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Resources - Parks


Parents on the go demand quick and easy access to the resources and services they need! IdleChild's Resource section is every family's essential guide to schools, entertainers, childcare, education - even great ideas for weekend fun or a getaway. And much more!


State of Washington Parks

Website
Welcome to Washington's state parks, where you can discover the natural beauty of sandy ocean beaches, sheltered Puget Sound islands and old-growth forests and desert and Columbia River Gorge landscapes.

Washington's 121 state parks and other recreation areas offer opportunities for enjoyment and learning. Take a break for camping, hiking, biking, boating, windsurfing or rock climbing. In winter, venture out for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling. Explore the state on long-distance land and water trails. Learn about the state's rich natural, cultural and historical treasures by visiting interpretive centers and special historic places.

There's something for everyone in your Washington state parks.


North Sound


City of Bellingham Parks
Website
Supporting a healthy community by providing high quality parks and recreation services.


Edmonds Parks and Recreation
Website

Everett Parks
802 E. Mukilteo Blvd.
Everett, WA 98203
Phone: 425-257-8300
Website
The Everett Parks and Recreation Department provides approximately 1,600 acres of spectacular regional and water front parks, trails, playgrounds, and treasured environmental areas for your enjoyment. The Parks Department cares for more than 40 beautiful parks and two PGA-rated golf courses. Saltwater, freshwater or a swimming pool. Trails, swings or picnics. You’ll find it all in Everett’s 44 parks. Just get outside and enjoy.


Jetty Island
1000 W. Marine View Dr
Everett, WA 98201
10th Street Boat Launch  Map It
Phone: (425) 259-6001
Website
Jetty Island is a 100-year-old manmade island in Puget Sound just off the Everett shoreline. It's a perfect summer daytrip for families to enjoy a sandy beach and shallow waters. Half the adventure for the kids may be in getting there. There are no roads or bridges -- the island is accessed by boats only. Fortunately, the Everett Parks and Rec. Department provides a free ferry five days a week throughout the summer months.

Ferries leave the 10th Street Boat Launch (see address below) from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sundays. In addition to its beaches, the island is known for its wildlife, especially birds. Waterfowl and bald eagles are just two of the bird species that call Jetty Island home.

Note: There is no running water or electricity on the island so bring everything you need with you, including a picnic lunch. The only amenity here you'll find is a floating restroom.


Lynnwood Parks and Recreation
Website


Central Sound


Discovery Park
3801 W Government Way, and 36th Ave, Seattle, WA 98119-1014
Phone: (206) 386-4236
With two miles of beach trails and nine miles of winding footpaths, this bluff-top reserve 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. An 1881 lighthouse, the oldest in the area, can also be found here. In addition, the park features the Fort Lawton Historic District, including "Officers' Row" and military buildings surviving from the park's days as an Army fort.


Gas Works Park
3300 Meridian Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103
Phone: (206) 684-4075
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. From atop the park's 60-foot hill, visitors have one of Seattle's best views, and the park is a favorite place to view the city's Fourth of July fireworks display. To reserve their 200-seat picnic shelter for special occasions, call 206-684-4081 for reservations.


Seattle Parks and Recreation
Phone: (206) 684-4075 | TTY (206) 233-1509
Website
The Seattle Parks and Recreation site has it all. From this site, you can search parks from A-Z, search by name, search by feature, Fields & Athletic Facilities, Gardens, Children's Play Areas, Trails, and Off-Leash Areas. If you can't find it here, you won't find it anywhere!


Volunteer Park
1247 15th Ave E, 15th Ave E and E Prospect St, Seattle, WA 98112
Phone: (206) 684-4555
Thanks to well-manicured grounds and lovely ponds, this park is one of Seattle's most elegant. Mansions surround the 48-acre complex, imparting a stately feel to the area and giving it added beauty. The park, which is dedicated to Seattle residents who fought in the Spanish-American War, also features tennis courts, a 1912 greenhouse, and a kids play area with a wading pool. The sweeping views alone – of the Space Needle, Puget Sound, and the Olympic Mountains – make this park an excellent destination.


Eastside


City of Bellevue Parks
With nearly 100 parks and other recreational facilities, Bellevue offers much in the way of green space. Click on find to search.
Website


City of Issaquah Parks & Recreation
Website


Farrel McWhirter Park
19545 Redmond Rd, Redmond, WA 98053
Phone: (425) 556-2300
This 68-acre park offers numerous recreation options for the entire family. Enjoy trails for horseback riding, walking, and biking or take advantage of picnic areas and the playground. There's also a group of farm animals that are especially popular with the kids. Located a short drive from Redmond's town center.


Grass Lawn Community Park
7031 148th Ave NE, Redmond, WA 98052
Phone: (425) 556-2300
Tennis enthusiasts will be sure to enjoy Grass Lawn Park, which features six outdoor courts. The 28-acre park also offers ball fields, playgrounds, basketball courts, restrooms, and picnicking areas. Speaking of the playgrounds, from huge "spiderwebs" to jungle-gyms, these are easily the best in the area.


Kirkland Parks, Facilities, and Trails
(425) 587-3300
Kirkland Parks & Trails
It has been said that parks reflect the soul of Kirkland. From the serene vitality of Juanita Bay Park's wetlands to the constant vibrancy in downtown's Peter Kirk Park, Kirkland's park system provides something for everyone - and then some. Gleaming waterfront parks provide access to the natural beauty and never-ending wonders of Lake Washington.


Marymoor Park
6046 W Lake Sammamish Pkwy NE, Redmond, WA 98052
Phone: (206) 205-3661
This 560-acre park has just about everything: a 45-foot climbing wall, a cycling velodrome, and trails for hiking, biking and walking. There's also a local history museum and facilities for baseball, soccer, tennis, softball, and picnics. Children are quite fond of the playground, forty-acre leash-free dog zone, and the remote-control airplane venue. This is the site of numerous community events throughout the year, including a hugely popular summer concert series.


Mercer Island Parks & Recreation
Website
The Mercer Island Parks and Recreation Department takes pride in providing the highest quality facilities and services in partnership with the community to enhance livability on Mercer Island.


Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
42404 SE North Bend Way, North Bend, WA 98045
Phone: (425) 888-1421
Website
Some of Washington's most magnificent scenery can be found within this national forest's expansive boundaries. The rugged – and at times harsh – landscape encompasses the Cascade Mountains as well as an active volcano in the form of Mt. Baker. Beginning in mid-September, the forest's flora slowly change from bright greens to reds and oranges, providing an attractive contrast to the area's coverage of conifers. Huckleberry, mountain ash, and heather offer a patchwork of warm colors, often reflected in the forest's many lakes. Since the forest is so extensive, a driving tour is an ideal way to see as much fall foliage as possible in a relatively short time. Try the Mt. Baker Highway or the North Cascades Highway for some unforgettable views.


Redmond Parks and Recreation
Website


Renton Parks and Recreation
Website


Woodinville
Website


South Sound


Metro Parks Tacoma
4702 S. 19th Street
Tacoma, WA 98405
Website
Metro Parks Tacoma maintains and cares for some 57 parks and open spaces in the Tacoma area including point Defiance Park with its Zoo and Aquarium, Boathouse Marina, and Fort Nisqually; Northwest Trek Wildlife Park near Eatonville,; and Ruston Way waterfront parks including Les Davis Pier.


Olympia Parks & Trails
Phone: (360) 753-8380
Website
The City of Olympia has over 700 acres of parkland that consist of neighborhood, community, open space and special use parks, as well as recreational facilities. We are always in the process of growing and acquiring more parkland for our community. Each park has something unique to offer and amenities to better serve you. From playgrounds and ball fields to public art and wildlife habitats, come explore nature in a way that only Olympia can offer! For more information about Olympia’s Parks call (360) 753-8380.


Pierce County Parks and Facilities
Website


City of Puyallup Parks
Website


Wild Waves Theme Park
36201 Enchanted Pkwy S
Federal Way, WA 98003
Phone: (253) 925-8000
Website
A good-sized water park, Wild Waves features the Zooma Falls family raft ride, the Konga River lazy river, and Hook's Lagoon, an interactive tree house with loads of water gizmos, slides geared to younger kids, and a tipping bucket. The park also offers a wave pool, an activity pool, and a slew of water slides, including speed slides, body slides, and tube slides. For folks who want to chill out, there are even some hot tubs. A single ticket includes admission to the water park and the adjacent amusement park, which offers roller coasters and other rides.


Olympic Peninsula


PenMet Parks
Website
PenMet Parks presently owns and manages over 250 acres contained within five parks on the Gig Harbor Peninsula including Harbor Family Park, McCormick Forest Park, Peter's Pond, Rosedale Park, Sehmel Homestead Park and Wollochet Bay Estuary Park. We have also recently gained another 18 acres of new park space (Kopachuck area) transferred from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.


Olympic National Park
Phone: (360) 374-7566
Website
One of America's wildest and most isolated national parks lies on the Olympic Peninsula, the westernmost outcropping of the Pacific Ocean. Olympic National Park is often referred to as "three parks in one" because it contains three distinctly different ecosystems. Rugged glacier-capped mountains nearly 8,000 feet high are visible from almost everywhere in the park. Alpine meadows bursting with summer wildflowers lay beside frigid, sapphire-blue lakes. Also, more than 60 miles of the last wilderness beach in the contiguous United States stretch up the coast. Only changed by surf and storms over the past thousands of years, this beach is marked at low tide with boulders, tide pools and huge trees washed to sea, as well as swooping bald eagles, raccoons feeding on shellfish, and tiny sea creatures. (You can enjoy exploring the beach, but there is no swimming in the ocean due to dangerous currents and floating debris.) Between the mountains and the coast is the park's most remarkable and rare zone: a temperate rain forest, the likes of which stand only here and in a few other isolated areas of the world.

If you do want to "see it all" in one day, drive to Hurricane Ridge (about 17 miles south of the Olympic National Park Visitor Center) for a taste of the park's high country and mountain vistas. Meadow Loop Trails offer several short walks past blooming wildflower fields often visited by black-tailed deer. Then drive west along Highway 101 to the Hoh Rain Forest (about a three-hour drive) and take one of the short nature trails that lead from the Hoh Visitor Center. An additional 40-minute drive west takes you to Rialto Beach or Ruby Beach, where you can explore the park's Pacific coastline.

VISITOR INFORMATION
The park is open year-round, 24 hours a day. A $20 per car entrance fee is required. The park's main information center is the Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles. Summer hours (end of June to Labor Day) there are expected to be 830AM to 630PM daily. Visitor centers in Hurricane Ridge and the Hoh Rain Forest are also open daily during the summer. For brochures and more information, call (360) 374-7566.

BEST EASY WALK
The Marymere Falls Trail on the south shore of Lake Crescent leads you through old-growth forest to a thundering 90-foot waterfall.

BEST SHORE WALK
The park naturalist-led tide pool discovery walks at the Rialto and Kalaloch beaches may turn out to be the most memorable part of the trip for your children.

BEST DAY HIKE
Make a day of hiking the 9.3-mile Ozette Triangle coastal loop. During this diverse trip, you'll walk through coastal forests (along a boardwalk), over rolling hills and down the beach (a 3-mile stretch), where you'll likely spot sea otters and brown pelicans.

BEST PICNIC SPOT
Pack a lunch and head to Hurricane Ridge, which features scenic mountain vistas. Don't miss the 1.5-mile Hurricane Hill Trail (beginning at the end of Hurricane Ridge Road), which rewards hikers with 360-degree views of the Olympic Mountains.

BEST FAMILY PROGRAM
Olympic Park Institute runs weekend and day programs just for families. During June, July and August, choose from several programs, including "Seaside Safari," where you'll explore a rainbow of colors and critters in some of the world's richest tidepools, and "Critters and Creatures," where you'll spend a weekend investigating Olympic National Park animals in their wilderness homes. Call (800) 775-3720 for reservations, or visit their Web site.

BEST SWIMMING
The East Beach Picnic Area on Lake Crescent offers a large sand beach and some of the park's warmest water temperatures.


Cascades


Mt. Rainier National Park
www.nps.gov/mora
www.visitrainier.com
Majestic Mt. Rainier lies at the heart of a vibrant vacation region beckoning your exploration for a weekend, a week and longer. The Northwest's premier mountain destination for Hiking, relaxation, recreation and discovery, the Mt. Rainier region offers incredible sights and vacation activities.


Northwest Trek
11610 Trek Drive East
Eatonville, WA 98328  Map It
Phone: (360) 832-6117
Group sales and reservations for events and programs: (360) 832-7166
Website
Northwest Trek Wildlife Park is a treasure for wildlife enthusiasts. This 723-acre park has a little bit of everything: lakes, trails, meadows and plenty of animals. Northwest Trek is home to more than 200 North American animals. See bighorn sheep, deer, Roosevelt elk, woodland caribou, mountain goats, bison and more up close from comfortable trams while touring the free-roaming area. Walk forested pathways to view grizzlies, black bears, wolves, bobcats, lynx, cougars, owls, eagles and wetland animals in beautiful natural exhibits. Five miles of nature trails await exploration and the Cheney Discovery Center offers exciting hands-on experiences.

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