After a blueberry muffin at Wildflour Bakery and Cafe this morning, Sunday 28 May 2023, I decided…read moreto get a little on-foot exploring in and adventure to Salmon Bay Park. When I arrived around 8:37 a.m., there were a few dog walkers out. There is a large playground area and paved trails through grassy areas with trees. I noticed some normal swings as well as what looked like a zipline swing. I walked over to check it out and sure enough it was a zipline swing. Figuring out how to use it, I opted for a sitting approach since I have sustained a head trauma in the past that I did not want to replicate. It was fun to use, and I was relieved it did not get going too fast. Dismounting once the swing started slowing down was without incident as well. While in the playground area, I heard a Northern flicker (a type of woodpecker) calling and looked up to see if I could find it. What I saw was a Cooper's hawk up high in a tree. In our backyard the Cooper's hawks like to chase after the flickers. I exclaimed out loud "a Cooper's hawk" and an American crow on the ground not too far from me cawed and looked at me. The hawks also chase them in our backyard. The hawk flew off before too long and the handsome crow when back to foraging in the grass. A restroom building in the trailed area of the park has running water and soap. I made sure to wash my hands after using the swing on the playground. The building and grounds of the park were well-maintained.

My son is obsessed with this park!! We visited it every day of our vacation in Seattle, and even…read morethough we've long since returned home, he asks all the time if we can go back to the park with the diggers. That's right, there's a tremendous sand pit with "community" diggers available for everyone's use. This says a lot about the general public's use and value of this park. It was really sweet to see the local kids descend on this park and run rampant for 10 minutes until the school bus came. The whole feel of this park takes me back to when I was what is now called a "free range kid." My husband and I also really enjoyed the zip line (who says it's just for kids?!) and didn't even get half of a side-eye for doing our body weight workouts on the play structure while our son played.

A great, little neighborhood playground. Perfect for younger and older children, complete with sand…read morebox, slides and a play structure. More than half of the block is a field for frisbee, soccer and running fun. Be mindful that a LOT of people use it as an off leash dog park and play fetch with their dogs (of all sizes), so use caution if bringing younger or fearful children/adults. Trees around the park make for a great cover in sunshiney times. A couple of picnic tables and benches are also interspersed near the playground. The park also hosts a wading pool, full and manned on select summer days. In the winters, if it snows, the hill becomes a sledding hill and is inundated with families having fun, building snow-people and igloos in the field.

Very quiet place during week days. So keep an eye out. I am glad they offer wading pool even with…read morenot that many kids as other pools. There were like 5 kids in a period of 1.5 hours. They would come and go. We stayed and played. Basketball court is a few steps from it just by the restrooms. I am glad parents keep looking for everybody's children. We avoid a couple of accidents like a toddler falling from a column there. I think it Parks and Recreation should take it away to avoid this kind of things. Even when watching kids, you won't be able to run if you are on the other side or in the pool with another kid. There were also people with unleashed dogs that were running and barking at a Runner.

A very nice, cozy park to relax and get away. Facing westerly with a sweeping view about 180 to 360…read moredegrees, you can come here a do nothing. Two benches. A lot of joggers. Even more people taking photos. I've live in Seattle nearly all of my life, and I've always know about Sunset Hill park. Aw, to have one of the houses on the other side of the street facing the same direction--this is on 34th Ave. NW where you can't drive any farther west. Not much else to say, except let the photos and the go-there do the talking.

The Sunset Hills strawberry shortcake is nothing short of spectacular: tender, buttery biscuits,…read moreperfectly softened and lightly sweetened, layered with juicy, sugar‑mac­erated strawberries, and topped with billowy freshly whipped cream. Each bite delivers bright fruit contrast and melt‑in‑your-mouth texture. It's elegant yet unpretentious--the ideal summer dessert. Astonishingly, it manages to outshine even the breathtaking view of Puget Sound and the soothing ocean breeze drifting in from the water. As the sun dips low and the air cools, the shortcake becomes more than just dessert--it's the highlight of the evening.

A bite sized neighborhood park. Mainly just two benches, some trees and grass. Even though it's…read moresmall, it's cute to have some extra green space in a big traffic circle. Not necessarily worth a trip out of the way, but it's a nice stop if you're passing by and want to check out some views. The park is maintained by Seattle Parks and Recreation.

A cute neighborhood park, I love to sit on the bench and enjoy the city views. It's small, but a…read morenice green space and not too busy.

This was a sacred place to the indigenous peoples who lived here originally. There was a small bowl…read morethat the spring was coming up into. The Creeks run through in between the houses in the overpacked neighborhood around the sacred area. The spring has now been piped so deep underground that there's no water in the bowl. There is and was a nice creek that had been rehabilitated and animals reintroduced native to the area as far as frogs and other things like salamanders and bird habitats Etc. Then the homeless started moving in and lots of drug use. I'm told you can't even go there now that you're literally walking through somebody's campsite if you go on to the trails. This park has a huge place in my heart but can no longer go to it because of the fact that you're walking through some of these living room instead of a park. There was a lot of fecal fecal matter / human. Needles and the expected unhygienic things of community not being cared for. It was sad enough for the spring dried up. Well it didn't really dry up it was piped because of the houses in the area. It makes me sick that we would go and take a beautiful piece of land that was so sacred the original European families like the Denny's the borans and others used to Camp there. It was literally wild for them. Now it's the wrong kind of wild. It's bad enough we took this land away from people now we're letting it be a garbage dump and that water goes into Lake Washington and then our ocean so it needs to be cared for I'd rather have people on this side of the freeway than in the Parks polluting the water. So sad. I wanted to take a friend there and then I thought what am I thinking this is a dumb.

A nice discovery of a park and playground, easily accessible with plenty of street parking around…read morethe entire block it sits within. Play spaces available for smaller and bigger kids. Structures to climb, slide and explore. Swings for older and younger kids, as well as a paved trail/path for small bicycles and scooters. Be aware, however, there are a few uneven paved spots.

Located just outside of the Seattle Public Library, the Ballard Commons Park feels like less of a…read moretraditional park and more of a casual community gathering space. It serves many roles -- part municipal hub, part skate bowl, part public art venue, and during the summer months, transforms into a splash pad to help folks cool off. It is a true reflection of the Ballard neighborhood, which has something for everyone, good and bad. The good: :: Local skaters are very into the skateboard bowl, which is fully integrated into the public plaza design. :: The hours are from 4:00AM-11:30PM. That's basically a nap short of 24 hours in my book. :: Public art, that is free and showcases a local artist is always a good thing. :: West coast summer are some of the best in the country. The splash pad is a nice addition, even if it doesn't feel that hot. (#1) :: ADA accessible walkways. Inclusive access means there's an ease of movement for everyone. The bad: :: While having an onsite bathroom is a wonderful thing, it's not so good when it's not properly maintained. Foulness is not good, especially when there isn't any toilet paper or much of a working faucet. :: The homeless is a given, but things can get dodgy when there are youngins present. :: While the playground ("The Cove") was recently introduced as of last year with the ship theme, zip line, slides, rope ladders, but it's incredibly small. It is nautical play, but not something great if there's a lot of youngins present. :: It has been said that there is a lot of outdoor seating, but I was only able to find a handful of seats walls, stone benches, and little options in the shade. :: Park ranger or police patrols nearby? Not that I could see. __________ (#1) I live in Texas. That's hot.

Small flowers including daisies, clover, and buttercups were in bloom when I visited Ballard…read moreCommons Park yesterday, Sunday 28 May 2023. I arrived on the morning side of noon and explored a little on foot as well as sat on one of the benches to just take in the sun. Large grassy areas abutted a skate park and water spray area. By the skate park was an active musician, a Seattle Parks and Recreation tent, and a number of colorful sitting tables with chairs. Both porta-pottis and a metal restroom building were available for use next to a water fountain. An orca mural was painted on a small building in the west side of the park and lights lined paved walkways from above.

Sunsets here are so dreamy!…read more This park is spread out along Magnolia Blvd W and has shoreline views throughout. There's ample green space and parking along the street, which is perfect for these sunnier days. My only gripe is that there's no restroom on site, but otherwise, it's a gorgeous lookout spot!

It's one of those Seattle parks tucked away in a neighborhood that you take for granted…read more It's big enough to not be crowded when there are 50 people there but small enough to let your kids and dogs roam free. A lot of tables, grills, a bathroom, and all the things you'd want when getting outdoors for some fresh air. There are a lot of old-growth trees that provide shade all year round. When it was 100+ during the summer of 2021, it was a good 20' cooler here. For the tourist looking at the dry grass, we are in the middle of an unusual drought here. Take care of your parks and they'll take care of you. There's a good bit of aerial acrobatics from the local hawks. I've seen them take out other flying friends.

Maple Leaf Reservoir Park is a neighborhood park in north Seattle. It spans 16 acres and has a…read morevariety of activities like pickleball courts, baseball fields, basketball courts, and a kids playground. There is a huge loop for joggers and strollers and inside the loop is a huge grassy area for picnics and folks with dogs. The two parts of the park are separated by a set of stairs. Near the public restrooms near the playground is Noah's Butterfly Garden which is a cute little section. I've always driven by this park but have never visited until now, and I might have to continue coming back because it's very nice.

Pros: - Great views of Mount Rainer (on clear days)…read more- Kids will love the playground in the lower park - Pickleball and basketball courts (limited) Cons: - No shade trees for hot days (in upper park) - Not enough picnic tables - Dogs are supposed to be leashed, but locals (and non locals) let their pets roam freely in a corner of the upper park. It's inconvenient if you want to set up volleyball nets or play frisbee. :-(