5 of the best spots to exercise outdoors in west Seattle, According to Mara Haveson at Compass Reality
Meet Mara! Mara is West Seattle's top real estate broker and a longtime local who spends most days helping people discover why they never want to leave West Seattle.
Mara has the perfect guide to getting active outside in West Seattle, which is great timing for the sunny weather we are beginning to see more often!
THE LOCAL'S LIST is our weekly series where we tap locals to share their favorite spots, personal recs, and the kind of tips you usually only get from a friend.
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Mara's West seattle Go To Exercise spots:
Climb the Thistle Steps
"If I want a quick workout that actually gets my heart rate up, the Thistle Street stairs always deliver. The narrow staircase, surrounded by trees, contains about 367 steps end-to-end, leading from Thistle Street at the top, to Lincoln Park at the bottom. I love that it feels like a workout spot all West Seattleites know about and keep coming back to."
Swim at Colman Pool
"Swimming at Colman Pool feels like a workout with a reward built in. It’s a heated saltwater, 50-meter outdoor pool right by the water in Lincoln Park, so even lap swimming feels a little iconic and very specific to summer in West Seattle." Reminder that it's only open in the summer.
Bike along Alki Beach
"Biking along Alki is one of the easiest ways to remember why you love Seattle. The route is scenic and approachable, with long waterfront stretches that make it good for anything from a casual cruise to a longer ride with real mileage."
Explore the trails at Lincoln Park
"Lincoln Park has miles of trails and walking paths, and I love that you can mix wooded trails, bluff paths, and beachfront walking all in one outing, depending on how ambitious you’re feeling."
Paddleboard from Lowman Beach
"Lowman Beach is one of my favorite launch spots when I want to get out on the water without the busier energy of Alki. It has a quieter, less urban feel, and it’s the kind of place that can turn a paddle into one of the most peaceful workouts in the neighborhood."
More Local Picks
This guide is part of The Local's List — a series where we ask people who actually live here to share their favorite spots, routines, and opinions about the city. This is our first one, but there’s more coming.
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Written by Georgi Shillington on 4/23/26
