Ravenna Park (Seattle)

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Fall foliage and trail, from the 20th Avenue NE Bridge

See also: Ravenna, Seattle, Washington#Cowen Park–Ravenna Park and Ravenna Creek

Ravenna Park and Cowen Park comprise a single contiguous recreation and green space in the Ravenna neighborhood of Seattle, Washington in the United States. These public parks encompass the ravine with a maximum depth of 115 ft (35 m) through which Ravenna Creek flows. They are crossed from north to south by the Cowen Park Bridge, on 15th Avenue Northeast on the boundary between the two parks, and the 20th Avenue Northeast Bridge (also known as the Ravenna Park Bridge), closed to motorized traffic since 1975. Both bridges are on the National Register of Historic Places. The parks are mostly forested with native Bigleaf Maple, Coast Douglas-fir, Western Hemlock, and Western Redcedar. Nonindigenous trees include Coast Redwood, Incense-cedar, and Western Larch.

Daylighted creek at recreation fields, spring 2007

Ravenna Park contains 49.9 acres (20.6 ha) and was purchased from developers in 1911. Cowen Park covers 8.4 acre (3.5 ha). The current source of Ravenna Creek is the west face of the ravine along Brooklyn Avenue NE and a small wetland in the northwest corner, at NE 62nd Street. In 2006, a section of Ravenna Creek through the southeastern end of the park was daylighted, having formerly flowed into a storm drain.

Creek headwaters in Cowen Park, winter 2008

There are workparties in the park held by the Seattle Parks Department, particularly in April and May. ^[1] A volunteer group, Friends of Ravenna Ravine, works to remove invasive species, such as English Ivy and Himalayan Blackberry from the park and restore native vegetation.

Started in 1988 by a group of friends, the Ravenna Ravine event is a blending of neo-pagan and transgender celebrations. Celebrants gather at mid-day on the first Sunday in May, in the meadow at the west end of the park. There is then a procession through the ravine, ending with a speech, picnic, and maypole dance.^[2]