Lush green forest in the Fauntleroy Creek ravine in West Seattle

Fauntleroy Park

Wander 32.9 acres of forest and wetland in West Seattle at Fauntleroy Park, where Fauntleroy Creek begins. Bring binoculars instead of a ball, since this green space is set aside for quiet walks, birdwatching and nature study rather than sports.

Part ofFauntleroy Parks in Seattle

Frequently asked questions

Fauntleroy Park covers 32.9 acres. About 18 acres are hardwood and riparian forest, roughly 10 acres are conifer and mixed forest, and about 5 acres are wetlands.

No. Lincoln Park is a separate park nearby that was called Fauntleroy Park until 1922. The current Fauntleroy Park is the wooded area at 3951 SW Barton St.

Fauntleroy Park is not a site for mountain biking or other heavy trail use, and it has no facilities for organized sports. Activities center on walking, birdwatching and nature observation.

Local schoolchildren have restored habitat along Fauntleroy Creek and stocked it with coho salmon. Cutthroat trout once lived in the stream but are no longer found there.

The City of Seattle acquired the land for a park in 1971. Steep slopes had kept the property from being developed as the surrounding neighborhood grew.

Under a canopy of native trees, with wetland spreading across the low ground, a creek makes its very first appearance. This is Fauntleroy Park, a 32.9-acre wooded natural area at 3951 SW Barton St in the Fauntleroy neighborhood of West Seattle, where Fauntleroy Creek begins and most of the land remains forest and wetland instead of lawn or ball fields. Come for quiet walks, birdwatching and a chance to watch a city forest recover on its own.

A Forest Saved by Steep Slopes

You can thank the terrain for this woodland. More than 30 percent of Fauntleroy Park is steep slope, ground simply too steep to build on, and that kept houses off the land while the neighborhood filled in around it.

Homes began rising nearby in the first decade of the 20th century, and building carried on for more than 50 years, yet the wooded ravine held its ground through all of it. The City of Seattle finally acquired the property as a park in 1971, so the forest you stroll through today is the same one that outlasted all that construction.

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Wander Native Forest and Wetlands

Plenty of Seattle parks were shaped by landscaping, but here you step into mostly native habitat. The woods are a forest remnant going through natural succession, which means the plant communities around you keep changing and maturing over time with little human design.

Here is roughly how the acreage breaks down:

Hardwood and riparian forest: 18 acres, the largest share of the park
Conifer and mixed forest: about 10 acres
Wetlands: approximately 5 acres

Together, those streamside trees, evergreens and wet ground give birds and other wildlife a range of places to feed and shelter, all without leaving city limits.

Find Where Fauntleroy Creek Starts

Fauntleroy Creek has its headwaters right inside the park, and the stream historically supported fish. Cutthroat trout once lived in its waters, though you will no longer find them there.

Local schoolchildren have worked to restore habitat along the stream and have stocked it with coho salmon. The creek keeps flowing beyond the park, and nearby Fauntleroy Creek Ravine, about half a mile away, protects more of the same watershed.

How to Spend Your Visit

Fauntleroy Park is managed as a natural green space and wildlife habitat rather than a typical urban park, so plan on an unhurried, low-key outing built around a few simple pleasures:

Walking the wooded paths
Birdwatching
Observing plants, the creek and other wildlife

Before you head out, keep in mind that the park is not meant for heavy trail use such as mountain biking, and it has no facilities for organized sports. Leave the bike and the soccer ball at home and pack binoculars instead. For current rules and details, check with Seattle Parks and Recreation.

Meet the Neighbors Who Care for It

A dedicated volunteer community looks after Fauntleroy Park. Volunteers have been pulling non-native weeds here since 1996, the same year the Friends of Fauntleroy Park formed, and that group focuses on preserving and restoring the park as a natural area, on public education and use, and on stewardship.

Two more groups tend the wider watershed that begins in the park:

Friends of Fauntleroy Creek, established in 1989
Fauntleroy Creek Watershed Council, established in 2001

Not to Be Confused with Lincoln Park

If you come across older maps and records, a little care helps. Nearby Lincoln Park, the larger waterfront park in West Seattle, went by the name Fauntleroy Park until 1922, and today the name belongs to this wooded ravine on SW Barton St.

Nearby Landmarks and Green Spaces

Just next door, about 0.2 miles away, stands the Fauntleroy Community Church and YMCA, a United Church of Christ congregation and a designated Seattle landmark. Several other parks and community spots sit within an easy walk:

Kilbourne Park, 0.3 miles
Barton Street community garden, 0.4 miles
Southwest Branch library, 0.4 miles
Fauntleroy Creek Ravine, 0.5 miles
Ercolini Park, 0.6 miles
Endolyne Park, 0.6 miles
Roxhill Park, 0.7 miles

These distances are straight-line measurements, so your walking route may run a bit longer. To build a fuller day nearby, explore our guide to the Fauntleroy neighborhood, or browse all of Seattle's parks to discover more green spaces across the city.

Within a short walk