Trigger Warning: Post mentions pregnancy loss.
On Halloween 2021, we visited Saint Edward State Park, located in Kenmore, WA, on the ancestral lands of the Coast Salish, Duwamish, Stillaguamish, and Suquamish People.
Halloween is a bittersweet day for our family. Our little loves the day and we love seeing her excitement, but on Halloween in 2019, we found out that our second baby, Quinn, no longer had a heartbeat. Though we anticipated the loss, due to complications for an entire month prior, it was incredibly difficult to hear our doctor tell us the news.
To honor Quinn, our family goes on a reflective hike the morning of Halloween. This year we chose to check another state park off our list and drove out to Kenmore to spend time at Saint Edward State Park.
Required Passes & Parking
A Discover Pass is required to park at Saint Edwards State Park. It is $10 for the day or $30 for the year. There is an automated pay station to buy a pass at the park if you do not have one. You can also buy your pass online.
There are two decent sized parking lots. It was a sunny but chilly day when we visited and there was plenty of parking, but I imagine the lots will fill up quickly in the summer.
The Perfect Spot For A Picnic
I chose this particular park for our day of remembrance because I read about the large field in front of the seminary. It sounded perfect for a picnic, so we got some sandwiches, drinks, and chips and headed to the park.
We found a nice spot in the shade to lay out our picnic blanket and enjoy our lunch, but there are several picnic tables spread out along the perimeter of the lawn if that’s your preference.
As we were wrapping up or meal, my 3 month old decided it was time to start crying. I figured he was hungry, so I tried to feed him before we packed up. That didn’t work. He was inconsolable. I tried walking around the lawn, changing him, taking him back to the car. Nothing worked. We were about to just go home without hiking, when he finally let out a huge burp. He finally ate and all was well. I share this because not every outing with kids will be picture perfect.
Of course after all of that, everyone needed a bathroom break before hitting the trail. Next to the seminary, is a gym that has flush toilets. The toilet itself was rather dirty from another park-goer, but the rest of the bathroom was super clean.
Trails to Lake Washington
There are several interconnecting trails that lead to the lake. We decided to take the Seminary Trail down to the lake since it looked like the easiest route.
(Photo Credit: Washington State Parks)
The Seminary Trail was moderately steep and all down hill on the trip to the lake. The trail was very wide, which is great when hiking with little ones because you don’t have to constantly tell a wondering little to move over. There are no roots on the trail and it was not muddy when we went. You could easily take a stroller down this trail.
At the end of the trail, just before you reach the park water’s edge are two vault toilets. These came in handy for us since I accidentally left our backpack with my daughter's portable potty in the car after the fiasco with my infant. She’s scared of public bathrooms and flies, so I didn't think she would use the vault toilet, but I am happy to report that the vault toilets were in excellent condition and my daughter had no trouble using them!
Lake Washington
Along the water’s edge, there were many places to rest. We found a picnic table off in a corner away from others, right next to a little beach. It was perfect and relaxing watching the water on Lake Washington, while our daughter played on the beach.
We played with sticks, hung upside down, and just enjoyed our time together for about 45 minutes. We all felt refreshed.
After some time, we needed to head back to the car so we could get home for trick or treating.
The hike back to the car from the lake is all up hill for about .6 miles.
Our family has hiked steeper trails in the past so I thought it wouldn’t be a big deal, but boy was I wrong!! My daughter was tired and thirsty... and remember the backpack that I left in the car, well it had our water. My daughter ran, screamed, and cried the entire way back to the car. It really was not a pleasant experience, but once we made it to the car, she said “Momma, I’m sorry, I just didn’t want to leave.”
I believe under different circumstances, we would have had a better experience on the hike up. She fell asleep shortly after getting back to the car and was ready to trick or treat by the time we got home!
About PNW Mom
Hi! I am Heather, a mom to young kids that love exploring. I write about the kid friendly trails I hike with my kids and how to make those hikes engaging and tolerable. I also post itineraries for the trips we go on, showing what is doable with young kiddos. I spend my days researching the next place to explore with my babies and I hope my blog helps you get out into the wilderness with your young ones too!
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