Forest Park

Location: North Puget Sound/Everett Address: 802 E. Mukilteo Blvd., Everett Acreage: 197 Everett’s oldest park is little known outside of this city, but it has enough interesting features to keep you busy for half a day. And, true to its name, second-growth forest makes up several sections of this lovely park. If you’re a hiker,… Continue reading Forest Park

North Transfer Station

Location: North Seattle/Wallingford/Fremont Address: Woodlawn Ave. N. and N. 35th St. Acreage: ~1.1 I bet you’ve never seen a dump this fancy. The North Transfer Station, as it prefers to be known, has undergone a giant ($108 million) renovation. The building is supposedly top-of-the-line with reduced odor and more capacity. But, check out the park… Continue reading North Transfer Station

Google Playground and Cross Kirkland Corridor

Location: Kirkland/Eastside Address: 7th Ave. S. and 5th Pl. S., Kirkland (between Google Buildings B and D) Acreage: ~ 3.0 I’ve been on a new mission to find cool examples of public-private partnerships that result in public spaces. Did you know that Google’s Kirkland campus has a park at its heart? Opened in 2015, the… Continue reading Google Playground and Cross Kirkland Corridor

Lewis Creek Park

Location: Bellevue/Eastside Address: 5808 Lakemont Blvd. S.E., Bellevue Acreage: 55 With most of its acres protected as forest and wetland, this hilltop park in the Eastgate/Coal Creek area is fun to explore even in rainy weather. A beautiful Visitors Center (open Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.) has comfy chairs and big windows that look… Continue reading Lewis Creek Park

Miner’s Corner County Park

Location: Bothell/Snohomish County Address: 22903 45th Ave. S.E., Bothell Acreage: 13 If you live on the Eastside (especially around the King-Snohomish border) and you have young kids Miner’s Corner is the place for you. This awesome, stroller- and wheelchair-friendly park was designed to maximize play and also keep a feeling of nature–tough to do with… Continue reading Miner’s Corner County Park

Fisher Creek Park

Location: Snoqualmie Address: 7805 Fisher Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie Acreage: 24.27 Don’t doubt that this kid-focused park is worth the drive from anywhere in Seattle or the Eastside. My five playground testers today spent nearly three hours here, and I could barely drag them away despite exhaustion. Fisher Creek Park, inside the Snoqualmie Ridge community, is… Continue reading Fisher Creek Park

Willis Tucker Park

Location: Snohomish Address: 6705 Puget Park Dr., Snohomish Acreage: 84 Dozens of kids were already getting soaked in the colorful spray park when we arrived at Willis Tucker Park today. This great Snohomish County park is a huge draw for families with young kids. In addition to the spray area, there’s a net climber, swings,… Continue reading Willis Tucker Park

Lafayette Elementary School Playground

Location: West Seattle Address: S.W. Lander St. and 44th Ave. S.W. Acreage: Approx. 2.25 Sometimes kids (and parents) get tired of their neighborhood playground. On days like that it’s fun to check out elementary school playgrounds, which are open to the public after school hours. Lafayette Elementary School in West Seattle’s Admiral neighborhood has one… Continue reading Lafayette Elementary School Playground