Hartman Park: Have a Ball with Sports in Redmond
Over in Redmond's Education Hill neighborhood, Jonathan Hartman Park emphasizes sports with its soccer and baseball fields, basketball hoops, and tennis courts – although that's not all that Hartman Park offers.
The spacious park boasts seven baseball and softball fields, making it a favorite for local teams for practices as well as games. Well-kept restrooms and lighting keep it attractive and safe. The center of the park is all cement and chain-link fence, a warren of sports cage surrounding a small snack bar. Most of the fields are higher than the surrounding area, allowing them to drain well in the spring and winter Seattle rain.
While the park's focus is sports, it does hold a children's play area, a picnic area with tables, and nature trails. The limited trails lead along through pine and cedars and, isolated as it is, the park does manage to achieve a peaceful serenity of the sort bird-watchers, walkers, runners, and mountain bikers, all of whom may be encountered on the trails, pursue. While you'll see all of those on the trails, dogs and horses are less welcome.
The walk's a pleasant, green one and there's enough forest to make it a favorite spot to see shyer birds. Most of the plantings and wildlife are unremarkable, although a March planting effort left the park with close to 500 new native shrubs and trees.
Kidney-bean shaped lots lie scattered among pines and parking in those lots is limited, particularly given how often sports events take place in the park. Some overflow parking is available along 104th Street, but if it's a busy evening, expect to walk a few blocks.
Nearby Redmond Pool, a literal stone's throw away, is also King County-owned, making it a good combination trip during the summer.
HelloSeattle tip: Like many of the city's parks, Hartman Park is partially dependent on volunteer work parties for periodic clean-up and maintenance activities. Check the Green Redmond Partnership website to sign up for work parties.
Posted on Mar 12, 2011 by Cat Rambo
