Mark,

I've taken my Poke Boat (an 8' kayak weighing 17 pounds!) to
photograph birds many times in the Sammamish and Mercer Sloughs.

For the Sammamish, you'll have to carry or roll it a ways, either
from the main lot in the off-leash dog area, or (easier put-in) from
the Sammamish Rowing Association parking lot off W. Lake Sammamish
Pkwy (directions are at http://www.srarowing.com/sra/contact.aspx).
Parking in either lot will cost you $1.00

There's an excellent and very accessible boat ramp and dock access to
the Mercer Slough, most easily reached from I-90. Take the Bellevue
Way exit (from Seattle, it's the first exit after leaving Mercer
Island; from Issaquah, it's the first exit after passing under I-405.
As soon as you're heading north on Bellevue Way, take the first
right. I believe there's a boat access sign there. If you reach the
blueberry farm you've gone too far. It's difficult (and maybe
illegal) to turn into the boat access drive heading south on Bellevue
Way, so you really should try to approach it from I-90. Once at the
boat ramp, you can pull your car right up to the water.

On the Sammamish, there's lots to see if you'll head into the lake
and explore the north shore. On the Mercer Slough, you can either do
the slough loop (good for a couple of hours at a leisurely pace) or
head under I-90 and into the marshy area of Lake Washington, which
has lots of bird viewing as well. This time of year, Mercer Slough
can be quite weed-congested and sometimes has large salmon kills from
oxygen depletion, so it's more pleasant in the spring.

I'd also recommend the Arboretum. You can get within 150 feet of the
water if you'll bypass the main gate (that goes into the Graham
Visitors Center), past the entrance to Broadmoor, and part at the
cul-de-sac. Once you put in, you can either head directly out toward
the lake, or you can go northeast, under the wooden pedestrian
bridge, which leads to another very interesting part of the lake.

Happy paddling!

Marc Hoffman
Kirkland, WA
http://www.dartfrogmedia.com
mailto:tweeters at dartfrogmedia.com

At 03:03 PM 8/28/2007, you wrote:

>Hi All,
>
>I was thinking of my sea kayak to kayak the Sammamish River over by
>Marymoor Park to look at birds. Does anyone know about the
>feasibility of this? Are there any good places to put the boat in the water?
>
>I was also thinking of kayaking Mercer Slough Park. Feasibility? Put
>in spots? Is it worth the effort?
>
>Any other spots folks would recommend?
>
>Thanks, Mark