We discovered the Mercer Slough (pronounced, 'slew') in the late 80's, shortly after we moved to Washington State. I'll credit my dad because he started bicycling to work. The only trail that led him to the I-90 floating bridge took him over a really neat waterway, that we later discovered was the slough. It's a beautiful area, accessible from multiple entry points, one of which is from Lake Washington Blvd, about 10 minutes from my parent's house.
My family has visited the slough many times. We kayak on it in the summers, which takes us under the bridge shown in my cover photo. During different times of the year, we hike in the woods or boardwalks around it. You will almost always see a variety of critters, whether you walk or kayak, such as birds, herons, salmon, bunnies, beavers (still haven't seen the beaver but I know he's there), muskrats, and deer. I have yet to see anything large like coyotes or bobcats, but given their prevalence around areas of Bellevue, I would not at all be surprised to see one someday.
On the west side of the trail is the Bellevue Blueberry Farm, which is one of the largest blueberry farms I have seen. The plants themselves are enormous. I shot one of my favorite fall photos when hiking with my kids along the trail next to the blueberry farm.
I hope you will take the time to visit the slough, whether on foot or sitting on your kayak. It's a beautiful place and one that you should take the time to see!
If you would like to read more about the slough, please click here to visit the official Bellevue Parks website.
