Cowen Park is the small non wooded area that is to the west end of Ravenna Park. I'm not quite sure why 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. read more

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Cowen Park is located in a quiet neighborhood in the Ravenna area close to the University of Washington 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. read more

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This is an okay park. Certainly not one of Seattle's best or memorable parks but it's not a bad one for picnics. There is a walking path that goes a considerable ways that starts near the playground equipment I'd like to walk sometime. There are port a potties so you don't have to be creative when nature calls and of course the situation with those are far from pristine. Especially if someone locks themselves in there for 30 minutes but in the broad scheme of things not too sure if that even makes a difference with the long term abuse they appear to receive. read more

Pretty fun park and their are some hiking trails also. They have a couple really cool unique structures for the kids. Theres also a field for frisbee or other activities and park tables. Also recommend Cowen Park coffee shop across the street. read more

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So many pretty flowers! I used to walk past Cowen Park on my way to work at Evans Pool by Green Lake when I lived on Greek Row and on-campus in the dorms while attending the University of Washington. Finally, a little over 8 years after stopping working there and walking past this park I decided to visit! One of the immediate standouts was the variety and glory of the wildflowers and plants. There is much natural beauty to walk the trails and enjoy. If you walk far enough on the trails, under and past the overpass/bridge, you find yourself in the Ravenna Trail System. This is communicated on trail markers alongside the foot path. By the main entrance to the park on Brooklyn Avenue NE there are large swaths of grass where one can run and/or play games or participate in physical activities with others or on one's own. The trees throughout and around the park provide a sense of privacy which is nice for a park in the city. A playground is slightly elevated compared to the neighboring grassy areas and has a number of art pieces to see. These include painted murals and sculpture pieces. I especially liked the two lamp posts, one on each side of the path, on the way to the playground. A portal to Narnia if you let your imagination run free. Should you choose to drive here, like I did this morning, the parking is street parking. Signs along the side of the road communicate the hours you are allowed to park in a certain spot and how long you can remain parked there. As I found out today on Friday the 17th of July 2020, this is a calming park to visit even on a gray and overcast day. read more

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Cowen Park is great. Lots of forest-y trails, large grassy lawn for dogs/frisbee/soccer, a decent playground complete with zipline. Cowen is one of those parks that can amuse a wide range of ages. Two picnic tables and a couple benches, so don't necessarily count on having a seat when weather cooperates. There isn't a parking lot, so get ready to street/neighborhood park. Cute little spot across the street (Cowen Grocery) for coffee, baked goods, tea etc. read more

Not great. Broke my neck flubbing a back-flip off the zip-line. Cool mural, tho. +1 star. read more

Cowen park is connected to Ravenna Park. There is no "view" when compared with some other waterfront parks. However, it can be a nice spot where you sit to relax or read a book. There is a small playground for kids. My favorite part is to walk from its trail from Cowen Park to Ravenna Park, during daytime. I have a friend's friend who was running on the trail either at early morning or late night and got knocked down by some stranger and had her ipod stolen. BE SAFE! read more

Went here to stroll with my boyfriend prior to breakfast at a vegetarian spot. It's a nice park with a lots of open land for your dog and, there is a small park for kids. Street parking is the only option and there is restrooms. read more

Great park. We love going to this park because there's a variety of activities our toddler enjoys. It's usually not very busy so our toddler isn't overrun by bigger kids. Nice and quiet most days! read more

What a nice surprise. The park is right in the middle of the neighborhood. It's not a fancy park, but a nice grassy community park. It wasn't too crowded, but there was a baseball game, people picnicking on the grass and a few kids on the playground. It was the perfect spot for a Sunday afternoon. All we wanted to do was relax and hang out. So Cowen Park was perfect! Although we didn't plan to, we strolled a bit on the walking trail and ended in at Ravenna Park. The walking trail felt safe and was very well maintained. We passed families, joggers and individuals along the way. If you want a nice easy trail that is filled with beautiful spots and lots of birds, butterflies and squirrels, this is for you. We walked, so I don't know the parking situation. And we brought our own food, but there's a place near to grab a bite. We had a great time! read more

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Good swings, great family place. Lot of cute little puppers. It's right at the end of Ravenna Park, which is also stunning. They have a nice mural and it's a good place just to hang out on the grass and relax. read more

This is a beautiful park in the middle of the bustling city - ok ok, a bustling Ravenna?! whatever...the point is I do love strolling through this park after work. Actually, I am always with Zoe the energetic pit bull, so it is usually a power walk verging on a run. This park seems endless and I almost feel like there is a new track every time I visit it, which is usually three times a week. When you get into the deep dark woods it is easy to forget how close you are to civilization - yes, just the way I like it. This park is definitely 5 star worthy, however I felt compelled to remove one star because of the numerous dog folk that frequent this park thinking it is an off leash park. Hello people, do you see the signs? Keep your dogs on a leash - please! Hey, I'm really not a party pooper and I do love dogs, but I don't want strange dogs approaching me when I have no idea how they will react to my dog, which is another reason why I refuse to take Zoe to off-leash parks. Yes, call me an over-protective mum, but the way I see it my role is to protect my child (I mean dog) from harms way. Enough ranting about my pet peeve! It's a great park for people, dogs and children as it has something for everyone...and I may notice the odd homeless person but I have never felt like they are invading the park. Of course, you should use common sense and I wouldn't suggest walking through the trails after dark, it is way too dark for me, especially being that 'I am a day person'! (awesome quote from Elaine for those Seinfeld fans out there). . read more

Awesome park- feels like feen gully/ rain forest with cool trails and trees and moss and lil streams. Great for photo ops too and a post work walk for stress relief! Wear rain proof shoes though because it was muddy and tracked dirt up the back of my sweater LOL. Worth it though. read more

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This park is a gem in the middle of the city. Large and spread out, you feel like you're really in the middle of nowhere, despite being surrounded by roads up above and on the sides. The bridges are a neat touch and this sprawling natural area is a great place to run through. It's also a fun place if you're into wild foods plant identification - there are a fair amount of them available to check out, though I would not harvest from here, as it gets city runoff. Also, HOLY SH*T there's a short ZIPLINE in the playground and a MERRY GO ROUND!!!! This park is getting upgraded from four to five stars. Kickass. read more

Its not the most gorgeous park, but a diamond in the rough with lots of hidden traits to it. I always come over to this place on a Sunday afternoon to catch up on reading. Its the only park that I know of in Seattle that dosen't get over run with people i.e. stroller moms, dog walkers, runners, etc. You know that crowd. This is the park to get away from the mess of it all. The area is pretty safe as well. I've fallen asleep here a number of times under the trees as well as actually being able to meditate. The best bonus is if you get thirsty, you can walk right across the street to the mini grocery store/cafe to grab an iced tea. read more

I came here for a volleyball game and I kept commenting to my teammates how well defined the open grass area was and how there were neatly oriented sitting benches tucked away in the trees. A perfect place to sit and enjoy a cigar. I was going to give 4 stars, but after reading the other reviews and finding out how much more the park has to offer (Koi Pond!?!), I'm putting it up to 5 stars. I'll update my review later, but I'm happy to have discovered this park for sure! read more

Green, grassy play fields and picnic areas are a great place to sunbathe when the sun comes out. Groups of gangbanger wannabes hanging out near the ShelterHouse and the occasional homeless person wandering out of the woods make for a slightly less relaxing place than it could be. read more

Cowen Park - Parks Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Some of my friends are the ones who dress up in battle gear and run around this park whacking each other with foam swords. It's great fun to watch and the park is a beautiful setting to watch it in. It has a couple of smaller parking areas and a first come, first use barbecue grill pit and picnic tables, and public restrooms by the picnic area. Some graffiti (lots on the underside of the bridges) but surprisingly little trash. Lately it seems the maintenance has improved. The ravine trail that runs from Cowen to Ravenna parks is a wonderful place for a jog or a stroll. The only sounds you hear are the birds, the stream, and occasionally your fellow nature lovers. It is quiet, peaceful and MUCH less crowded than Green Lake, so keep it mum. ;) read more

This review is verbatim to the review for Ravenna park. I learned about this park talking with someone who enjoys walking their dog like I do!! :-) You can park at either Cowen or Ravenna park. You can walk from one park to the other park. This park is a real treat! There is a service road with garbage cans along the way. There are narrow trails along either side of the service road. My dog and I spotted many squirrels and birds! It was also relaxing since you can hear the water tricking from several different waterfalls! According to the park website, all the trails equals to about 4 1/2 miles. The service roads feels like its about a mile from one park to the other. If you live in the city and need some time with nature but can't leave Seattle- this may be the closest you can get! read more

Tons of cool trails! Hidden and open, well kept, pretty. Only thing I've run into was... I saw a syringe in a tree... Yeah.. Lots of shady people around the park unfortunately... Oh well, still beautiful. And still a good place to go hang... During the day....... read more

My favorite park in Seattle. There is nothing more lovely that stepping off the street and heading into the woods. It is so peaceful here, except for the occasional jogger or bicyclist (it is Seattle, after all). There are streams, waterfalls, and recently a Koi pond has been added. I feel so fortunate to live near this place. The play area is great, too. read more

The creek, the ferns, the aforementioned medieval enthusiasts - this place is great. More secluded and less crowed than Greenlake, with plenty of nooks and crannies to explore. Although it may be a bit of a teen hangout I always see quite a few families with kids making the rounds here as well. All in all its a pretty cool park in a pretty cool neighborhood. read more

This review is actually for the ravine walk that connects Cowen Park to Ravenna Park. Start off at Cowen park (a block or two east of Whole Foods) and head towards the far corner. You will come to a wonderful trail that leads you for half a mile along a babbling creek, through a wooded ravine, winding it's way toward Ravenna Park. In the summer, you may pass neighborhood kids in improvised medieval battle garb. It's a nice and unexpected escape from the bustling city and it's right under your nose. read more

Love this park! Perfect got an outdoor "hike" in the city or a fun time on the zip line. Lots of open grass space, woods to explore, and a nice play area. read more

I agree with Robyn. This could be a green, cozy neighborhood park but families don't seem to use it much. A few years ago my kids' daycamp used it as a gathering spot at the beginning of the day, but they didn't stay. This is the kind of teen hangout place I wouldn't let my teens near. read more

Took our two 3 and a half year olds to the play structure Friday, which was awesome (the zip line swing is like nothing we've ever seen), then found the path under the bridge. The kids splashed in a tiny little steam, ate salmonberries and balanced on a great fallen log. read more

It's not a bad place to go if you want to enjoy the wilderness and the smell of the aroma of trees, plants, and all that kind of stuff, walking on the trails are sometimes really unpleasant due to the fact that it's muddy but that's part of the park and seattle. read more

I really like the trails that connect this park to Ravenna Park! I definitely did not know this place existed until I randomly stumbled upon it a year ago. However, when I tried to return I got lost since I didn't remember exactly how I got here or what the name of the park was. Luckily, I stumbled upon it again a couple days ago and was really able to explore the trails. I had absolutely no clue there was such an awesome places with trails that have beautiful large trees, fun hills to climb, and even a little stream! I think this would be a great place to go running and it's definitely fun to explore with friends or even on a date! If you're looking for a place to escape the city without actually leaving or even just a fun place to explore, this is definitely the place. The only things that aren't that great are the bathrooms are atrocious and often flooded and the playground often doesn't look very well kept. If it was better kept this place would definitely be 5 stars since it offers lots of grass to lay on, picnic tables, benches, a playground, and cool trails. read more

Connected to Ravenna Park, this is where I used to practice cross-country in high school. Nice trail just north of UW. Great place for a jog or hike in the city. read more