There's not much grass at Waterfall Gardens, but that won't bother you for long. The dominant materials in this Pioneer Square park are wood, concrete and water. It's like stepping into a Zen water and rock garden. The splashing water drowns out traffic noise and soothes the soul, while the few plants stir gently in the breeze. Benches provide a welcome urban respite. There's a plaque on the outside wall commemorating, the birthplace of the United Parcel Service.
Hidden away in the southern reaches of West Seattle, Lincoln Park in many respects is the ultimate archetype of a Seattle park. Big but not too big, woodsy but not too densely forested, everything is just right. The beach is perfect for exploring, the meadows just right for Frisbee and the picnic areas nicely sheltered. And, Colman Pool—open only during summer- lets you experience the salty waters of Puget Sound without the icy temperatures. If that doesn't provide waves enough, walk out of the park to the south and hop the ferryboat for a scenic 15-minute ride over to Vashon Island.
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Technically, the northern half of this park is Elliott Bay Park, but the whole waterfront strip runs so seamlessly together that no one ever refers to it as anything but Myrtle Edwards. The park is a bit obscure but also pleasantly quiet, filled only with joggers and cyclists enjoying just over one mile of winding bike and pedestrian paths that run along Elliott Bay. The views over the bay are spectacular, especially at sunset and the white columns at the northern end lend an eerie industrial feel to the park.
Way off in the residential northwest corner of Seattle, Carkeek Park is a strange bit of wilderness. Paths through the forest cut the park off from the city, then open onto a long meadow by babbling Piper's Creek. Marshland with wooden footbridges cuts the meadow off from the beach, but if you climb to the spacious children's play area, you can walk across the metal footbridge for spectacular views and access to a calm, splashing beach. Be careful because trains run though here loud and fast. The wind here is great for kite flying. The meadows are filled with picnic tables, and the winding trails on the woodsy hillside are often too enticing to resist.
No, this isn't the zoo, although the zoo is indeed smack in the middle of this park, which lives up to its name—Woodland Park Rose Garden with 188 acres of towering deciduous forest and rolling lawns. It also offers tennis courts, playfields and picnic areas on its east side near Green Lake, and shrubbery-shrouded meadows on its west side on Phinney Avenue North. In the center, by one of the zoo entrances, is the park's beloved rose garden. The high-walled space is crammed with dozens of different hybrids, tea roses and climbers.
This two-and-a-half-mile strip of sandy beach is one of the most popular beaches in the area, and it was also where Seattle's first non-Native American settlers spent their first winter. In warm weather, Alki Beach is crowded with sunbathers, swimmers and families. For athletic types, there are volleyball games. The beach is also lined with a path, great for walking, jogging, biking and skating. Across the street there are several cafes and restaurants where you can stop in for a bite after a day in the sea air.
