Wherever you live in Seattle, there is a park within a short distance to enjoy. I must have visited dozens of parks, now that I have lived here for more than a decade – and I have my favorites.
Here are five from my list that covers the four corners of the city and one right in the middle:
Discovery Park
3801 Discovery Park Blvd., Seattle, WA 98199
Discovery Park – which in 2022 celebrated 50 years of city ownership – is a living, breathing environmental “classroom” for students of all ages and interests. The largest park in the city, it occupies most of the former Fort Lawton site in Magnolia and includes about two miles of protected tidal beaches as well as dunes, sea cliffs, forest groves and streams.
It’s a wonderful sanctuary for wildlife and a tranquil spot to just get away from life’s hustle and bustle. Indigenous Duwamish and other Coast Salish lived on these grounds well before white settlers arrived, good reason to have a Native American cultural center on-site to learn about the history of the people and the place.
Don’t be surprised if you see a deer, fox or cougar in the distance (bring animal-repellent spray, just in case). The highlight for many visitors is the brick-and-stucco West Point Light Station, established in 1881 on the northwest tip of the park and fully restored in 2009-2011.
I find different things to see and do with every visit. Discovery is the perfect name for this park because there is so much to explore.
Gas Works Park
2101 N Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98103
There is arguably no place more breathtaking in Seattle than the south exposure of Gas Works Park facing Lake Union. The visual stimulus is off the charts.
Picture this: a city skyline in the distance with a mix of high-rises, houseboats, hills on either side and the Space Needle standing tall. Sprinkle in (on many days) a few watercraft ranging from dingy to dynamic yachts. Then cap it off by the site of seaplanes lifting off from the opposite end of the lake right toward your vantage point. Wow!
The park is the former site of the Seattle Gas Light Company gasification plant. Some remnants are on display as a vestige of the city’s past. The once-toxic grounds include a steep mound that covers that dirty past with the cleaned-up present, a sundial at the top and benches on what is now known as Kite Hill. And, yes, on a nice, breezy day you can find a few colorful, string-attached “birds” grabbing even more of your attention above.
A different kind of park, Gas Works (as we call it) is an edgy, urban playground, picnic place and social gathering all in one.
Lincoln Park
8011 Fauntleroy Way SW, Seattle, WA 98136
Similar to popular waterfront recreation areas Carkeek and Golden Gardens parks in Northwest Seattle, Lincoln Park is a standout destination for those living and loving the city’s southwest. The park features great trails (more challenging to the north, gentler further south), painted rock art, meadows, ball fields, picnic grounds – even an outdoor heated saltwater pool and bathhouse.
Fill your lungs with the fresh, shore air as you walk the mile of seawall and rocky beaches while taking in the sites of Vashon Island and Bremerton in the distance. Watch the Fauntleroy-to-Southworth and –Vashon ferries traverse the sound throughout the day.
The city renovated the north play area of the park. It now features a cable ride, new play equipment and interactive information on migratory birds found in the park. (The south play area is being improved, as of this writing.) There is a lot to explore, learn and experience.
Magnuson Park
7400 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115
This park is something special. A former Naval airfield named after a local World War II-era U.S. Congressman, Warren G. Magnuson Park provides plenty of areas to enjoy activities.
The one-time base takes you back in time when many government buildings were Art Deco in style – and about a dozen structures remain today. Beyond history, there are playfields for soccer, rugby and football. There are community gardens, wetlands, playgrounds, indoor tennis courts and public art. Many events, such as craft shows and wine & beer tastings, fill the community center.
My favorite part is a stroll of about a mile along a wide gravel path to a swimming beach where dogs of all shapes and sizes play on the water’s edge, barking and frolicking with each other. The more adventurous of the pack chase after floating objects tossed into the chilly water in what seems like hours of “chase” with their handler.
The usual site of happy, mostly wet mutts – tongues hanging low, tails wagging vigorously – is proof this park is a welcoming place for dogs and people alike.
Seward Park
5900 Lake Washington Blvd. S, Seattle, WA 98118
For me, Seward Park is the grande dame of Seattle’s parks system. It’s special for being the last surviving old-growth forest in the city. It’s extraordinary for being inhabited as long as 10,000 years ago. It’s legendary for being one of the first parks acquired by the City of Seattle, in 1911, and named after William H. Seward, U.S. Secretary of State during the Lincoln era and the man known for negotiating the Alaska Purchase.
A peninsula of land juts out from the neighborhood of the same name and into Lake Washington. It’s where President Biden, in 2022, signed an executive order to create a national inventory of mature and old-growth trees for conservation purposes.
Like other Seattle parks, Seward offers a beach, playground, tennis courts, and even sightings of parrots as well as more common bald eagles and other varieties of wildlife. Wonderful views. Peaceful. A place to reflect and unwind amid the beauty.
I can’t say I have a top favorite of the bunch. After all, do parents have a favorite child? I enjoy them all. And what I love is that they offer variety – no visit is the same – and my time spent there allows me to feel closer to my city while also being nearer to nature’s wonders.
Which Seattle park are you going to explore next?