Discovery Park, Seattle

Discovery Park, Seattle

Sprawling over 534 acres around the tip of the Queen Anne peninsula and Magnolia Bluff on the shores of Puget Sound, Discovery Park is the largest public park in Seattle.

Sprawling over 534 acres around the tip of the Queen Anne peninsula and Magnolia Bluff on the shores of Puget Sound, Discovery Park is the largest public park in Seattle. It has miles of protected tidal beaches, craggy sea cliffs with good views over the Elliott Bay, forested areas, sandy dunes, and open meadows.

12 miles of trails traverse the park, out of which the most popular is the 2.8 mile long Loop Trail, which passes through forest, meadow, and shrubbery around the upper portion of the park, with excellent views of Puget Sound and wildlife sightings.

Built on the grounds of Fort Lawton, the eastern end has the Fort Lawton Military Cemetery. The westernmost point of the park features a 23-foot-high Victorian-era lighthouse that is still functional. The northern part of the park has the All Tribes' Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center which showcases a collection of art works by and about Native Americans. At the center of the park stands the Nike Hercules Radar Station, a giant geodesic dome that was built as part of Seattle's air defense system during the Cold War. Some distance off to the south stands a historic World War II-era chapel.