Local Guides World
Will B
7 reviews on 1 places
This bridge gets 5 stars from below and 3 from on top. Overall, a lovely Seattle bridge.
Underneath the bridge is accessible from the Montlake cut, near the totem poll. It’s a great place to spend a moment by the water or to watch boats come through the cut. It also connects to West Montlake Park on the Montlake side. On the University District side, there are several paths bordering UW’s campus, near the stadium with some leading to the boat rentals. Crossing the bridge to get there can be a less fun experience.
Traffic is constantly running on top of that bridge, making it quite loud. The weight of the vehicles also shakes the bridge pretty much all over. It was built nearly 100 years ago (1925), and it shows. The view is so nice that you’d want to spend time up there, but if you fear heights or don’t like the feeling of a vibrating bridge, move quickly. The other negative, as others have mentioned, is cyclist traffic. The bridge walking path is pretty narrow and there are no bike lanes, so you need to be vigilant when crossing and step aside whenever possible.
Of the bridges in Seattle, this is certainly one of them.
Underneath the bridge is accessible from the Montlake cut, near the totem poll. It’s a great place to spend a moment by the water or to watch boats come through the cut. It also connects to West Montlake Park on the Montlake side. On the University District side, there are several paths bordering UW’s campus, near the stadium with some leading to the boat rentals. Crossing the bridge to get there can be a less fun experience.
Traffic is constantly running on top of that bridge, making it quite loud. The weight of the vehicles also shakes the bridge pretty much all over. It was built nearly 100 years ago (1925), and it shows. The view is so nice that you’d want to spend time up there, but if you fear heights or don’t like the feeling of a vibrating bridge, move quickly. The other negative, as others have mentioned, is cyclist traffic. The bridge walking path is pretty narrow and there are no bike lanes, so you need to be vigilant when crossing and step aside whenever possible.
Of the bridges in Seattle, this is certainly one of them.
My first reaction to this totem pole was worry. Why is it here? I thought of the totem pole in Pioneer Square and how the original was stolen from an Alaskan tribe, then burned down in the Great Fire. The current one is now a replica of a stolen artifact. Luckily, if nothing else, this totem pole is not stolen.
From Seattle’s Office of Arts and Culture: “The totem pole was originally carved in the early 1900s for the Waterfall Cannery in Alaska. It was raised near the cannery’s general store, where it stood for many decades until its mysterious disappearance. The pole resurfaced in Seattle in two pieces, where it was found and restored by the Committee of 33, who then donated the pole to the city of Seattle for permanent installation at its current site.” So it has something to do with Seattle culture I guess, but not Coast Salish culture.
Anyways, the site itself is a great location to watch boats.
From Seattle’s Office of Arts and Culture: “The totem pole was originally carved in the early 1900s for the Waterfall Cannery in Alaska. It was raised near the cannery’s general store, where it stood for many decades until its mysterious disappearance. The pole resurfaced in Seattle in two pieces, where it was found and restored by the Committee of 33, who then donated the pole to the city of Seattle for permanent installation at its current site.” So it has something to do with Seattle culture I guess, but not Coast Salish culture.
Anyways, the site itself is a great location to watch boats.