These city-defining water bodies provide a limited amount of beaches to enjoy, varying from rocky shorelines to sandy expanses. And to the untrained visitor, they can be a bit hard to find. Nevertheless, beaches dot all sides of the Seattle shoreline, ensuring everyone is close enough to visit with relative ease.
Do people in Seattle go to the beach?
With as much as 60% of Washington’s population living in the Seattle area, urban beaches are a way of life in this state. While Puget Sound is cold and best for activities like paddle-boarding, kayaking, and fishing you can still find swimmable beaches near the city.
Does Seattle have any sandy beaches?
It’s hard to find a sandy beach in Seattle—but not impossible. If you’re a longtime Seattleite, you’re used to making do with rocky, Puget Sound beaches. We sit on driftwood to read our books and bask in the sun, wear our waterproof sandals for swimming and wading, and keep an extra close eye out for oysters.
Does Seattle have swimmable beaches?
One of the most popular swimming beaches in Seattle, Madison Beach has a grassy area where sunbathers can relax and enjoy a stunning view of Lake Washington.
How far is Seattle from a beach?
The distance between Seattle and Ocean Shores is 97 miles.
Is it safe to swim in Seattle?
The middle of a lake has less bacteria than at beaches, but swimmers must stay in designated swim areas and within 50 feet of shore, according to the City of Seattle. Boaters can take a dip, but they shouldn’t swim beyond 25 feet of the boat. The boat must have a life jacket for all people swimming in the water.
How cold is the ocean in Seattle?
The warmest water temperature is in August with an average around 53.1°F / 11.7°C. The coldest month is February with an average water temperature of 45.3°F / 7.4°C.
Is Seattle Nice in the summer?
Unless you’re out to ski or enjoy some winter sports, summer in Seattle is the perfect time to visit. Days are long with the sun rising before 6 a.m. and setting around 9 p.m. The weather is warm and dry with temperatures rarely peaking above 90 degrees F.
What is Seattle best known for?
Seattle is famous for Starbucks and overall coffee culture, grunge music scene, the Seahawks, the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, headquarters of a lot of the tech industry (including both Amazon and Microsoft), hiking, kayaking, and general outdoors lifestyle (think REI).
Is Seattle on the ocean?
Seattle lies on the southeastern shore of Puget Sound, a deep 100-mile- (160-km-) long inlet of the northern Pacific Ocean. The central portion of the city faces Elliott Bay, a deep-floored extension. At Shilshole Bay, to the northwest, Puget Sound is joined by the 8-mile- (13-km-) long Lake Washington Ship Canal.
Are Seattle beaches cold?
But never fear — plenty of Seattle parks have beaches on lakes or Sound shorelines as well as fabulous public pools, so you can cool off on a hot day. Although, don’t count on Puget Sound beaches being warm. Even on the sunniest of days, they typically feature chilly water.
How warm is the water in Seattle?
The average water temperature in Seattle in winter reaches 48.9°F, in spring 50°F, in summer the average temperature rises to 58.1°F, and in autumn it is 55.8°F.
Are Washington beaches cold?
The water temperatures on any of our coastal beaches — along the Olympic coast, at Ocean Shores, Westport or Long Beach — is typically in the 40s or low 50s, says Mass, a professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of Washington. That’s cold.
Is Lake Washington dirty?
Lake Washington was heavily contaminated by untreated sewage until extensive pollution controls by the city of Seattle. In the 1950s, an estimated 20 million gallons per day of sewage effluent entered Lake Washington from Seattle and other communities surrounding the Lake.
How many beaches are in Seattle?
The Seattle Parks and Recreation offer safe, lifeguarded beaches at nine sites around the city: Madison Park Beach, Madrona Park Beach, Magnuson Park Beach, Matthews Beach, Mount Baker Park Beach, Pritchard Island Beach and Seward Park Beach. More info on hours, locations, and more HERE.
Which Seattle beaches are closed?
Hidden Lake is likely to remain closed all winter, until bacteria testing resumes next May.
Beach testing for 2022 will start May 18th.
| Andrews Bay – Seward Park | Lake Sammamish Beach |
|---|---|
| Enatai Beach | Madison Park Beach |
| Gene Coulon | Madrona Beach |
| Green Lake- East | Magnuson Beach |
| Green Lake- West | Matthews Beach |
Are there sharks in Seattle?
The sharks that sometimes travel to Puget Sound typically come from the Pacific Ocean. Others might even migrate from the Atlantic. Dogfish, Sixgills, Broadnose Sevengills, and Brown Catsharks seem to reside in this area the most.
Are there great white sharks in the Puget Sound?
The white shark is an occasional visitor to Puget Sound, while the Basking Shark can grow up to 10 meters and feeds on plankton.
Is the ocean warm in Washington?
Sea water temperature throughout Washington is not yet warm enough for swimming and does not exceed 68°F. The warmest ocean temperature in Washington today is 55.4°F (in Ocean Park), and the coldest sea temperature is 49.1°F (Lopez Island).
Do you need a car in Seattle?
Unless you’re planning on taking a lot of day trips out of the city, you don’t need your own car to enjoy a vacation in Seattle. Central Seattle—including downtown, Belltown, Seattle Center, South Lake Union, the waterfront, and Pioneer Square—is fairly compact and walkable.
What is the best month to visit Seattle?
The best time to visit Seattle is from September to October. Summer marks the city’s high season, meaning room rates rise and availability drops, while cold winter weather can deter even the most avid sightseers.
