Top Rated Parks to Visit in Kirkland

"Olympic Sculpture Park is an award-winning free public sculpture park owned and operated as part of the Seattle Art Museum, originally opened to the public in 2007. The park spans nine acres along the city's downtown seawall beachfront at Myrtle Edwards Park and was designed by Weiss/Manfredi Architects on the site of a former industrial area. As one of downtown Seattle's only urban green spaces, the park is open to the public daily between dawn and dusk, with free tours available at select times throughout the year."

"Olympic Sculpture Park, an ingenuous feat of urban planning, is an official offshoot of the Seattle Art Museum and bears the same strong eye toward design and curation. There are more than 20 sculptures to stop at and admire in this green space that sprawls out over reclaimed urban decay. You can also enjoy them in passing while traversing the park's winding trails."

"Situated on Magnolia Bluff overlooking Puget Sound, this expansive urban park--the largest in Seattle--offers two miles of beach trails and nine miles of winding footpaths. Ostensibly a bluff-top reserve, Discovery Park protects a remarkable urban wilderness and is a great place for nature-watching. The Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center, which features art and cultural exhibits, is also located at the park, as is a marine reserve."

"Discovery Park is aptly named because it allows guests to have fun exploring its nooks and crannies. Couples who love the outdoors will enjoy traversing the trails going to and from the lighthouse or having a picnic at its side. If they want to enjoy the water, there’s a beach where they can go swimming, as well."

"On the north end of Lake Union, you'll find what may be the most unique park in the area. The 21-acre industrial area, formerly the site of a gas plant, was transformed in the 1975 into a recreational complex (a worldwide first). You'll find that there's plenty to do in the park, including kayaking, sailing, picnicking, and bicycling."

"Gas Works Park is a unique passive natural space on Lake Union's north shore, directly across from the downtown skyline. It's hard to say what makes this park stand out the most. It's either the unparalleled view of downtown across the water or the scenic remnants of the former coal gasification plant that used to occupy the site."

"Kerry Park is by far one of the most Instagrammable places in Seattle and one of the best places to see in Washington State. You can see the Space Needle, much of downtown, and the water from this viewpoint. A large majority of shots you see of the city are taken from this tiny park in Queen Anne."

"Another favorite site that is also free is to go to Kerry Park. You will get an amazing view of the city skyline from a different angle. We stayed here as the sun went down to enjoy the view at night."

"With a stunning Lake Washington, Madison Park North Beach is a 400-feet beach housed in Madison Park. The park slopes down from the sidewalk to a few miles towards the beach, which features a bathhouse with restrooms, play areas for the kids with swings/play equipment, tennis courts, and more. Swimming and boat launches, however, are prohibited at the beach due to a rock seawall along the shoreline."

"5 km from city center 18 out of 191 places to visit in Seattle. With a stunning Lake Washington, Madison Park North Beach is a 400-feet beach housed in Madison Park. The park slopes down from the sidewalk to a few miles towards the beach, which features a bathhouse with restrooms, play areas for the kids with swings/play equipment, tennis courts, and more."

"The Volunteer Park Conservatory is a botanical garden with a multi-room display of cacti, tropical plants, orchids, and other species. Its mission is to advocate and encourage preservation, public participation, and education with respect to the Volunteer Park Conservatory and its plant collection. Friends of the Conservatory (FOC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit, plays an integral part in stewarding visitors, providing outreach and education though docent-led tours, plant sales, special events, and interpretative classes for adults and school children, as well as an "Urban Safari" summer camp for grade school youth."

"Modeled after the “Crystal Palace” of London, the Volunteer Park Conservatory is a stunning example of man-made architecture. Glass walls are fitted into steel and iron frames. Victorian-style decorations give an ornate flair to everything from the windows and trellises to the doorknobs and flowerpots."

"Grab your pup and take the dreamest selfie by the magic dog mural by Cern lining this popular dog park. Draft a friend to take the photo for a wider angle on that giant, angelic Pomeranian face. A post shared by GP (@filmgrl29) on Feb 11, 2018 at 2:36pm PST"

"Beautiful walking path and views of the sound, with the islands so close. Lots of room to walk, especially during low tide. Great for the kiddos to explore/flip rocks and find crabs."

"Best brick overnight pizza I’ve had in Seattle, and I’ve lived here my entire life 33 years. Pizza typically isn’t a Seattle specialty, but I’d put Verac..."

"The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, also known as the Ballard Locks, are the United States' most-trafficked canal locks, located along Seattle's Lake Washington Ship Canal near the city's Ballard and Magnolia neighborhoods. The locks, which were opened in 1917 and named in honor of United States Army Major Hiram Martin Chittenden, were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. They are credited with reshaping vast areas of Seattle's waterfront coastline and changing the water level and flow direction of its lakes and rivers, allowing commercial and recreational vessels to traverse the city's harbor and warehouses."

"From full-service hair styling to aromatherapy and deep tissue massage, this Ballard establishment can meet your every beauty care and health spa need. If planning a Seattle spa day, be sure to check out Habitude’s seven care package options. Habitute at the Locks is two blocks west of AMLI Mark24."

"Also called the Ballard Locks, the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks were built to move boats from sea level up to the level of Lake Union. Check out the surrounding botanical garden and the semi-enclosed viewing area of the fish ladder, where salmon and steelhead move upstream."

"Co-managed by the University of Washington, the Seattle Parks and Recreation, and the Arboretum Foundation, this public park is quiet and scenic, perfect for couples who want to spend some time bonding somewhere away from the usual hustle and bustle of the city. Among its features are a nature trail, a playground, and an authentic Japanese garden. The park truly comes alive in the summer, when its azaleas are in full bloom."

"Open every day from dawn until dusk, the Washington Park Arboretum is one of the best places to travel in Seattle when you’re on a budget. It’s completely free, and you can enter and exit whenever you want without worrying about ticket stubs. It’s always available, and it’s always gorgeous."

"As far as Seattle's green spaces go, this 230-acre arboretum is arguably the most beautiful. On calm weekdays, the place feels really…"

"This charming spot on South Capitol Hill near Seattle University (open since 2007) offers full coffee service featuring Caffe Vita coffee, house-made pastries, affordable French wines, a full bar open daily until 2 a.m., a newsstand of various magazines and newspapers and a menu of "casual Parisian café classics." Patrons feast on delectable options from baguette sandwiches and French onion soup to cod filet, crispy duck leg and vegetarian Raclette. (Be sure to save room for decadent desserts, too!) Weekends at Café Presse mean soccer matches featuring teams from America, Europe and around the globe in the bar up front. Recommended for French because: Cafe Presse is a happening spot in South Capitol Hill for delicious brunch and a stocked newsstand."

"It’s the most come-as-you-are French cafe in town, suffused with a casual dailiness that makes it dangerously easy to become a regular. And by the looks of it, half the students at the neighboring Seattle U are—popping in to the front room for a quick croque monsieur and some televised European football, a linger in the hidden back room over dazzling roast chicken, or a glass of Ricard at the busy bar, perhaps with a little something off the charcuterie list. That deja vu you’re having right now is courtesy Le Pichet, Presse’s downtown cousin, which has been stylishly mining similar territoirefor years."