggers, and cyclists of all ages. Gems like the densely forested Coal Creek Natural Area attract those in search of Zen-like wanderings, but there are also plenty of ways to stretch your legs while absorbing the buzz of the city.

For those seeking to up their step count while simultaneously getting a dose of culture, the Downtown Bellevue Art Walk offers the perfect solution. The one-square-mile grid of downtown Bellevue boasts more than 120 works of public art, both indoors and out, as shown on the free, downloadable ArtMap. (Printed maps are available on the first floor of City Hall and from Visit Bellevue’s headquarters located on the third floor of the Meydenbauer Center.)

Today, Bellevue is a booming tech hub, but less than a hundred years ago, family farms covered the land where skyscrapers now stand. The city’s growth shows no sign of slowing, but you can still see glimpses of its past on the self-guided Early Bellevue Walking Tour. Created by the Eastside Heritage Center, the downloadable map is packed with interesting tidbits and historical photos comparing then and now.

Take time to stop and smell the flowers as you stroll through the Bellevue Botanical Garden. Open daily from dawn to dusk, the site features 53 acres of cultivated gardens, restored woodlands, and natural wetlands accessed via two looped trails. From April through October, one-hour docent-led tours happen every Saturday and Sunday, offering fun facts on the venue’s history and its vast plant collection, too.

Discover more trail ideas by visiting our website!

Article written by Corrine Whiting for the 2019-20 Bellevue Visitor’s Guide.