2026 Jane's Walks are Coming Up This Spring
Feet First has been organizing Jane’s Walks in the Seattle area for over a
decade, and we are happy to be hosting and promoting Jane’s Walk again this year. Several volunteers are putting together walks shown in the next column and we’ll post others as soon as they are finalized.
Jane’s Walk is a movement of free, locally led walking tours that celebrate the legacy of Jane Jacobs. It began in Toronto in 2007 and is now an international event held during the first weekend of May.These walks are hosted in the spirit of Jane Jacobs, to inspire people to tell stories about their communities, explore their cities and connect with neighbors. Jacobs was a writer and activist whose book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, continues to motivate urban planners and community advocates. Promoting and hosting Jane’s Walk aligns with Feet First’s mission. Jacobs championed walkable communities, mixed-use development, and people-centered places. She wrote passionately about the ballet of the sidewalk and conditions that allowed community life to flourish. Support of Jane’s Walks enables discussions about walkable communities, helping people explore their environment, connect with neighborhoods, and learn new information about their communities.
Find out more about the woman who continues to spark creative and collaborative approaches to build vibrant, walkable neighborhoods through community-based activism.You can lead a Jane’s walk too! If you’d like to lead a walk, please contact us!.
Click on individual walks below
to open up more information
and for links to register
to open up more information
and for links to register
First Hill, Yesler Terrace and the International District
Sunday April 26, 10am - 1pm
Sunday April 26, 10am - 1pm
Take a 3-hour active walk through Seattle past and present with Jake and Cathy Jaramillo, authors of “Seattle Stairway Walks” (Mountaineers Books). This 4-mile loop (with lots of stairways) will start promptly at 10 a.m, Sunday, April 26, at the corner of Broadway and Madison. We’ll explore the Seattle University campus before moving on to Yesler Terrace Park and the Yesler Hillclimb down to the International District. From Chinatown’s Hing Hay Park we’ll head to Japantown’s Kobe Terrace Park, with a possible stop for tea at the Panama Hotel (“On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet”). The loop returns up “Profanity Hill” and through Freeway Park, finishing on First Hill. Paid parking is available at the corner of Boylston Avenue and Spring Street. Registration is limited to 25 people. Sunday April 26, 10AM
White River Ramble (Auburn)
Sunday April 26, 10am - 12:30pm
Sunday April 26, 10am - 12:30pm
Join Feet First volunteers Chris and Val Ensor for a walk along the White River and nearby trails in Auburn. This 4-mile, mostly paved loop walk will start at 10 a.m., Sunday April 26, and last about 2 ½ hours including a bring-your-own snack stop at Roegner Park. Park and meet near the shelter and restrooms at Game Farm Park, 3030 R Street SE, Auburn. (Note that this is different from nearby Game Farm Wilderness Park.) Dogs on leash and kids are welcome. No registration is required, but you can learn more and sign up here. The Ensors and fellow volunteers regularly lead walks in the South Puget Sound area. Sign up for Feet First walk alerts on MeetUp.com.One Bag, No Car: Daily Life on Capitol Hill
Saturday May 2, 11am - 1pm
Saturday May 2, 11am - 1pm
How well does Capitol Hill work if you get around by walking, rolling, or via transit? Who does it work well for, and who does it fail? Join Capitol Hill resident Curtis Atkisson for a 3-mile walk starting at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 2, at the Capitol Hill light rail station north entry (Broadway and John Street). Over about 2 hours, we’ll explore the uneven geography of daily life on Capitol Hill without a car, from places where errands and mobility are easy to places where distance, hills, unsafe crossings, or missing amenities make ordinary life harder than it should be. Along the way, we’ll consider how these conditions affect daily life, housing, street safety, and the kind of neighborhood Capitol Hill is becoming. Expect hills and a short transit ride. Registration is limited to 25 people.Saturday May 2, 11am
Central Area Parks and Stairways
Saturday May 2, 1:30 - 3pm
Saturday May 2, 1:30 - 3pm
Join Feet First board member John Stewart for a walk threading together parks, staircases, scenery, and history in the Central Area and Leschi. The loop walk will start at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 2, at Nora’s Woods pocket park (29th Avenue at East Columbia Street) and include Powell Barnett Park, Frink Park, and Peppi’s Playground. The 2-mile route includes several public stairways and will end back at Nora’s Woods, accessible via Metro routes 3 and 8. Registration is limited to 20 people.Saturday May 2 at 1:30 PM
First Hill’s Park to Park Walking Loop
Sunday May 3, 10am - noon
Sunday May 3, 10am - noon
Lace up your sneakers to explore the First Hill Park to Park Walking Loop between First Hill’s Freeway Park and Yesler Terrace Neighborhood Park. The 1.5 mile roundtrip walk begins at 10 a.m. Sunday, May 3, starting at Hotel Sorrento (900 Madison St.) and includes stairs and steep grades. Join the First Hill Improvement Association to see how the route improves walkability and community connections in the neighborhood – come discover First Hill. The walk will also end at the hotel, where participants are welcome to gather afterward for a no-host brunch.Sunday May 3 at 10AM
West Seattle Parks
Sunday May 3, 10 - 11:30am
Sunday May 3, 10 - 11:30am
Join Feet First volunteer Liz Steen for a walk in West Seattle. The 3.8-mile trek will start at 10 a.m. Sunday, May 3, by the swings at the waterfront near Lincoln Park parking lot #2, near the ferry landing. Walkers will traverse mostly flat terrain to enjoy parks and views–perhaps including some whales–including Lincoln Park, Lowman Beach, Ma-kwa-Mooks Park, Constellation Park, and the Charles Richey Sr. viewpoint. The one-way walk should take about 90 minutes and end at Alki Beach Park, where participants can get lunch before retracing the waterfront to Lincoln Park or arranging for a ride back. No registration necessary, and people can join along the way if they like.
Downtown South
Tuesday May 5, 10am - noon
Tuesday May 5, 10am - noon
Explore the art, history, and architecture of downtown Seattle’s south end with Jake and Cathy Jaramillo, authors of “Seattle Stairway Walks” (Mountaineers Books). The 1¾ hour, 2.6-mile loop walk with several stairways will start promptly at 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 5, from the southeast corner of the Seattle Public Library at 5th Avenue and Madison Street. We’ll see landmarks near Pioneer Square and Yesler Way, including interior stops at Union and King Street Stations. We’ll stroll along the southern section of the newly transformed waterfront, possibly pausing for ice cream at the revamped Washington Street Boat Landing, then we’ll visit architectural throwbacks including the old Federal Building and Arctic Club on the way back to the starting point. Paid parking is available at the library or on Spring Street between 4th and 5th Avenue. Registration is limited to 25 people.
Tuesday May 5 at 10AM
Seattle’s Future via Augmented Reality
Saturday, June 6 1-2:15 pm
Saturday, June 6 1-2:15 pm
What will Seattle look like in 10, 20, 30 years? Grab your family, friends and phones and join the Downtown Community Council at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 6, for a 75-minute walk into the future using the magic of Augmented Reality (AR)! See the LID I-5 project, future high rises, and more come life right before your eyes. Discover AR art by downtown artists and creatives along the way. No AR experience or special equipment needed. The walk will start at Plymouth Pillars Park (corner of Pike and Boren) and travel less than a mile downhill to First and Pike Plaza on accessible sidewalks.
Saturday June 6 at 1PM
