Jackson Park Trail

Dogs Leashed

Parking near the entrance to Jackson Park Golf Course at NE 135th Street and 11th Ave NE is free. As usual, don't leave valuables in your vehicle.

Trail surface alternates between small gravel, springy soil, and city sidewalk. After rain, standing water or mud may be encountered along the west side of the loop.

This trail, which follows the perimeter of Jackson Park Golf Course, may be accessed at many points; however, a chain link fence prevents travel between the golf course and trail. The trailhead shown on the map is where you'll find parking and a kiosk with a trail map. If you like to save the best for last, run counterclockwise. If you prefer to start with the least urban section or don't want to do the full 2.2 mile loop, or if you want to take a short run with children, go clockwise.

The entire trail is easy, but it's not particularly family-friendly unless you want to teach your children about urban homelessness. The southern portion of the loop between the trailhead and 5th Ave NE includes a shady forest, native plantings, and a section of thick understory where the waters of Thornton Creek cool off after flowing through the golf course.

The western portion of the trail hugs the golf course fence on one side. On the other side is a buffer strip of vegetation, then Fifth Ave NE (which is closed for elevated light rail construction until the fall of 2022), then I-5. At times there's quite a dumping site midway along this stretch of trail. You'll cross Thornton Creek on a footbridge.

Two longstanding homeless camps with large tents, clotheslines, tables and chairs, and sometimes even campfires are in the northwest and northeast corners of the loop trail. I've never had a problem, but if it makes you uncomfortable, you can bypass the more secluded camp by staying on the busy city street all the way to the intersection of NE 45th and 15th Ave NE. But then you'll miss one of the two prettiest and quietest forested sections of the entire trail. Frankly, I'm more startled by the trail sign that commands, "Golf Tee Quiet Area Ahead. Please respect golfer concentration!"

Native plantings, especially along the southern portion of the loop, include vine maple, twinberry honeysuckle, wild rose, bleeding heart, thimbleberry, salmonberry, snowberry, Oregon grape, sword fern, salal, and others. Forests in the northeast and south sections of the loop contain Douglas fir, Western redcedar, and bigleaf maple. Coyotes, raccoons, and opossums have been seen in the area.