If you want to explore Seattle’s beaches, you’re in the right place. My name is Danish, and I work in SEO (Search Engine Optimization), and traveling is one of my favorite pastimes. Seattle is one of my favorite places, and I get to visit it again and again.
In this guide, I’ll tell you about Seattle’s famous beaches that you must see, and I’ll also share my personal experiences. So let’s start this journey without wasting any more time.
Best Beautiful Beaches in Seattle at a Glance
⛱️ Alki Beach
⛱️ Golden Gardens Park
⛱️ Discovery Park
⛱️ Carkeek Park
⛱️ Madison Park Beach
⛱️ Matthews Beach Park
⛱️ Seward Park
⛱️ Lincoln Park
⛱️ Madrona Park
⛱️ Golden Gardens to Carkeek Low-Tide Walk
⛱️ Myrtle Edwards Park
⛱️ Richmond Beach Saltwater Park
⛱️ Denny Blaine Park
Alki Beach
This beach stretches about 2.5 miles along Elliott Bay in West Seattle, from Alki Point to Duwamish Head. There is a paved path along the beach, and on sunny days you’ll see quite a few joggers, cyclists, rollerbladers, and people walking their dogs. The most notable thing is that it has real sand, not gravel or grass, which sets it apart from many other beaches in Seattle.
There are beach volleyball courts along the shore, and designated fire pits for lighting fires in the evening. Few beaches in Seattle allow bonfires. There’s also a beautiful boardwalk lined with restaurants, cafés, and famous seafood spots. Salty’s on Alki is known for its fresh seafood and spectacular views.
Alki Spud Fish and Chips has been serving halibut and fries here for decades, while Cactus is famous for its Southwestern-style dishes with beautiful water views.
The water in Elliott Bay stays quite cold. Although some people swim here, most come to play volleyball, stroll along the shore, watch the sunset, and enjoy good food.
Getting to Alki from downtown Seattle is also easy. During the summer, the West Seattle Water Taxi runs directly from downtown Seattle to West Seattle, and the ride itself is a pleasant experience. The boat anchors just off the beach, and from there you can walk to the shore. If you’re coming by car, roadside parking is available along Alki Avenue, but in good weather spots fill up quickly, so it’s best to arrive early or take the Water Taxi.
Dogs are allowed in the park, but they are prohibited from being taken onto the beach sand. This rule is regularly enforced, and violators may face a fine of up to $500.
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Golden Park Beach
This beach is located at the end of Seaview Avenue NW, and its atmosphere feels quite different from Alki. It’s quieter, more locally colored, and less crowded with tourists. Ballard residents use this beach as part of their neighborhood, and you feel that friendly, community vibe the moment you arrive.
There’s real sand here, along with fire pits for lighting fires, designated picnic areas, a boat launch, and the amenities and relaxation facilities at the historic Golden Gardens Bathhouse. The views from the beach are also particularly noteworthy. From here, you can see beautiful views of the Cascade Mountains and Olympic Mountains across Puget Sound.
There are three different parking areas at Golden Gardens: One is near the marina, another behind the beach, and a third additional parking area atop the hill. However, on summer weekends, all these parking spots are almost always full early, so it’s best to plan to arrive early.
Discovery Park Beach
Discovery Park is Seattle’s largest park, covering 534 acres. It is located in the Magnolia neighborhood and occupies a high elevation. It is situated on a bluff with beautiful views of Puget Sound. The park features dense forests, open green fields, wetlands, and on its western shore an approximately two-mile-long shoreline that includes North Beach and South Beach.
These two beaches are connected by a path that descends from the elevated bluffs to the water’s edge.
The park also contains the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center, which provides information about the history and culture of the Duwamish and other Coast Salish peoples. These were the people who lived in this area long before Seattle came into being. If you visit, be sure to take a few minutes to tour this center, as it offers a better opportunity to understand the region’s history.
The North Beach Trail is an excellent walking path that leads from the park’s uplands down to the shoreline. The children’s play area near the main entrance has also been recently upgraded, featuring swings, various climbing structures, and zip-line–style attractions.
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The beach at Discovery Park does not have lifeguards. The park itself is open from 4:30 AM to 11 PM with the beach closing a bit earlier in the evening.
Carkeek Park Beach
What makes Carkeek special is how you get to the beach. You park your car in the lot, then walk through a wooded area, and finally cross a pedestrian bridge built over active railway tracks to reach the beach below. Trains pass here regularly, and kids really love watching them from the bridge or the beach.
During my first visit, I stayed for about 30 minutes longer because a freight train passed right on time, and watching it go by while standing between the forest and Puget Sound, listening to its rumble, is an experience not easily forgotten.
From the shore, there are beautiful views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. It’s not a sandy beach but a pebbly one, which is typical of many beaches in Puget Sound. Near the entrance there’s a playground for young children, while in the park above the beach, spanning more than 200 acres, you’ll find hiking trails winding through forests, grassy meadows, wetlands, and streams.
Wildlife sightings are common here — eagles, herons, and the occasional seal offshore show up regularly. The park also has fruit orchards tucked into its forest sections, which feel completely out of place and completely right at the same time.
The beach closes at 10:30 PM in summer. Parking is available in the main lot off NW Carkeek Park Road.
Madison Park Beach
The beach itself consists of an approximately 400-foot-long strip of sand along the lake’s shore, while behind it there is a grassy slope where people sit and lie to sunbathe. There is also a floating dock in the water with diving boards attached, which swimmers can reach by swimming from the shore.
During the summer, lifeguards are on duty here on weekdays from 12 PM to 7 PM, and on weekends and public holidays from 11 AM to 7 PM. It is one of the city’s beaches where surveillance is relatively regular, which is important for those entering the water.
The park also has a children’s playground, a bathhouse, tennis courts, and restrooms. The northern section of Madison Park Beach has historically been regarded as an unofficial meeting spot for LGBTQ park-goers, and even today this friendly, welcoming, and inclusive atmosphere remains part of the beach’s identity.
Matthews Beach Park
This park is located on the shores of Lake Washington in the Sand Point area of the city’s northeast section. Along the shoreline there is a large grassy field, designated picnic areas, grills, a children’s play area, basketball courts, and restrooms. There are also floating platforms in the water equipped with diving boards that swimmers can reach by swimming. This is the feature that especially keeps younger visitors from wanting to go home.
The last time I was here, I watched a group of children spend two straight hours on those platforms. They were jumping off the diving boards in various, more creative ways, while their parents sat on the grass below reading books.
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Seward Park — Rainier Beach
Seward Park, one of Seattle’s beach parks, is a place that relatively few people know about, and to be honest, it’s one of my favorite spots on this list. I think it gets relatively little attention compared to its amenities and beauty, and I don’t understand why more people don’t talk about it.
There’s a designated swimming area on the shore where seasonal lifeguards are stationed. They’re generally on duty from late June through early September. The water here is calm and warm. You can also catch fish like cutthroat trout, largemouth bass, and yellow perch from the piers.
A 2.5-mile loop trail circles the entire peninsula, offering continuous beautiful lake views along the way. There is also ample parking available.
Lincoln Park — Fauntleroy
Lincoln Park is located in West Seattle, about four miles south of Alki Beach, and although it’s in the same part of town, the experience here feels completely different. If you’re spending two or more days in West Seattle—which I recommend—visiting both Alki and Lincoln Park can give you the full picture of this part of Seattle.
The park also has a playground for children that includes a zip line, as well as horseshoe pits, tennis courts, sports fields, and five covered picnic shelters. The park is located just north of the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal, making it a pleasant and free pastime to watch the ferries coming and going, no matter what activity you’re doing in the park.
Dogs are allowed on a leash in all parts of the park.
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Madrona Park Beach — Madrona
Madrona Park is a small beach on the shores of Lake Washington in the Madrona neighborhood on the city’s east side. It’s a neighborhood beach, and in the best sense of the word—peaceful, truly beautiful, and far less crowded than the more famous spots.
In the morning, wildlife here is quite active — turtles, ducks, herons, and eagles are commonly seen, especially when not many people have arrived yet.
Golden Gardens to Carkeek Low-Tide Walk
I wrote it up separately from Golden Gardens because it really is a distinct experience, not just a continuation of the beach — and it’s the place I most enthusiastically recommend when someone asks me what to do in Seattle that you won’t find in the usual guidebooks.
At low tide—and only at low tide—the roughly two-mile stretch of shoreline between Golden Gardens and Carkeek Park becomes walkable. At high tide this shoreline is generally inaccessible. When the tide is low you can walk the entire stretch, with Puget Sound on one side and a forested hillside on the other. It’s a walk that completely erases the feeling of being in the city, even though you’re actually still in the city.
Myrtle Edwards Park Beach
Myrtle Edwards Park isn’t a traditional beach, but it’s worth mentioning for visitors who live downtown and want to spend time near the water without going far.
Adjacent to Myrtle Edwards is the Olympic Sculpture Park, a free outdoor art space managed by the Seattle Art Museum, where large sculptures are spread across a terraced lawn that slopes down toward the water. These two parks are naturally connected, and visiting them together makes for a delightful waterfront afternoon right in downtown.
Swimming isn’t allowed here—it’s more for walking and taking in the views than for swimming—but after exploring the city, it’s the easiest and closest option on this list for relaxing by the water.
Richmond Beach Saltwater Park
Richmond Beach Saltwater Park is technically located in the city of Shoreline, just outside Seattle, about 15 miles north of downtown Seattle. I included it because the drive out here is truly worthwhile, and it offers an experience you simply can’t get at any beach within the city.
To reach the beach, you have to take a short walk—about a quarter mile, which starts from the parking lot, follows a trail, then crosses a pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks, and finally descends to the beach. Like at Carkeek, trains pass by here regularly. It may sound like a minor inconvenience, but in reality it’s what gives this place its special charm.
The park also features an off-leash dog area, restrooms, trails, picnic tables, a children’s play area, and various public art installations scattered throughout the grounds.
Denny Blaine Park Beach
Denny Blaine Park is small and peaceful, and if you’re looking for a truly lesser-known spot on Lake Washington away from tourist crowds, it’s worth knowing.
It’s a peaceful, unassuming spot. It’s a great place to read a book, gaze at the lake, or take a quiet swim in the summer. It’s the kind of place that those who know it are happy more people don’t know about.
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