Parkways Seattle Parks and Recreation

Parkways

Seattle Parks and Recreation news and events

Welcoming the Spring Equinox

by

Buds are blossoming, the weather is warming, and the days are getting longer! Seattleites are not strangers to the joy of spring time, and we hope you can get out and enjoy Seattle Parks and Recreation spaces even more in 2022 than in years past. With the Spring Equinox official here on Sunday March 20, check out this list of fun things to do outside this spring.


Fun Hikes

A group rides bikes along the paved path at Seward Parks on a sunny day.

Seward Park: Whether hiking or biking, you’ll be sure to enjoy the 300 acres of beautiful forest land at Seward Park. Home to eagles’ nests, old growth forest, a 2.4 mile bike and walking path, miles of hiking trails, shoreline, beaches and more.

A picture over looking the Magnolia Bluff at Discovery Park shows a sunny day with clouds and the Olympic mountains in the distance.

Discovery Park: This 534 acre natural area holds the title as the largest city park in Seattle. The site is one of breathtaking majesty. Situated on Magnolia Bluff overlooking Puget Sound, Discovery Park offers spectacular views of both the Cascade and the Olympic Mountain ranges. Enjoy walks along two miles of protected tidal beaches as well as open meadow lands, dramatic sea cliffs, forest groves, active sand dunes, thickets and streams.

A downward walking trail at Lincoln Park is shown on a sunny day with light breaking through the foliage.

Lincoln Park: Lincoln Park is West Seattle’s unique multi-purpose park, featuring tall forest canopies, hiking trails and views of the Puget Sound. It hosts a variety of elevations, trail switchbacks, a mile of seawall waterfront to walk along, among many other features.



Gardens

A picture shows a stone lantern at the edge of the pond at the Seattle Japanese Garden.

Seattle Japanese Garden: Located within the Washington Park Arboretum, this is a 3 1/2 acre formal garden designed and constructed under the supervision of world-renowned Japanese garden designer Juki Iida in 1960. The spring is a lovely time to visit when the garden starts to blossom! Find details on hours and admission here.

A picture shows bright red, yellow, and green leaves at the Kubota Garden. There is a bridge with red railing arching over a pond.

Kubota Garden: The garden’s spectacular setting of hills and valleys, interlaced with streams, waterfalls, ponds, bridges, and rock out-croppings provides the perfect backdrop for springtime flourishes of rhododendrons.

A picture shows pink and red roses in the foreground with an ornate gazebo in the background at the Woodland Park Rose Garden.

Woodland Park Rose Garden: The Rose Garden is one of only two dozen certified American Rose Test Gardens in the United States. Managed by the Woodland Park Zoo, you can find this free picturesque retreat near the zoo entrance. For details you can call the Woodland Park Zoo at 206-548-2500.



Off-Leash Areas

People walk down a path at the Magnuson Off-Leash Area, on a sunny afternoon.
Magnuson Park Off-Leash Area

Do you have pups? Seattle’s off-leash areas (OLAs) are a great reason to get out and explore any of our 15 dedicated dog areas in the city, where pups can socialize and run off-leash! Of the many options around Seattle, Magnuson Park OLA boasts 8.6 acres of free space for dogs, and water access to Lake Washington.




State Land Free Days

A person hikes up a path in a meadow at a Washington State Park.

Want to get outside of Seattle for some spring time exploration? Get out to a state park on Saturday, March 19 in recognition of Washington State Parks’ birthday and/or on Friday, April 22 in celebration of Earth Day.

Visitors are not required to display a Discover Pass for day-use visits to a Washington state park or on lands managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

Where to find breathtaking blooms across the city

by

Parsons Flower

Spring has come early to Seattle. The sun has been shining. Birds have been chirping. And Twitter is chock-full of flower photos.

After a dark winter, nothing lifts the spirit like a bed full of seasonal blooms. We asked some of our senior gardeners for the best places to spot splashes of color in our parks.

Grab your iced coffee and stop by to smell the daffodils, camellias, flowering cherry trees… well, you get it.

 

Volunteer Park
Go because: There’s a heady scent of Daphne and Sarcococca in the air. Follow your nose and be lead to tucked-away beds full of blooming camellias, flowering quince and Dawn Viburnum. If it rains, you can always pop into the Volunteer Park Conservatory and warm up surrounded by tropical flowering plants from around the world.

Recommendation from: Jody Blecksmith, Senior Gardener, Volunteer Park

 

Hamilton Viewpoint Park
Go because: The park offers spectacular views of Elliott Bay and downtown Seattle, and the garden  landscape features Kousa dogwood,  flowering cherry, rhododendron and seasonal color display beds full of daffodils in the spring.

[Read more…]