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. :-(

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.

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.

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.

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.

This is a nice park in Magnolia. There's a large grassy area that's flat, so perfect for playing…read moresoccer or running around with the kids. There is also a play structure area, with both a structure for older kids and one for younger kids. There is also a grassy area up above with various courts and fields. The trees around this park surround it except for the west side, so in the afternoon this Park can be sunny. One downside to caution against is that the pavement surrounding the play structure, while you may think it's good for biking, it's not because of the huge drops from the concrete down into the tanbark as well as the narrowness of the pathways. It can be very dangerous for younger or inexperienced bikers.

Spacious park in a cute little neighborhood. FYI a lot of dogs off leash even though it's not an…read moreoff leash dog park but I personally don't mind. I usually go to shoot hoops when I'm in the area. Slight slope and double rim, but not usually busy when I go. Grab Mammoth, otter bar or some Starbucks and enjoy the park!

Cute, safe and fun playground and park for kiddos! Big park for dogs and tenis courts! Love itread more

This review covers more than the Park; instead, I'll cover the greater Yesler Terrace 30-acre…read morepublic low-income housing community. Kudos to the designers of this community. At least, from the outside, it looks great. Yesler Terrace Park About the park itself, it's a very cool park. Covered in artificial turf without the gritty bits (or maybe those are all rubbed off by now), the playsets are inviting and well maintained in excellent condition. During our visit, multiple families and children were playing here. Always a good sign for the park! This adult may or may not have went down the slides a few times. I'm not telling. The 10th Avenue S Hillclimb Located slightly south of the park, these stairs connect the housing community to the International District. It's WONDERFULLY designed with a central set of stairs (north-south), a bike groove, and a ramp walk (east-west) decorated with glass mosaic art. This is a must visit to enjoy these art. Hoa Mai Gardens Between the Hilclimb and park is Hoa Mai Gardens. The Gardens itself is a community p-patch, nothing exciting, but there is additional mosaic art here with ladybug theme. Other notes: - Enjoy the view while standing above the park or along Fir Street and see the stadiums and beyond. - Enjoy the many art pieces and murals that dot the community. - I suggest doing the walk that cuts through between Yesler & Fir, 8th and Broadway diagonally also. There's a map near the park to direct you.

Caution for kids!!!! Drug use!!! I took my toddlers here on Saturday morning and found not only…read moreclothing left behind from unhoused residents sleeping here but burn piles and foil from drug use! I would not recommend bringing kids here!

Haven't actually been, but seeing the pic of the old school merry go round 100% makes me wanna go…read moreso bad. All the parks in TN took ALL of them out! They're huge part of my child hood. There's absolutely nothing wrong with kids playing hard. Def plan to go next time I'm driving through that area

How has this little gem not been reviewed yet???? SEATTLE PARENTS WHERE ARE YOU?????…read more We had picked up lunch and were headed to Magnuson park for a picnic. We'd prepped our kids for "going to a park without a playground" and then were OH SO ENTHUSIASTIC about this mission..... as we drove past the Bryant Neighborhood Playground I could literally hear three tiny gasps in the back seat..... we pulled over not-un-sharply and the kids could not get out of the car fast enough. This is such a lovely little playground. Equipment is older but in a very quaint way and still completely useable and safe. I LOVED the little merry-go-round.... its been so long since I've seen one of these! There was also tons of green space and trees for shade. One of my little monkeys found a great climbing tree and gave me a few more grey hairs. As we had never been to this part of Seattle before, I took a little walk through the neighborhoods - lots of cherry blossoms and many houses have free-little-libraries. I absolutely loved it. Several square picnic tables spaced on the street side of the playground and a tennis court available..... this is certainly a place we'll consider for future visits :)