Cowen Park is the small non wooded area that is to the west end of Ravenna Park. I'm not quite sure…read morewhy there's a delineation of the two parks as they're contiguous, but whatever. There's a grassy open field and a playground located here. The playground has the usual swings, climbing bars, slide, etc. There's also picnic tables and barbecues for a nice lunch or dinner outdoors. For washroom facilities, there are portable toilets. When it's nice, you can just set a blanket out in the grass and lie down. If you want to do some light hiking, check out the trails at Ravenna Park. There are a lot of birds and other wildlife, attracted to the nearby creek. I did see some tents set up today, not sure how temporary they are, but none of the parkgoers seemed to bother each other.

Cowen Park is located in a quiet neighborhood in the Ravenna area close to the University of…read moreWashington and Green Lake. It's the left portion of the park that is attached to Ravenna Park and the ravine that goes through it. It's smaller than Ravenna Park (only 8.4 acres compared to 50 acres) but there's still plenty of space for all your activities. There are lots of grassy areas for outdoor leisure and a kids playground. There's a path that goes the length of the park that many people use for strolls, jogging, and biking. It's a nice and peaceful park for relaxation and sunbathing.

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.

Wallingford Playfield is the main park in the namesake neighborhood where mostly families take…read moretheir children for some play time. There are also some areas for Basketball & Tennis. Wallingford Playfield is mostly a wide-open field where students from the nearby high school are often practicing field games, usually Frisbee and Soccer. When these activities aren't taking place, it's often a unofficial off leash park for dogs of the neighborhood to run and play through the park. There is a playground that looks fairly new and well-kept that children are often on. On the back side of the park are some tables where folks can sit and maybe have a picnic. Presently there is a petition posted around the neighborhood to save the park as it's at risk of being redone as an official field for the schools. The biggest issue is that the field will be changed to artificial turf. There is a website that goes into all the details and hopes to preserve the park. Personally, I think the Park is fine as is but have not strong opinion on the matter. As it stands Wallingford Playfield is a nice park that I enjoy walking through occasionally.

What a lovely neighborhood wading pool. What I lived from here is that everybody knows each other…read morefrom preeschol or Kindergarten making it super fun for little ones when they find each other at the park. Big parties enjoy the swing at the playground. It also has a great drum station. Very attractive for toddlers. Kids will also hang out by the climbing net. A lot of movement for sure. Lots of kids. Some of them were in summer camps with their guides :) Restrooms just steps aside the pool. Loved that there is a "deeper" part so todds can swim. Everyone is friendly. Benches around to sit and watch. But it can be tricky to find shade sometimes. Just 2 sits :S It also has a kind of beach for babies. There is plenty of room to run down the park. Green grass makes it nice :) Street next to the park can be closed for neighbors only. Parking was no problem though.

Kirke Park is a nice small neighborhood park that a community garden and playground to encourage…read morechildren to play and learn. Being a neighborhood park, there are lot of small children's toys that can be found that includes dump trucks, car toys, toy boats, etc. Also several children's jackets hanging on benches and part of the playground (I hope these children come back to claim their coats). I was surprised to see a small little trail behind the playground that can be fun for a child (an an adult that is young at heart) to play hide and go seek or other fun games. The playground itself has 2 large swings that are pretty comfortable to swing on and can get a lot of air and lift. There is a slide and a small rock wall to challenge little hands and legs. There is also plenty of grass for 4 legged little friends to also stretch their little legs and potty on the grass (please do pick up after your pups). The community garden here is actually pretty big and love how there is opportunities for children to learn more about mother earth, sustainability and the environment. Parking for this little park is just street but shouldn't be a problem if you don't live close enough to walk to. Although small, definitely a nice little park that is perfect for little ones to play (please note that there are no restrooms available, nor a water fountain so plan accordingly).

Great for a little neighborhood park if you live nearby. not worth it if it's a drive…read more Pros: -a couple of picnic tables -plenty of grass to picnic -sand box area -fun little wooded trail Cons: -no bathrooms -street parking -no water fountain

This is my favorite Seattle neighborhood park. It's a pleasant and quiet park in between Meridian…read moreand Wallingford nestled in a residential neighborhood behind the Meridian School, next to the Demonstration Garden. There's a big lawn perfect for frisbee and picnics, a playground with swings and play structures, and a path underneath a cool rock archway, all circumscribed by a path shaded by big trees. A peaceful retreat with ample shade and open space.

This is a good playground, a bit of a hike, like a 2 mile walk from the University Ave (University…read moreof Washington campus area) area. It is behind, in the back of the property, and has lots of playground equipment, but it's a bit secluded and harder to access by walking to it. It's not better than other family friendly park & rec's in California, but maybe for Seattle it's considered above average. It's the best I've experienced in Seattle, which isn't saying much 'tho. I'd still recommend this for toddlers 'tho.

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.

This is a delightful little neighborhood park upon the Queen Anne hilltop…read more Situated in a corner partially on a hillside supported by a retaining wall and tree border, the center clearing sort of acts like a neat centerpiece. Along the perimeter are some exposed picnic tables, some tree shade, some kids play areas and walking path loop (which connects the upper street with the street down some steep stairs). Peaceful, pleasant and tranquil. I came here to enjoy some food from Koku Cafe + Market and Bounty Kitchen. Nice spot! Will look nicer when the season changes and the grass is green. Plenty of parking on the west side of park along the east side of the tree-lined street hill.

This park is teeny tiny and you probably have to know it's there to be able to go there. Lucky for…read moreme it's right across the street from my house. This is a GREAT park to take your little kids. There is a small jungle gym with some fun looking slides. There are lots of trees around that muffle noise and keep it from getting too hot. The lawn is always nicely manicured and really the whole place seems ridiculously well maintained. There is a steep wooden stairway that leads from the park down to where I live, and it was all overgrown with tree branches, but the city peeps came down and hacked them all away, thus preventing me from whacking my head on a branch. I recommend this place for people who want a small park to take kids, teenagers who need a good make out spot, and people who just want a really pretty place to sit and read a book or chill.

My friend Mike K. lives in Matthews Beach, and we walked over to Matthews Beach Park when we went…read moreto visit him a few weeks ago during a family trip to Seattle. It was a lovely, leisurely walk, even with an elderly dog and two small kids in the mix, one of them demanding to be carried most of the way. We strolled along the bike trail and got great views and a bit of summer mist--all in all a very Seattle excursion. There was a nice playground, well kept and spacious, where our boys ran around while the three adults hung out and one of them, impossible to say who, maybe caught a lot of Pokémon, the park being the kind of place where you might find a lot spawns on, for example, a Jangmo-o Community Day. The kids enjoyed the equipment: climbing the structure, riding the rocking whale, spinning around on the giant spinner. We went down to the water, to what I suppose was the beach part of Matthews Beach. It wasn't a beach in the California sense of the word--I can't really imagine going in my swimsuit and laying out a towel on that meager stretch of hard sand--but the water was pretty and serene. There was a lot of grass as well as plenty of goose poop. Mike and his husband and dog do this walk regularly, and I would too if I lived in Matthews Beach. I look forward to going again next time I visit.

After spending some time in the Wallingford neighborhood, I needed to take a few moments to relax…read moreand unwind. I love Seattle because of all of the beaches and natural beauty. The region is a water-lover's paradise. Matthews Beach Park affords stunning views of Lake Washington, and the heavily-treed neighborhoods that surround it. Although the beach is closed to swimmers due to high bacteria levels, nature abounds. I saw an eagle, lots of crows and bluejays, and plenty of native plants in bloom. There is ample parking not too far from the beach. You'll find restrooms, walking paths, and large grassy areas for dogs and kids to folic and run free. I visited on the weekend and discovered there are lifeguards on duty cleaning and patroling the park, and ensuring folks don't swim in the water. Paddle boarding and other water sports are still permitted.