Seattle Parks You Must Visit in Springtime

Ah, spring in Seattle. After all those months of building forts and hitting indoor play areas on cold, rainy days, Puget Sound kids are more than ready to get outside and explore. All around the Emerald City there are green spaces filled with trees and flowers in full bloom. And even though cherry blossoms have peaked, there’s still plenty of time to identify rhododendrons, daffodils, and magnolias. Who knows, by the end of a park outing or two your whole family might just become budding arborists!

Washington Park Arboretum
Spanning from Madison Park to Montlake just south of University District, the Arboretum is alive with flowers this spring, including cascading yellow gold chain trees and blooming true ashes. Start your trip at the Graham Visitor’s Center, then let little ones discover more than 200 acres of foot trails, lawns, and paths leading to ponds. Consider paying a separate entrance fee for access to the gorgeous formal Japanese garden. May 28 is children’s day at the garden, featuring family-centered activities, including taiko drumming and a puppet show.

2300 Arboretum Drive E, 206.543.8800

Seward Park
Surrounded by Lake Washington on three sides, South Seattle’s Seward Park offers pristine views of Mount Rainier and plenty of spots for picnics. A plethora of fresh flowering plants join conifers and ferns in making the park especially beautiful this time of year. Kids can explore Seattle’s biggest block of old-growth trees inside the park’s Magnificent Forest, with some dating back more than 250 years. Tip: Look out for signs warning about poison oak!

5895 Lake Washington Blvd S, 206.684.4396

Read the complete list at Red Tricycle.

Once a week we post content from our partners at Red Tricycle, an excellent online source for parents looking for cool things to eat, see, make and do with their kids.