Ravenna Park, Urban park in University District, Seattle, US

Ravenna Park covers 49.9 acres of a wooded ravine up to 115 feet deep, with Ravenna Creek flowing through it. The park connects to Cowen Park, and two historic bridges cross the ravine: the Cowen Park Bridge and the 20th Avenue Northeast Bridge, closed to motor traffic since 1975. Facilities include tennis courts, a ballfield, a children's play area, a wading pool, and trails.

Ravenna Park was purchased from developers in 1911. In 1919, after Theodore Roosevelt's death, the city renamed it Roosevelt Park, but Seattleites petitioned to revert to the original name in 1931. The ravine's old-growth timber, which rose nearly 400 feet, disappeared in suspicious circumstances by 1926.

The park serves as a gathering place where Seattle residents come to exercise, spend time outdoors, and enjoy nature in their neighborhood. Families and individuals use the open spaces regularly for recreation and relaxation throughout the week.

The park is easily accessible with multiple entry points and offers free activities for all ages throughout the year. Wear sturdy shoes if you plan to walk the forest trails, especially after rainy weather when paths can be muddy.

The ravine's old-growth timber, rising nearly 400 feet, was featured at the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, but the trees vanished in suspicious circumstances by 1926; William Arnold investigated the loss in a 1972 Seattle Post-Intelligencer article, "The Mystery of Ravenna Park."