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This is one of a series of pages guiding
you around Seattle's viewpoints.
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Seattle Viewpoints
Hamilton Park
List with Go Northwest!
Location
1531 California
Avenue SW
The viewpoint is on Admiral Hill in West Seattle, above Elliott Bay.
Admission
Free.
Getting
there by car
Click icon to map your route on
MapBlast!
There is a loop road (comprised
of Palm Avenue SW and SW Donald Street) for cars going
in either direction along California Avenue SW to pull in.
Getting
there by bus
From downtown, via
bus number 56 (Alki Beach).
Board the southbound bus at the corner of 1st Avenue and Pike Street.
(Enjoy the view from West Seattle Bridge as you cross it on the
bus. Unfortunately no pedestrian traffic is allowed on the bridge.)
Alight
from the bus at the corner of California Avenue SW and Admiral Way
SW. (This is an intersection with traffic lights.)
This segment of the trip is about a 15- to 25-minute ride each way, depending on whether you
catch an express bus.
Change to bus number
55 (Admiral District).
Board the northbound bus at the corner of California Avenue SW and Admiral Way
SW.
Alight from the bus at the corner of California Avenue SW and SW Atlantic
Street. Walk north for about one block on California Avenue SW.
This segment of the trip is about a 5-minute ride each way.
Or, you might prefer walk 15
minutes down California Avenue SW to the park.
Ahead of you the road will dip
sharply down to the park, and you will see the "can't-miss" views of
Seattle.
Notes
and Tips
Hamilton Park is named for Rupert Hamilton, publisher of the Herald
newspaper.
The viewpoint offers views similar to nearby
Admiral Way, but being
slightly "off the beaten track" is less busy. Within a
friendly neighborhood, it is surrounded by gardens and lawns, and has
several benches. It makes a great picnic spot, and you are likely to
see folk pulling in for a moment of rejuvenation.
No visit to West Seattle is
complete without a visit to Alki Beach Park! To get to Alki Beach
from Hamilton Viewpoint you have three options:
- Return to bus route number 56 in the same direction you were originally going, and stay on
until its final stop.
- For the more adventurous,
retrace your path back uphill onto California Avenue SW, turn right
into SW Atlantic Street, and veer left onto Sunset Avenue SW.
Glimpsed between some lovely homes are amazing views looking towards
the Olympic Mountains. Veer right onto Bonair Drive SW where it
joins SW Massachussets Street (looking deceptively like a dead
end). Bonair Drive is a steep descent which takes you to near to
the eateries on Alki Avenue. It doesn't have much of a shoulder
to walk on, but cars (mostly local traffic) are considerate of
pedestrians. (When I walked down, a car was patiently following
a young man seated on a skateboard!) This is about a 20-minute
walk, or makes for a fun drive to soak up the residential beachside
atmosphere.
- Follow California Avenue SW on
the downhill side as it continues north, then bends southwards around
the point to become California Way SW. At beach level, this
joins up with Harbor Ave SW. Turn left onto this scenic drive
which follows Alki Beach Park to the eateries and bus stop. This
probably best done in a car, although those who are up for a 1- to
2-hour walk will be well rewarded.
The
Views
Hamilton Park offers 180º
views over the classic skyline of Seattle, from Magnolia Hill to Safeco
Baseball Stadium. You can see the Cascade Mountains running behind the cityscape along the
horizon. You can get above the foreground foliage by
standing on the benches.
To
the west, the Olympic Mountains are visible through trees. At this
angle you can watch the ferries turn into Elliott Bay.
Best
time for photos is midday, towards the PM, and evening when the city
twinkles.
Click on photo for full-size
image.
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Looking across Elliott Bay toward Seattle's
Space Needle (37kb). Photo taken mid-afternoon in late February.
Looking west from Sunset Avenue (26kb) across Alki Point. Photo
taken mid-afternoon in late February.
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Facing downtown Seattle from the grassy hill above Hamilton Viewpoint's
seating area (67kb). Photo taken mid-afternoon in late February.
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