Discovery Park
Seattle, WA
Discovery Park is Seattle's largest park, its beach wrapping around West Point between two very different shorelines: South Beach faces Elliott Bay and the wind, North Beach faces the calmer Shilshole Bay. There's no lifeguard and the walk in is real, a couple of miles on the South Beach loop, which keeps this feeling more like a hike than a beach trip.
Iconic and huge, a genuine hike-in beach with a lighthouse and real bluffs, though the lack of easy vehicle access keeps it from being a casual stop.
How we score beachesA free vehicle access permit exists for seniors 62 and up, families with kids seven and under, and people with disabilities, available at the Environmental Learning Center. Everyone else walks in.
The South Beach loop runs about 2.5 miles, the North Beach Trail about 1.2 miles one way with real elevation gain. Neither is stroller friendly.
Good for hiking and beachcombing year round. Summer is most comfortable for the walk.
This isn't one entrance, it's a stretch with a few. Here's where locals actually meet up.
West Point
The lighthouse at the point between North and South beaches, the park's most recognizable landmark.
Get directions →South Beach
Facing Elliott Bay and the wind, reached via the roughly 2.5 mile South Beach loop.
Get directions →North Beach
Facing the calmer Shilshole Bay, reached via the North Beach Trail with real elevation gain.
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