Alaskan Way and Its Honorary Name
Stroll the rebuilt Alaskan Way, which now stretches 17 blocks with two lanes of traffic in each direction. Plans include a two-way protected bike path and a park promenade alongside it. Native plants and shade trees line the route, and they quietly filter stormwater before it reaches the bay.
Keep an eye out for the honorary street name Dzidzilalich. In Lushootseed, a Coast Salish language, it means "little crossing-over place" and recalls one of several villages that once stood on this shore. The name honors the Puget Sound Coast Salish people and their lands and waters.
A Seawall Built for Salmon
Look down as you walk the Elliott Bay Seawall, completed in 2017, because it does more than hold back the water. Parts of the sidewalk use translucent panels that let daylight reach the shallows below. That light helps young salmon traveling a migration corridor that hugs this shoreline.
Waterfront Park on Pier 58
Head to Waterfront Park at 1401 Alaskan Way, between Pier 57 and the aquarium. This pier has deep roots in the city's story, with ties to the Klondike Gold Rush era. Today it is designed as a gathering place, where you will find a playground, a public restroom and public art.
Friends of Waterfront Park, a nonprofit, raises money, runs programming and cares for the space, and the group has been hosting activities on Pier 62 since 2020. Before you go, check its website or the City of Seattle waterfront project page for current events and any construction updates.
Overlook Walk: Market to Water
Getting from Pike Place Market down to the shore once meant stairs and steep streets, but Overlook Walk makes it easy. Part pedestrian bridge and part park, it crosses over Alaskan Way to connect the market with the aquarium.
Along the way you will find play features for kids, a cafe and native plantings selected by Indigenous landscape architect Valerie Segrest. Start or finish your waterfront walk here after browsing the produce stands and fishmongers of Pike Place Market.
Big Attractions on the Piers
Seattle Aquarium and the Ocean Pavilion
Spend a few hours at the Seattle Aquarium on Piers 59 and 60, which now includes the newer Ocean Pavilion. Inside, explore Puget Sound habitats, watch marine mammals such as sea otters, and see stingrays and a tropical shark tank. Because it sits right where Overlook Walk lands, it pairs naturally with a morning at the market.
The Great Wheel and Sasquatch Mountain
You cannot miss the Seattle Great Wheel. It reaches nearly 40 feet past the end of its pier, so you hang out over Elliott Bay with open views of the water as you ride. Right beside it, Sasquatch Mountain is a family-friendly virtual reality ride built around a hunt for Bigfoot.
Where to Eat
Seafood is the long tradition along this shore, and several restaurants have deep ties to it. Grab a table at Ivar's Acres of Clams on Pier 54, the flagship of a local chain named for Ivar Haglund, a larger-than-life Seattle character. Settle onto its big deck, or order from the walk-up fish bar for a quicker meal.
Elliott's Oyster House on Pier 55 is known for its wide range of Northwest oysters, and happy hour is a good time to try them without spending as much. Farther north, book dinner with a view of the bay at Anthony's Pier 66 or AQUA by El Gaucho on Pier 70, both popular choices.
For something sweet at the south end, stop by the Washington Street Boat Landing Pergola, home to a branch of Molly Moon's, the well-loved Seattle ice cream shop. Menus, hours and prices change, so check with each business before you go.
The South End: Habitat Beach and Stadiums
Some of the most thoughtful new features wait along the southern stretch near Pioneer Square. Pioneer Square Habitat Beach is a 200-foot green space built to improve marine habitat and support salmon. Walk right down to the water here and see what a natural Northwest shoreline looks like.
Follow Railroad Way, a broad pedestrian path that links the waterfront with Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park. On game days it makes a pleasant walk between the stadiums and the bay.
Getting There and Around
The full walk covers about two miles on a wide, flat route. It reaches from the ferry terminal in the south to the paths of Myrtle Edwards Park in the north, where a 1.25-mile shoreline path invites more walking and biking.
Step-Free Routes from Downtown
Downtown Seattle sits on a steep hill, so plan your approach. These options help:
- From Pioneer Square: this neighborhood sits low, so you can reach the water without climbing.
- Marion Street Pedestrian Bridge: the rebuilt bridge carries you from First Avenue over Western Avenue and Alaskan Way to the ferry terminal at Colman Dock, on Piers 50 and 52, where an elevator drops down to street level.
- Overlook Walk: the newest link from Pike Place Market to the aquarium area.
The project was designed with wide crosswalks, longer walk signals, audible crossing signals and elevators. Some sections may still be finishing, so check the City of Seattle waterfront site for the latest on closures.
Extending Your Walk
Keep heading north to reach the free Olympic Sculpture Park, where large modern sculptures run down to the shoreline. Then continue into Myrtle Edwards Park for a quieter stretch along the bay.
