Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:Seattle, Washington
Seattle is no longer just for skiing and hiking! Located in West Seattle, and stretching from Alki Point to Duwamish Head on Elliott Bay, the 2.5 mile Alki Beach will challenge all your preconceptions of the rainy city, and you may even see some locals in their bathing suits too. Alki Beach is actually where Seattle's first non-Native American settlers spent their first winter. Today, you'll find a full beach experience here, from jogs on the beach and great people watching, to a sandy beach to lie upon and (hopefully) some sun in which to soak. Though the water is cold (46 to 56 degrees Fahrenheit), you can't beat it on a hot day in July or August.
In addition to fun in the sun and surf, visitors can enjoy walking, biking, and rollerblading on the path, volleyball on the sand, or a picnic by the water. Across the street from the Beach, there are cafes and restaurants where you can stop in for a bite after a long day of fun. There's plenty of parking along Alki Avenue SW., as well as picnic tables, a bathhouse with an art studio, and a restroom at the south end of the beach. History buffs will appreciate the monument to the arrival of the first white settlers in 1851, and everyone will love the spectacular views of Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains, and the ferries, sailboats and steamships out in the water.