Looking for the best parks in Seattle to hang out? Well, you’re in the right place!
Seattle has more than 485 parks and trails.
From the beachfront walking path to an annual firework celebration and even a heritage bridge split in two over a state canal, you name it!
We have chosen the nine best parks in Seattle and compiled them in this list so you don’t have to.
Read on and choose your favorite park now!
1. Discovery Park – Largest Park In Seattle
Dubbed one of the most talked-about parks in all of Seattle, Discovery Park plays host to an immense network of trails, topped up by a sense of tranquility to help you steer clear from the hustle and bustle on the chaotic streets of Seattle.
534 acres bring Discovery Park the title of Seattle’s largest natural park, jutting out from the eastern arm of Magnolia Bluff. The majestic view over Puget Sound and the glimpse of the Olympics serve as the beacon for a romantic day out or picnics on the meadowlands.
The park is reached after a 20-minute ride by car from Seattle downtown, with a small parking lot near the Visitor Center. The entryway soon opens out to the tennis and pickleball courts first.
The rest of the park runs west, meandering through forest groves, thickets and streams before the active sand dunes and sea cliffs appear.
Families with kids come here on any given sunny day, looking to hike through this sanctuary for wildlife, seek a vista of the bay, or jot down Himalayan blackberries in their sketchbook.
Address: 3801 Discovery Park Blvd., Seattle, WA 98199
2. Seward Park – Best Park In Seattle By Lake Washington
Appearing as a giant stomach hanging upside down, Seward Park is home to at least four trails, making it a great stopover to explore the southern arm of Lake Washington and catch a glimpse of Andrews Bay.
After a 15-minute ride south of Seattle core, you’ll enter Seward Boulevard, a roundabout neighboring Seward Park Audubon Center where birds of the Bailey Peninsula are protected. From there, a 300-acre woodland is opened in your bare eyes, leading you to Jet Ski Beach with glorious sunset views to enjoy by the grassy knolls.
Keep roaming along the water edge of the Peninsula and you’ll discover plenty of boat launch options, most of which gather around Andrews Cove just north of Seward Park art studio.
Since Seward Park is far from the center, it becomes a big hook for those who wanna steer clear of the hubbub.
When spring is around the corner, the shoreline is blanketed with dazzling shades of cherry blossoms. The best time of the day to visit Seward Park is early in the morning with the peak of Mt. Rainier getting real clear.
Address: 5900 Lake Washington Blvd S, Seattle, WA 98118
3. Gas Works Park – Hilly Park In Seattle For City Views And Festivals
Gas Works Park may not be the first place popping up for first-time visitors to Seattle.
But to the locals, this green oasis is undoubtedly the best place in town to fly kite on the hill and soak up the dramatic view of Seattle skyscrapers at a distance.
The park sits on a former gasification plant north of Lake Union, with a parking lot providing ample space to go out on a day picnic. From there, walk to the middle of the park where you find all the gas work plantations located.
That is where the sweeping wraparound vista of the skyline comes in. Parents let kids hang out at a large play barn nearby while they are busy getting lost in the majesty and beauty of the view.
When the Fourth of July comes around the corner, the rolling hill at Gas Work Park is lit up in the lights of fireworks to celebrate one of the biggest festivals of the country.
Address: 2101 N Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98103
4. Alki Beach Park – Best Park In Seattle For Water Sports
With the summer sun casting its glitters on the sprawling surface of Alki Beach, hordes of visitors flock here to keep up with their favorite water sports. The reflections of the Olympics become a playground for kayakers, standup paddleboarders, beachcombers, and volleyball players.
All the main happenings take place along the stretch of Alki’s sandy shore, running no more than 2.5 miles.
A short ride for 15 minutes from the downtown core takes you here in no time. But if you’d rather contemplate the scene from a different angle, a water taxi from Pier 50 will do the trick.
If on another day you don’t wanna get your feet wet, stick to the biking path and snap some shots at the Statue of Liberty Plaza along the way, or linger at the Alki Lighthouse on a late afternoon soaking up the view.
Don’t forget to stop by Alki Spud Fish & Chips, a historic laid-back outpost to treat your hungry stomach with some halibut, chips, prawns, and soda drinks.
Address: 2665 Alki Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116
5. Green Lake Park – Best Park In Seattle For For Outdoor Recreation Lovers
An eight-minute car ride north of University District, Green Lake Park welcomes teens and kids on any given day when the air is crisp to walk the shaded trails, throw a picnic by the beach, plunge in an indoor pool, or game up their tennis and baseball skills.
The park kisses the eastern edge of Seattle’s Green Lake, and though may not be the most popular park in Seattle, it’s indeed a perfect hideout to hang out, make new friends, skate, fish, and dog watch.
Thanks to a well-manicured landscape and paved walkways, you can even spend four hours here on a breezy day.
A small boardwalk juts out to the water, sheltering a small peaceful corner to rest your legs on a walk.
From there, you’ll find a designated swimming area nearby with fishing piers.
Meanwhile, the rest of the park is dedicated to slides, sand pit, merry-go-round, swings, and playfields.
Address: 7201 East Green Lake Dr N, Seattle, WA 98115
6. Commodore Park – Best Park In Seattle With Scenic Canal Views
Commodore is not your average picnic spot, and that’s why we love it just for the way it is. Imagine walking down a tiny promenade and then all of a sudden a giant rustic bridge breaks apart and lifts up to allow boats and trains through.
This – we call Salmon Bay Bridge.
Commodore is not larger than four acres, sitting on the Magnolia side of the Ballard locks. A small terraced grassy hill occupies one side of the park with a canal on the other side.
At the foot of the hill, they set up a walkway leading down to the water so you can watch birds and migrating salmon. Those big cement steps are right next to the Ballard Locks Fish Ladder.
Since this waterway serves as a major bloodline for many trains and boats traversing up and down Salmon Bay, the space is usually filled with loudspeakers blaring, rumbling trains, ringing bells, and people shouting out to the busy water traffic.
Once in a while, sea lions bark when they successfully catch a migrating salmon for a filling meal.
Address: 3330 W Commodore Way, Seattle, WA 98107
7. Lincoln Park – Best Family-Friendly Park In Seattle
As the locals attest, Lincoln Park is one of the best multi-purpose parks in all of Seattle.
No matter if you take a pleasant stroll along the sea wall or a more strenuous hike up the forested hill, they both take you to a series of play facilities you’ll never get enough of.
Kids love hanging around a large playground with their tiny friends. Some choose to hang by the wading pool or simply unleash their inner adventurer on a zipline.
Meanwhile, adults would rather spend time on the grassy fields by the picnic tables watching their kids roaming.
The Colman Pool jutting out of Lincoln Park is dubbed as Seattle’s most awe-inspiring heat saltwater pool, even though it’s only open in July and August.
When it’s not too sunny, walk to the water and chill by the log-strewn sand. Harbor seals like to swim along the edge of this rocky beach.
Address: 8011 Fauntleroy Way SW, Seattle, WA 98136
8. Myrtle Edwards Park – Best Park In Seattle For Picnic And Biking With a View Of The Olympics
Myrtle Edwards is not the only outlook in Seattle with views of the Olympics.
However, the unobstructed waters of Elliott Bay and the proximity to the downtown core turn it into a remarkable reclaimed shoreline for the locals.
A vast majority of Myrtle Edwards Park is blanketed with sand and a few shrubs that are enveloped by a rocky shore.
It’s small, flat, and well-paved, encouraging cyclists and runners to exercise with a view.
The best part to soak in the views of the Olympics across the water is Pocket Beach. Despite the lack of shades, Pocket Beach doesn’t dishearten people at all.
The crowds still find the expansive lawns here compelling, with plenty of space to put a tarp down for a picnic.
Address: 3130 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98121
9. Kubota Garden – Best Park In Seattle With Manicured Japanese Landscape
As of 2016, there are nearly 9,000 Japanese Americans in Seattle, making it one of the top three cities in the US with the largest Japanese American population.
Located in the Rainier Beach neighborhood of Seattle, the scenic Kubota Garden serves as a beacon for the local community to gather and enjoy peace in this little green oasis.
The park has been going strong since 1927, steeped in an iconic Japanese landscape with flowers, ponds, waterfalls, and a moon bridge making a statement.
Kubota is made up of a crisscross of scenic walkways, slowly walking you through different zones, from lowland lakes to rock-covered mountains.
Thickets of bamboo act as a shield, protecting your peace of mind and the gentle sounds of water from the obstruction of the city buzz.
Address: 9817 55th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118
Price: Free of charge (Donation is accepted).
Website | Facebook | Instagram
If these nine best parks in Seattle are not enough to get you close to Seattle’s majestic nature, that’s when a hike in the forest comes into play.
With these 10 best hikes near Seattle, your upcoming outdoor adventure is sure to receive lots of fun for a great workout.