Mercer Slough is a small slough that covers part of Bellevue, Washington, across the lake from Seattle. The mouth of Mercer slough is near where the I-90 Bridge touches land on the east side. It’s a nice and simple paddle – safe, innocuous, and easy to access. If you want a relaxing day, it’s a great place to go kayaking because you don’t have to deal with driving very far, or rinsing salt water from your gear. You also don’t have to stress about waves and weather as much as if you were headed out to sea.

The nearest launch site to Mercer Slough is at Enatai Beach Park:

View kayak launches in a larger map

From there, head East to the mouth of the slough. You will pass under I-90 as you head north into the slough.

View kayak launches in a larger map

Mercer Slough, Bellevue, WA

You can easily drive over I-90 without realizing how massive it really is. Its scale is more readily appreciated from underneath.

Mercer Slough, Bellevue, WA

Mercer Slough, Bellevue, WA

The water was dark and murky at the time these pictures were taken.  Overall, a pretty drab yet serene landscape.  This changes dramatically with the seasons, and there is a huge difference between what you see in these pictures and what you would see in the summer.

Mercer Slough, Bellevue, WA

There is some kind of drainage pipe at this dead end in the slough.  Don’t worry, the dead end route doesn’t go very far.  It joins the main loop near the North-East corner.

Mercer Slough, Bellevue, WA

Mercer Slough runs through some park grounds and commercial properties, so you will see some bridges and walking paths surrounding the water.  Here is a small footbridge we passed under, and over (on foot).

Mercer Slough, Bellevue, WA

Mercer Slough, Bellevue, WA

On the way out, I saw something swimming in the water near the marina across from Enatai Beach Park.  For a second I thought it might be someone’s dog from the marina.  But no dog would have been so far from the docks.  Nor would a dog swim so well, or look so much like a harbor seal.

Mercer Slough, Bellevue, WA

Harbor seals are very curious, and this one would pop up far away, then submerge repeatedly.  It wasn’t until I looked down in the water that I realized the seal was swimming underneath my kayak in between surfacings.  At times, it came within arm’s reach of my boat.  I hadn’t seen a harbor seal in fresh water before.  It must have come in through the Ballard Locks.

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