 DEAN RUTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Japanese Garden at the Arboretum. |
Seattle's parks and gardens
There's more to Seattle than the Space Needle and Pike Place Market. The city's parks and gardens are beautiful throughout the year, offering peaceful retreats from the daily grind of hectic city living.
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Its water may be nippy but Alki Beach Park is hands down one of Seattle's hottest places to hang out — especially in the summer. Discovery Park (Magnolia / Interbay) Discovery Park offers more than just a slice of nature: At 534 acres, it offers the entire pie. Gas Works Park (Eastlake / Lake Union) Formerly a refinery in which coal and oil were turned into gas, Gas Works Park is easily the strangest park in Seattle, and may rank among the strangest in the world. Green Lake Park (Green Lake) A recreation hub for the entire city, this freshwater lake park has it all, including a popular 2.8-mile paved path around the lake's edge. Golden Gardens Park (Ballard / Crown Hill) Located in Ballard along the shores of Puget Sound, you'll find a wonderful view of the Olympic Mountains while you walk barefoot in the sand at this park. Myrtle Edwards Park (Downtown) Just north of Pier 70, this Elliott Bay waterfront park is a mid-day running/walking mecca for many downtown professionals. Sand Point Magnuson Park (Sand Point / Wedgwood) Northeast of Seattle past the University District, this multi-recreational 350-acre park is a destination for many. Seward Park (Columbia City / Rainier Valley) A peninsula jutting into south Lake Washington creates this 299-acre park with swimming beach, hiking trails and more. Volunteer Park Conservatory (Capitol Hill) From exotic to prickly, flowers and plants thrive year-round in the five separate greenhouses located within Volunteer Park. Carl S. English, Jr., Botanical Gardens (Ballard / Crown Hill) Revel in this park's 500 species and 1,500 varieties of plants and flowers, or picnic under the shade of a Midwestern buckeye with fragrant flowers. The Japanese Garden (University District / Montlake) Best visited in the spring when it's awash in cherry blossoms, this 3.5-acre formal garden is located within the Washington Park Arboretum. Kubota Garden (South Seattle) A blissful blend of Japanese design mixes with native Northwest plants to create a stunning 20-acre setting south of Seattle. Volunteer Park (Capitol Hill) Stately and esteemed, Volunteer Park is home to green lawns, a classic conservatory and the Seattle Asian Art Museum. Washington Park Arboretum (University District / Montlake) Eye-popping blooms and leaves wash this tranquil park in color and fresh fragrance throughout the year.  |
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