Five beautiful parks in and around Seattle.

The beauty of living in Seattle is in my opinion the number of parks and lakes you can explore. You don’t even need to go far to see some incredible place. In this article, I will take you to five beautiful parks in and around Seattle.

First, right in the city center, only 25 minutes’ walk from the space needle, Kerry Park. It’s a small park that overlooks downtown with one of the best viewpoints of the city. The view is often used in the media to show Seattle and movies (Frasier and 10 things I hate about you). On the brightest day, not only can you see the skyline and Elliot Bay but also Mount Rainier in the Background.

Located on Queen Anne hills, it goes up for about half a mile (800 meters) but the view is worth the effort. On the way back or on the way up you can enjoy an incredible brunch or dinner at the restaurant Toulouse petit kitchen and lounge. One of my favorites in Seattle. As it’s a trendy place I would advise booking a table. http://toulousepetit.com/

Second, located in the trendy Capitol Hill neighborhood, Volunteer Park is a great spot for a nice walk, a picnic, a jog, or just a day out of your house for a nice break. There’s also a conservatory open to the public (not at the moment due to covid 19). The Seattle Asian Art Museum, a water tower with an observatory deck, and a reservoir.

Volunteer Park conservatory and Reservoir.

You can also play tennis as there are a few courts. During the summer you can enjoy live concerts, play outdoor sports and even use the place for a birthday party. It’s very lively and it’s big enough not to feel crowded. Sometimes artists also go there to find painting inspiration. It’s peaceful, there are plenty of ducks and squirrels running about the park. I use to go there a lot either for a short run, a nice walk, or to sit down and read for a while.

The third-place still in Seattle that’s worth a try is the Olympic sculpture park and its surrounding. Located 15 minutes’ walk from the famous Pike Place Market, along Elliot bay. It’s an outdoor and free exhibition of modern and contemporary sculptures operated by the Seattle art museum. But also a beautiful walk along the water and you can pursue it along Centennial Park. It’s green, there are picnic tables and playgrounds. Ideal for a nice walk, a jog, to cycle or chill. It’s near a nice restaurant called Agua by el Gaucho: https://elgaucho.com/aquabyelgaucho/

A bit further away from downtown, the next park is Discovery Park. Located at the further east side and the biggest park in Seattle, it is a great way to escape the city. You can park there or depend on where you go therefrom, you can cycle or even potentially walk. It’s up and down and there are many road options once you’re inside the park. You can take the main road or decide to follow a trail in the forest.

This park is famous for its wildlife, there are many species of birds, California sea lions, harbor seals, chipmunks, and sometimes but rarely, coyote. Once they saw a black bear and also a cougar but it was exceptional.

In terms of infrastructure, there used to be military activity there. You can still see some facilities and accommodations now owned by the city and the west point lighthouse. It’s a great place to spend a full day as it’s quite big. Near the lighthouse there are beaches you can stop at, it’s great in the summer.

The west point Lighthouse and the way view from the trail.

The last place I will talk about is slightly outside Seattle, it’s Alki beach park. Located southwest, 25 minutes’ drive from Downtown Seattle, it’s a nice neighborhood. You have a great view from the city there and it’s a great place to kayak or paddle.

We went there with a group of friends and booked a few kayaks to explore Elliot Bay for the afternoon. It’s a good activity during the summertime. You can often see sea lions sunbathing on old boats. The water is very cold though so even on the warmest day you don’t particularly want to go in.

You can rent with the website: https://www.kayakalki.com/rentals/. It’s better to rent during the summer as it gets busy. But if you’re out of season, you shouldn’t struggle to rent it while getting there.