It has been unseasonably warm for the past week here in Seattle and all this lovely warm weather has me planning for picnic season. I love nothing more than a picnic lunch or dinner. We often will take our dinner down to the beach and enjoy the sunset on warm summer days.
If you’re coming to Seattle this summer to visit or if you’re a local, don’t hesitate to go for a picnic. It’s a great way to enjoy the weather, the views, and the food this city is known for.
Here are the best picnic spots around Seattle!
8 Scenic Picnic Spots in Seattle
Gasworks Park
This one has the best view of the downtown skyline and you’ll have a light breeze coming off of Lake Union. It’s quite popular on the weekends and holidays but you can (almost) always find a spot somewhere on the hill underneath the old Gas Works that give the park a name. Added bonus, this park has a parking lot!
Lake Union Park
Opposite Gasworks Park is Lake Union Park and basically, you have the opposite view. Rather than looking at the downtown skyline, you can see the old Gas plant. Lake Union Park is also home to the Museum of History and Industry, the Wooden Boat Museum, and Kenmore Airline. So this park has quite a bit going for it if you don’t mind watching seaplanes take-off and land.
Golden Gardens
Probably the most popular beach in Seattle is Golden Gardens in Ballard. This is a sandy beach that is located with an amazing view of the Olympic Mountains. If you want to wow someone with a sunset, this is a great location. There are also firepits and beach volleyball courts at Golden Gardens. It almost feels like a little slice of California on a hot summer’s day.
Alki Beach
Another very popular sandy beach is Alki Beach Park in West Seattle. If you’ve seen this picture of Seattle (in movies, tv shows, posters, etc), it is taken from Alki Beach. However, Alki Beach Park is actually quite large (135 acres to be exact) so don’t think that views of the downtown skyline is all that is in store for you. Alki is a great place to go running or rollerblading as there is a paved beach walkway that goes on for several miles. And like Golden Gardens, there are fire pits and beach volleyball courts that you can reserve.
Magnolia Viewpoint
One of my old favorite spots is Magnolia Viewpoint Park. It’s up on a bluff so it doesn’t have beach access but this park has views for days! You’ve got the mountain and downtown skyline on one side then the Olympic Mountains and the Pudget Sound on the other. I used to come here to go running quite frequently. Between the vistas on one side and the jaw-dropping mansions on the other side, a three-mile run went by quite quickly.
Kerry Park
Kerry Park in Queen Anne is very small but has a spectacular skyline view. It’s another popular spot that is shown in TV shows and in movies. It’s THE Seattle view that all visitors have to go see. But if you drive get ready to practice your parallel parking because it is located in a tight residential neighborhood.
Sculpture Garden
You can walk through the Seattle Art Museums Sculpture Garden free of charge. This was a favorite lunch spot of mine when I was working downtown. If you follow the path through the Sculpture Garden you’ll end up on the Elliott Bay Trail that runs along the waterfront downtown and up to Centennial Park near Queen Anne.
Greenlake Park
Greenlake is popular for runners and walkers as there is a gravel trail that leads you all the way around the lake. It has several spots throughout the loop that are grassy with pleasant views of the lake that would be ideal for a picnic. The main park area has tennis courts, a boathouse, swimming areas, a pool, and a baseball field. However, I’ve been told by friends who are regular runners at Greenlake that there are a growing number of homeless encampments around the lake so be aware of your surroundings if walking or running alone.
