Just Outside Seattle Is Washington's Family-Friendly Park With Scenic Trails, Unique Amenities, And A Garden

The leafy city of Seattle has no shortage of green spaces to enjoy the outdoors. For those who've already taken in Kerry Park's panoramic views, strolled Seward Park's Lake Washington banks, or visited Discovery Park's charming West Point Lighthouse, it's high time to venture further afield. Family-friendly Marymoor Park just outside of Seattle boasts a network of scenic trails, a community garden, and unique amenities that make it worth a day trip.

Nestled on the northern edge of Lake Sammamish in the city of Redmond, lush Marymoor Park is a popular community green space with riverside trails, several playgrounds, numerous manicured sports fields, and more. Pooches can run wild in the 40-acre off-leash dog park, which locals have affectionately nicknamed "Doggy Disneyland," while keen birders can catch colorful glimpses of some of the more than 200 bird species that have been recorded in the park. Marymoor Park is also home to Clise Mansion, a grand, turn-of-the-century estate built by the wealthy Clise family that's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Clises also endowed the park with a picturesque Dutch windmill.

The 640-acre park is the largest in Washington's King County and receives 3 million visitors per year. Its ample size makes it fit to double as an open-air venue that can host up to 5,000 people for festivals like the Marymoor Live summer concert series featuring acts like ZZ Top, and Movies at Marymoor Summer Series, which showcases family-friendly films (think "Incredibles" and "Jurassic Park"). Marymoor Park also offers some fairly unique amenities. There's an expansive community garden where local green thumbs grow their own crops, a 30-foot climbing wall, a dedicated airfield for flying model aircraft, and the only velodrome in Washington state.

Redmond is known as "the bicycle capital of the Northwest," so it makes perfect sense that the city's beloved Marymoor Park is home to the Jerry Baker Memorial Velodrome, Washington's sole velodrome. This 400-meter, oval-shaped track, which is named after Jerry Baker, a local cycling legend and key figure in the creation of the velodrome, hosts everything from classes for kiddos as young as 8 to national racing events. Families can kickstart the weekend here watching world-class Friday Night Racing, and little ones themselves can race on Fridays in the Kiddie Kilo, a summer racing event for kids up to age 12. The lively Friday nights also offer a beverage garden and food trucks.

Aviation enthusiasts take remote-controlled flight at Marymoor Park Model Airfield, an ample grassy field in the park's northern area that's reserved for flying model aircraft. The space is managed by the Marymoor Radio Control Club, a 300-member group that hosts events and conducts flight training here. If you don't have anything to fly, all are welcome to hang out around the bleachers and picnic tables to watch the miniature crafts taking flight.

Another unique Marymoor amenity is the park's 30-foot rock climbing wall, which Mountain Project states is one of the best urban spots near Seattle to train for an acutal outdoor climb. The online climbing platform notes the wall is made of brick, rock, and concrete and has several routes that daredevils can use as practice for bouldering and sport climbing. For a more tranquil activity, meander through the park's vast community garden, which sprawls across 200 plots. Overseen by the Marymoor Community Garden Association, the plots are rented to locals for planting their own food and flowers. Wander the melange of plants to see what locals are growing and to peek at the feathered inhabitants like sparrows, finches, and chickadees. 

Four miles of easy trails wind through Marymoor Park. For birdwatching, the park is home to the Audubon Bird Loop, which is suited to both advanced and beginning birders.  Bring binoculars to journey along this relatively flat trail that winds a few miles through pretty meadows and wetlands. It covers a wide variety of terrains like gravel, grass, dirt, and asphalt, as well as sections of the park's picturesque boardwalk, which hovers over the water where the Sammamish River meets Lake Sammamish. The trail also passes through Marymoor's dog park, where birders can marvel at the impressive heron rookery. Join the Eastside Audubon Society's monthly bird walk for an informative day on the trail. 

The Marymoor Connector Trail (rated 4.5 stars on AllTrails) is a paved, flat jaunt that runs just over 3 miles through parkland alongside Marymoor Way. The wide path is frequented by hikers, bikers, and skaters alike, and passes by several park highlights, including the velodrome and climbing wall. As its name implies, the trail connects with the 10.1-mile Sammamish River Trail, as well as the 11-mile East Lake Sammamish Trail. The peaceful and scenic Marymoor Park Trail (rated 4.3 stars on AllTrails) showcases the park's scenery in its entirety. Set aside around an hour to jog, bike, or walk this bucolic, 3.8-mile loop through greenery and wetlands that offer beautiful views of Lake Sammamish.

Marymoor Park is around 15 miles from Seattle, where you can explore Ballard, a neighborhood with Scandinavian charm and delicious bites. While you're in the area, consider a visit to the other side of Lake Sammamish to its namesake city, a lakeside utopia with unrivaled trails, global eats, and craft beers.