This is a small green space with open grass and two large maple trees right next to the Columbia…read moreBranch of the Seattle Public Library and the PCC Community Market. There's not many amenities other than some art, trash receptacles, and park benches (so no playground or bathrooms), but it's nice place to stroll through or sit down and enjoy ice cream from near by Molly Moon's or a sandwich from PCC. During the summer, the Columbia City Farmers Market, SEEDArt Summer Series, and Honk! Fest West use this space to hold their events, so this place can get quite busy. I did notice that parking appears to be limited to street parking, so good thing that this park is within walking distance from the 1 line light rail station (just a couple minutes walk).

Columbia Park is a nice little green space area right off of Rainier. Once you're in the park there…read moreare enough buildings to help block the road noise and it's a fairly nice place to be. This park definitely isn't a destination, but if you're already here it's a nice place to get some fresh air. The library borders the park so it can be nice to do both if you're in the area.

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.

Very much a neighborhood park, as parking is non-existent and somewhat confusing. Surrounded by…read moreneighborhood homes, this space of trails is great for a simple stroll. We picked up coffee and made our way to the pond to see the "wildlife" (beavers), and we're met with the usual ducks, heron. Some pathways have creative art installations, which are fun to find and view as you continue your way around. Many small trail-ways weave through the park that is mostly set on and around the pond. Views in the autumn are beautiful as leaves change color and reflect in the water below.

Meadowbrook Pond is quite large. My mom, a couple friends, and I explored here when I was growing…read moreup before swim practice at the neighboring Meadowbrook Pool. At those times we we didn't make it much farther than the bridge just past the entrance/exit on 35th Avenue NE. More recently on 23 June 2020 my mom and I revisited the pond to explore past the bridge. We were both pleasantly surprised how big the pond is and appreciated the trails/bridges across and around the pond. Bridges/walking platforms extend across the pond enabling you to get closer to the wildlife living in and visiting the pond. From little fish to adult ducks to ducklings to Herons and red-winged blackbirds, there was much to watch and look for around the water when we visited. Ducklings were with their mama foraging for food around the edge of the pond. In another stretch of the pond ducks were sun bathing and resting. Around the outside of the pond are trails through the vegetation surrounding the pond. The paths we walked were paved and the trees provided shade away from the sunshine which was starting to bake our skin so felt nice. Be on the look out for various rodents including squirrels and bunnies as well as birds including Robins on these walks. Placards strategically placed throughout the park provide basic information about the ecology of the pond and some of the interconnected human-wildlife-land history. I especially liked the maps provided of the pond and reflective refuge in an informational pavilion. Fun to have maps in more than one medium! An enjoyable place to come for a stroll over the water and through the trees where one can savor the wildlife of Seattle.

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.

The newest 'Fritz Hedges Waterway Park' really has some of the bleakest landscaping I've seen. In…read moresummer you will simply cook in the sun and the sparse parking lot tree species all look half alive. And the native landscaping is very weedy. I'm not sure why nobody put any thought into providing shade. It seems somebody landscaped it back in 2021 and forgot about anything but cutting the grass. I'm sure they send the folks in with gas powered blowers twice a week but god forbid they actually pluck a weed or water a tree. The grass is great if you're a goose or duck, and it's great for you to poop on, of course. It's a fine place to go swim or launch a boat but staying on shore...well you'd be better off visiting Greenlake.

Fritz Hedges Waterway Park at first blush really reminded the honey and I of Annabel Lake in San…read moreRamon. It has quite a bit of seating and a gorgeous view of the water. We loved watching the ducks and enjoying how peaceful the park is. The one star loss is that if you look a little closer you'll notice that the chairs are bolted down and could use a new coat of paint. The park is generally clean, but it appears that they've been doing some weed work on the garden and haven't yet cleaned out the dead plant material. I expected a bit more of Sakuma Viewpoint since wasn't really a viewpoint - it's just a water overlook and you have the same view almost everywhere in the park, but beyond that, we really enjoyed how relaxing the space was. So all in all, if you're in the area, I wouldn't hesitate to drop by.

Right under the I-90 bridge, this small park is a great place on Lake Washington to watch the boats…read morego by or just relax after a long walk/jog.

Camp Long is the biggest park in West Seattle most people don't know about. It's not on the water -…read morebut that's not a bad thing. Within the boundaries of the park are miles of trails that most people drive hours out of town to walk on. Not to mention owl spottings, blackberries, bathrooms, cabins to camp in, a natural rock climbing wall and a cool events space. I had dear friends get married here and it felt like they had rented a overnight camp to celebrate - but it was a ten minute walk home. Weeds are a bit overgrown with COVID having Parks only doing essential maintenance but not too bad. Spend an hour or an afternoon here - it's worth it!

I grew up in Burien and have lived here all my life. As a teenager with lots of energy and nothing…read moreto do, I can remember going to a church group who took kids, like myself, on weekend trips camping. I can remember going with the group to camp at the park and fell in love with the beauty of the park and all the fun we had playing games and camping. This was in the mid 70's and I haven't been back since but I should revisit the park to remember the great times I had there that helped me stay out of trouble and be productive in life as I got older. Great place to take the family to back then.

While taking a mini stroll along Eastlake Ave, saw a random sign that mentioned a park. To access…read morethis park from the street, simply follow a set of stairs. While going down the stairs, there is a small dirt path you can veer off and see the plants/some flowers. Once you reach the bottom of the stairs, you'll see a nice open space with benches and a grassy area ideal for a small picnic or playing with your dog or kids. Venture a little further and you'll see a small ramp that leads out to the water. Here, you can easily launch boats/canoes/kayaks or simply just sit and enjoy the nice view of the water and such. For a sunny day, this place was close to being super empty (at least, to me when I visited), which is pretty awesome if you're seeking a nice oasis from the busy city vibe and such. Do be aware that there are quite a few gnats and bugs near the grassy area but nothing near the water :) Also, the park itself super small and you can easily just finish everything in like.....10min or less.

This is another of my favorite places in Seattle to go and escape the noise and rush of everyday…read moreresponsibilities. It's a small park hidden off of Eastlake Ave. Here you will find two or three benches, a small patch of grass, a neighborhood garden patch and a boat launch that's perfect for canoes or kayaks. I love to sit here and watch the last golden rays of the setting sun slowly disappear and then wait for a few minutes until the bats come out, darting here and there.