East Duwamish Greenbelt, Urban nature park in Beacon Hill, Seattle, United States.
East Duwamish Greenbelt is a 150-acre (61 ha) wooded tract on the steep western slope of Beacon Hill in Seattle, bounded by Interstate 5 to the west and Interstate 90 to the north. It runs south to Georgetown and is entered through Rizal Park, highway maintenance roads, or residential streets. Thick blackberry brambles and vines grow among maple and other trees, and the greenbelt lies beneath and along an elevated section of Interstate 5 between South Dearborn Street and South Lucile Street.
The area remained undeveloped for decades because the steep slopes made construction difficult, and it was designated as a protected zone starting in the 1970s. Over the following decades, the city acquired additional parcels to secure connections between separate sections.
The name "The Jungle" is a local nickname for the East Duwamish Greenbelt; the official name appears on the park sign at the trail entrance, where a plaque credits the Washington Wildlife & Recreation Program. The greenbelt is entered from Rizal Park, from highway maintenance roads, or from residential streets on Beacon Hill. Organized tent cities in Seattle grew out of illegal communities formed after squatters were removed from the Jungle in the 1990s.
Access is available from several streets along the edge of the residential area, with some entrances consisting only of narrow passages between houses. Paths inside are mostly unpaved and can become slippery after rain, so sturdy footwear is recommended.
Some of the oldest trees in the forest date back to before the neighborhood was settled and reach heights of over 100 feet (about 30 meters). In several spots, old foundations and remnants of fences can be seen, evidence of earlier agricultural use.
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