My friend Mike K. lives in Matthews Beach, and we walked over to Matthews Beach Park when we went to 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. read more

After spending some time in the Wallingford neighborhood, I needed to take a few moments to relax and 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. read more

Matthews Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Beautiful views. Tons of grassy spots for picnics, and lots of shade (: fun place for a weekend or for some family time. Love the outdoors! read more

Matthews Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Second year in a row bringing my kids here for the Polar Bear Plunge. Great little park to take a dig in the water, any time of year. Parking is limited when busy, but plenty of nice spots around the neighborhood if you are ok with a little peaceful walk. The beach is mostly sandy with a very gentle slope into the water. It was great seeing and meeting people in all shapes and sizes and all walks of life. read more

I love that this is so close to home! The parking lot is tiny so it's tough to grab a spot on sunny days, but there is a lot of lawn space and a few picnic tables in the area. It's definitely a nice and smaller alternative to Magnuson Park down the road. read more

Matthews Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

I read this place is a Hidden Gem of Seattle. I would say it's out-of-the-way, but there's nothing particularly special about it. It has nice views of the water and the East side, with lots of geese (and their poop) near the water. There's a few picnic tables and playground. The bathroom looks neglected, so I didn't brave using it. There are walking and bike trails connected to the park, so it's fine for a quick stop, but I wouldn't drive 15-20 mins just to come here again. read more

See all

Once again, the Annual Polar Plunge was great. Lots of families, crazy kids, still drunk college kids and some guy in an ape suit with a bikini. Still one of the funnest places to hang out. I mean, I get to walk and bike the trail right into the park. Plenty of room to lay out and enjoy the weather in the summer. And I like having the park to myself in the winter. And the occasional teen drinking beer on the lifeguard chair is fine with me. You do however have to watch out for assholes on bikes that zoom on through. I do like when the kids hit them with pine cones. haha. And sometimes there are people that don't know how to control their dogs. It's not a dog park, but nice ones are welcomed. Avoid these people that take up space and enjoy the fat moms and kids. :) read more

I never knew that there was such a cute little beach near University Village/District. Don't expect a lot of sand though, there isn't much of it! Matthews Beach Park is not too long of a bus ride from the University. You take the 75 and it will take you basically all the way there. There is an average grassy area to put your towels down, or kick a soccer ball, or toss a frisbee. Lots of families and kids come here. The sand portion of the beach is really small and not typical of what a real beach with sand would like it. None the less, kids can still pull out their buckets and shovels and build things. The water is pretty lukewarm on a hot, sunny day. Life guards are on duty until 7 PM. The first section that is bordered off is not that deep and an adult could stand in it just fine. Kids are probably perfect being in this section. Just be careful because the ground is rocky and there are some sharp rocks! For more advanced swimmers, you are allowed to pass the first border into deeper waters. There is a small dock where you can take a break from swimming, or jump off the diving board. There is a life guard in a boat that patrols this section of the area. Every time there is a life guard switch you have to either get out of the water or move to the nearest structure. At 7 PM, they ask all people to get out of the water. However, you can still swim after the lifeguards leave, it's just unsupervised swimming so you have to understand the risks. The public restrooms here are not all that great, but most beach restrooms aren't. The smell isn't the greatest and there are no locks on the door in the women's restroom. Be prepared to hold the door yourself if there are people waiting. Thankfully there was soap in this restroom, but I do advise bringing hand sanitizer just in case they run out. Don't forget the sunscreen, towels, water and snacks! It's a nice place to take a swim and relax. read more

I drove by after taking my dogs to dog park on Sand Point. Parking is available by the entrance. Matthews Beach Park is north of the dog park a couple miles away by Lake Washington. I love the path around the beach that I can walk around with my dogs. However, DOGS ARE NOT ALLOWED in the beach area. If you get caught, it's $500 fine! It's good for kids. There's a playground area for kids. Since there's a big and pretty grass beach, Matthews Beach Park is good for picnic and sunbathing in a sunny day. read more

See all

I hesitated on doing a review for this peaceful park because I don't wan to attract more people to it (ha!)! I discovered this beach park after driving past the signs dozens of times. I'm a regular at the Magnuson Park next door, but Matthews Beach Park is also amazing. Such a clean & well-kept spot. Great for picnics, playground playing, tossing a football, riding bikes, or even listening to the baby waves. I've studied here & highly recommend. Only a 12-15 minutes drive from the Northgate Seattle area. read more

Matthews Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Seattle, Washington

My most recent visit was during the last snow. It was dark, cold, and beautiful. We had to park in a near-by neighborhood, though, so we wouldn't get stuck when they closed the gates. I was rather surprised to see that they locked them on-time even though it was snowing and slushy out. Every once in a great while I come here in the middle of the day. Last time this was at 3pm on a chilly, windy Monday. There were a couple of people with dogs, a person just wandering, and a woman with a stroller. There were birds chirping away and it was a wonderful spot to sit down and relax for a little while. read more

Don't get me wrong, Matthews Beach Park is okay. However, there are so many 4 and 5 star parks in this city. This is the closest park to our home, and we go here often. However, last summer it seemed there were always drunk people everywhere that caused a lot of disturbance... not only at the park, but at the kids playground... really? Their presence usually means that my toddler gets to learn swear words and how not to use the playground equipment. Another negative about this park is the amount of duck poop everywhere in the grass, make sure to bring a blanket and watch where you step! PROS: Beautiful view of Lake Washington, decent swimming area, clean water. Great playground equipment. read more

Matthews Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I want to live in the little blue house across the way it's the only place I've come across I'd trade my cottage for. You should not go to this beach: GooSE Poo EVERYWHERE and I hear that swimming in the lake gives some people skin rashes. STAY AWAY!! read more

This a great secluded park. You know gloomy, windy, and chilly weather is not going to stop a Seattlelite from going to the park. Today was gloomy with sporadic sunbreakes, but to our standards it was great summer weather. The park was pretty busy, and although the parking lot is obviously too small to accommodate this park, parking was a breeze. Come summer, I'm sure this will be a problem. The Burke Gillman crosses the park and brings a lot of cyclist traffic, and that I'm sure helps with the parking situation. There's a nice green lawn up to the beach. I heard from some that it's not the best part of Lake Washington to swim in, but that didn't deter the masses. A little itch action in the pelvic area never killed anyone. There's a nice playing area with swings and such for the little ones, and open green areas for your doggies and rec games. Some benches are sporadically placed throughout the park if you want to enjoy a quick meal. Trails. Check. Beach. Check. Grassy fields. Check. Playground. Check. Benches. Check. Goose poop in your toes. Check. Lifeguards. Check. Shady areas. Check. Overexposed blossoming teens. Check. = / Great hidden park with lots to offer! Don't be a perv. read more

I lived in Seattle for years before learning about Matthews Beach Park. It's a bit off the beaten path but well worth a visit. Consider your transportation options during the summer. Matthews can fill up quick and there is limited parking in the lot. Tons of cars can be found on the side of the road and in residential areas when it's busy. Bus access is pretty good. I've rented shelters and picnic tables at the park. I typically choose an area on the hill, near the shadiest part possible (I'm not a huge direct sun fan). It's a great place to hang with a group of friends and family. During the "not-so-sunny" periods, or somewhat "misty" seasons, I have a canopy that I set up. Hey, if I waited for the sun to come out, I may never have a picnic! I've also rented picnic tables near the beach area off to the right. There is a large green field with some trees but mainly it's a big grassy area. Perfect to read a book, catch some rays, or let the kids run. And run. And run. Down the hill is a children's play area. You'll find all the usual playground equipment with happy kiddos running around. I like the design. When I have gatherings, it's easy for parents to look down to see what's going on and monitor the kids while still hanging out with the grown ups. I'm not a huge fan of the "beach" itself but others seem to enjoy it a lot. I'm from Hawaii so my definition of a beach is a little different. I will occasionally go by to dip my feet in the water but I've never actually taken a swim and probably never will. A solid Seattle park that allows for a variety of experiences and many ways to enjoy what our fair city has to offer. read more

It was 9 miles exactly on the Burke-Gilman trail from my house, a perfect place to stop in the shade & rest. The only thing I didn't like were the restrooms, I felt like I needed a shower afterward. The door didn't shut or lock all the way, the floors looked like they'd never been cleaned, there were no sinks to wash up & Ewwww!! But it was quiet, pretty and relaxing listening to the water. read more

I don't really have anything against Matthews Beach, I mean, it's a nice park, with a lot of grassy areas and picnic tables. It is connected to the Burke-Gilman trail. The parking, however, on a lovely weekend day, is absolutely atrocious almost all the time, and seems to suffer from spurts of less than savory characters, mostly teenagers, hanging out in the back parking lot, maybe smoking a doobie, swearing loudly and peeling out of the parking lot in their vehicles. It's such a tiny lot for the size of the park that it is. The beach area is also relatively small here, not so much an actual beach, more of a strip of sand. There aren't many places you could go in this park that would offer a ton of privacy and the ability to be not bumping elbows with someone close by. But, for a neighborhood park, it does serve it's purpose. Not really a destination "beach", in my opinion. read more

This is a great little beach park. But good luck finding parking. Unless you have good parking karma and snag a spot in the smallish parking lot, it's pretty much non-existent on the side streets. There was a Seattle's finest parked on the perimeter to make sure you didn't get any bright ideas about parking on the side street. I don't really get it. It seems like a logical place for overflow parking. Sorry for my parking rant. I blame the heat. Other than that, great little place to beat the heat. There is a swimming beach to cool off and nice playground for the kiddies. Nice lawn for playing frisbee and things like that. read more

Nice little beach across Juanita (kirkland area). Pretty clean...public restroom avail. Water is very shallow but also rocky so it would be ideally nice to wear water shoes (whatever you call it...) My Buddy went for the water and loved it! Got in the water at least 4x. Buddy pulled and dragged me in there, and surprisingly, water wasn't cold. I enjoyed my little Qt with my baby. He was all smiles and gave me lots of kisses for this little treat. It's a small community of dog lovers and lots of kids here just playing in the water with Buddy. Oh, Buddy.... :-) That was fun! haha read more

I vacilated... I love this place, bu tI have also been there when it was covered with goose poop! Then I remembered the fun little bike trails in the back. This is a lovely relatively small park in a neighborhood. The view is tremendous. read more

So many pros and cons with this beach. The water is very polluted amd even when ecoli levels are low enough to swim in the lake I still need a shower right away. I begin sneezing and have itchy skin within minutes of getting out. read more

Really nice park with Lifeguards and diving boards. The only thing is the parking lot is really small and there is no sand. Otherwise great field for BBQ or just relaxing in the sun! read more

Oh wow! Picnic tables, a playground, a sandy beach, lifeguards, lots of trees, SPACE for space-hungry Seattlites, biking and walking paths, a beautiful view of Lake Washington, and restrooms with a drinking fountain. Can't wait to go back! read more

Like everybody else says, parking is problematic especially on weekends and warm evenings. My most recent visit, I couldn't find a parking spot, there's a little dirt lot on the north side of 93rd that was also full. Greenlake has better parking if that's saying anything. Eventhough parking sucks, the beach is less populated per square foot and they keep the garbage picked up. Lots of prosti-tots, but not as bad as say Wild Waves. Another part that I found a litlte obnoxious was the speed boats going by, I will say they stayed on the east side of the water for the most part but it was enough to make me wonder if boats don't have to follow noise ordinances. I've heard that people have seen lots of goose poop, I haven't noticed this at all, but usually I go to just sit in the grass for a while not to swim. I've only driven to Matthews three times, the other half dozen times I've taken my bike. It's right of the Burke-Gilman trail, sort of easy to pass if you don't at least pay a moderate amount of attention to the trail. I recommend taking a stop by if you're on bike. read more

I wouldn't go here there's multiple car break-ins on more than one occasion and the cops don't care and never set up cameras. Always saw broken glass in the lot and thought nothing of it until I come back 15 minutes later and see 7 different car windows smashed. Cop drove past I chased his ass down and told him about it and he said "I'm a Sargent and I don't want to get caught up in the paper work since were being defunded." Big ego on you bud, sorry your feelings are hurt. Told him there's kids there and he didn't even ask if everyone was ok, I was bleeding pretty bad, and he just kept driving. Especially if you carry guns in your car don't come here because that's what they were looking for. read more

Matthews Beach Park is a pretty small park, but is connected to the Burke-Gilman Trail, so it can be a good starting or ending point for a walk. There's a small wetland area to walk through, and a hill with some nice picnic tables. We went swimming here in the summer which was fun, but on hot days when it's crowded there is not nearly enough parking. We had to park in the secondary lot a bit up the road (and even that was almost entirely full). And then some teenagers thought it was funny to hit the gas and make us jump out of the way as we were crossing the main parking lot. Not Amused. The bathroom was almost unusable on the summer day we were there. One of the stalls had poop all over the sides and top of the toilet so there was basically only one stall available for an entire park full of people. And of course that stall got nasty with wet toilet paper everywhere and it was just disgusting. Overall I do like the park though. read more

This is a great local park - especially the beach. Certainly not a destination if you are not in the neighborhood (the only beach on the lake I'd drive to is Madison Park - much better people watching and shop walking). During the summer season, there are lifeguards, and a float with a low and high diving board. I LOVE to swim during the summer, and so I head here a lot. Right off the Burke Gilman trail for you bikers. Much smaller than Magnuson Park, but then avoids the crowds too. Hurry up though, summer is almost over (I'm writing this on a cloudy August 30th). read more

A friend and I stumbled upon this park while joyriding near the U District over the weekend. We didn't expect it to be quite so BIG, but it is! There are playgrounds, a beach with a lifeguard tower, plenty of lawn to lounge on, trails, and a connection to the Burke-Gilman Trail. Also tons of parking. It was clean - tho watch for duck droppings! A great park for families as there were a few birthday parties around and lots of kids on the playground. Not too crowded or busy even on a sunny weekend day so that was nice. There are bathrooms and portapotties as well as a shower head to rinse off after swimming. I also felt very safe there - my friend and I accidentally dozed off for 45 minutes or so and no one bothered us. A hidden gem for sure! read more

Cute little park! In the summer they put a diving board in the water. Not much sand but lots of grass and a life guards are here most peak days read more

Why do they call this place a beach?! Beaches have sand! It had a strip of sand that fits maybe 10 people. This is not a beach! I was disappointed when I got there and we had to lay our towels on the GRASS! With that said, I've had a nice picnic here before on a separate deserted vacation, but I still can't stand the name of this place and prefer a lot of other parks over it. read more

I love Matthews! It's an essential part of my spring and summer activities; being a Seattle resident and a student at UW means that it is super convenient-- simply a short bus ride or relaxing drive along Sandpoint Way will lead me to a wonderful afternoon basking in the glorious sun without worrying about getting sand in my shoes. I have many fond childhood memories here and love that it's both family-friendly (swingset and picnic areas in the upper part) and also great for just lounging around by the water. There hasn't been a lifeguard on duty the past few times I've been around, but during the summer it gets pretty packed and they usually have a couple of people keeping watch over swimmers. read more

The park is covered in goose poop. There is no where to sit unless you can snag a table. This used to be one of our favorite parks and unfortunately the city has neglected maintenance of the grounds. read more

I don't know what's happened to this little beach, which used to be charming, but when we visited this morning, the grass and sidewalks were covered in geese poop. Only place to sit was the tiny patch of sand. The only good thing about it was that it was, not surprisingly, empty on this holiday weekend. It's a shame that the City seems to have abandoned basic maintenance. read more

A pleasant city park with freshwater beach, grassy field, picnic tables, restrooms, etc. Just beware of the sketchy cretins hanging around in the woods near Thornton Creek. read more

It should be noted that this park and beach is frequented by a cluster of people who have problems with boundaries and children. Safety should be top of mind when bringing children here. People could be filming your daughter changing into her suit. Watching your boys in the bathroom. Talking to them... making friends (grooming) them. How do I know this? I've had the unfortunate happenstance to find out the hard way. Keep your kids close to you.... I no longer go there... and it used to be my favorite. read more

This small park is best done as a stop along the Burke Gilman Trail or at Christmas time as one of the stops for the Christmas ships. Bonfire on the shore and carols from the ship offshore at night is a holiday tradition for us. There's a swimming beach here and a nice large lawn, but the city has unsuccessfully battled the goose problem for years and there's an abundance of bird crap everywhere. Not so nice on bare feet. Great playground though. read more

This is a really out-of-the-way, almost romantic park. Looking out over Lake Washington, the relatively flat park has sporatic picnic benches and willow trees to make it that much more relaxing. It's a bit tough to find, at first, but that's a small price to pay for the hidden park. read more

The hubby and I took our 3 youngest kids to this beach on a sunny warmish day and it was very nice. I had never been here before but I thought it was great. The area of beach where the sun was shining brightest was busy and since I'm half-vampire (as in I am not a huge fan of the sun), we settled over in the more shaded and much less crowded area. The little one enjoyed the ducks coming right up to her, the other kids enjoyed splashing in the shallow water, hubby and I enjoyed taking pics and watching the kiddos frolick. We took a bus so we didn't have to worry about the parking lot and good thing to because, as other posters said it IS quite packed on nice days. So if you live in the area, this is a place to go! read more

Very tranquil. Mountain views, peaceful feeling from the lake. Hike here from Lake City or the University area. Please use caution when walking the streets down to the trail from Lake City. Thank you. read more

Usually I just fly by this place on the Burke Gilman, but one day I decided to stop by and check it out. Its a pretty nice beach for Lake Washington and there are some places to chill out and enjoy the sun (if its out). If you really want the beach life its not worth driving a long ways to get there, but if your local or Gilmaning by, then you should stop in. read more