Daylight Savings Time starts on March 9th, with the sun setting after 7 pm for the first time in months. What better way to enjoy your evening after work than by picking a park for its sunset view?
Of course, you could watch the sunset from nearly any west-facing park on Puget Sound, but some of the best sky-watching happens from high inland spots or even eastward vantage points! Here are some of our favorite places to catch the last rays of the sun, just as the days grow longer:
Don Armeni Boat Launch
Just because the sun sets in the west won’t stop us from admiring the day’s end from an east-facing view. Don Armeni Boat Launch in West Seattle is perfect for seeing the sunlight reflect off the downtown skyline, glowing like a candelabra as the day comes to the perfect close.
Don Armeni is a great pick on a cold day or for those with mobility limitations, since you can drive all the way up to a viewpoint in the parking lot and just stay in your car. There’s a year-round restroom for your comfort as well.
Don Armeni Park is also a popular venue to rent for weddings and picnics! Access from downtown by the King County Water Taxi to Seacrest Park next door makes Don Armeni a welcoming and accessible destination year-round.
Fremont Peak Park
Perched at the top of Palatine Hill, Fremont Peak Park is a lush oasis known by very few. That’s a shame, given how many apartment and condo buildings are within a 5– minute walk! Fremont Peak Park is designed to showcase the turning of the seasons with markers for the solstices and the equinox. With its high, unobstructed westward view of the Ship Canal and the Olympic Mountains, this space is a hidden gem worth a visit.
Gas Works Park
At the southernmost point of North Seattle, Gas Works Park juts into Lake Union where remains of a decommissioned coal plant still stand. As part of restoring the site for public enjoyment, Kite Hill was built. Throw down a blanket and enjoy the unmatched 270-degree views of Seattle’s skyline, marine traffic on the Ship Canal, and Capitol Hill and Queen Anne Hill.
If you arrive by bicycle, enjoy the sweeping views of Lake Union and beyond from the Burke-Gilman Trail, which serves Gas Works Park and wraps through Fremont and ultimately to Golden Gardens Park.
Gas Works Park is great for the kids, too. The Play Barn and the adjacent playground repurpose some of the artifacts from the industrial days of the park, making one of the most unique play areas anywhere in the city.
Due to toxic sediments, please stay out of the water at Gas Works Park.
Dr. Jose Rizal Park
On the northwest corner of Beacon Hill, Dr. Jose Rizal Park boasts sweeping views of southern downtown, Elliott Bay, and beyond. Take in the skyscape by bicycle as you arrive at the end of the Mountains-To-Sound Trail which provides bicycle access to Mercer Island and Bellevue.
Biking not your thing? Come back with Fido for a wander in the 4-acre Off Leash Area, or with your kids for a trip to the playground.
Myrtle Edwards Park
Myrtle Edwards Park, a strip of land at the north end of the Alaskan Way waterfront, is downtown’s largest park. Home to a bicycle path, lawns, driftwood beaches, and even the Olympic Sculpture Park, Myrtle Edwards Park offers a respite from the buzz and bustle of downtown. Lay out a blanket, take off your shoes, and savor the last minutes of daylight.
Myrtle Edwards Park is frequently home to many summertime festivals and events, although no specific community partner organizes a shared calendar of events.
Sunset Hill Park
A peaceful overlook from a bluff on the highlands north of Ballard, Sunset Hill Park offers unmatched views of the Olympic Mountains, Shilshole Bay, Magnolia, and Golden Gardens Park. There’s an interpretive sign showing the progression of the sunset through the year as it tracks over the Olympic Mountains.
Come back in the summertime when twilight goes on and on, and play Frisbee or catch in the lawn!
Volunteer Park
One of the original Olmsted parks, Volunteer Park on upper Capitol Hill has some of the best views anywhere in the city. Take a walk up the Water Tower, or lounge on the grass just above the reservoir for views of the Space Needle and Puget Sound. Volunteer Park is also one of the more popular places to watch fireworks on the 4th of July and New Years!
While you’re at Volunteer Park, explore the Volunteer Park Conservatory (hours Tues-Sun 10am-4pm) or the Seattle Asian Art Museum (hours Wed-Sun 10am-5pm). Or if you come back in summertime, try the Wading Pool (daily!) or any of the numerous festivals that take place on the grounds. Recent events include Pride in the Park, the Seattle Chamber Music Society, and Green Stage live theater. See VolunteerParkTrust.org for even more events year-round.
Yesler Terrace Park
Perched above I-5 and just north of the Dearborn Street Cut (the original plan for what later became the Lake Washington Ship Canal), Yesler Terrace Park has sweeping views to the west and southwest, showing the downtown skyline, the Olympic Mountains, and both professional sports stadiums.
In the 2-acre park you’ll find a two-level jungle gym for the kids, sculptures by Christine Bourdette, and spaces to play basketball and soccer. If you come back in the summer, you can keep cool in the spray park too!
This week, take the kids out for a frolic, catch them at the bottom of the slide, and watch the sky turn from blue to bronze to black.
