Alki Beach Park

1702 Alki Ave. SW

Picture a perfect summer day, and chances are your thoughts will take you to Alki Beach Park, a long beach strip that runs from Alki Point to Duwamish Head on Elliott Bay. It's a great spot for a 2.5 mile walk any time of year, and in the summer draws joggers, roller bladers, volleyball players, beachcombers, sunbathers, bicyclists and strollers out to enjoy the sun.

Alki Playfield

5817 SW Lander St

Alki Playfield adjoins the Alki Elementary School and Alki Community Center. The park features a basketball court, play area accessible to youngsters with disabilities, restrooms, soccer fields, softball fields, and tennis courts.

Belvedere Viewpoint

3600 Admiral Way SW

It's small, but the Belvedere Viewpoint really packs a view. One of the city's most popular sites for scenic photos, the park offers a stunning view of Elliott Bay, Downtown Seattle, and on a clear day, Cascade Mountains and Mt. Rainier. Divided in two on either side of Admiral Way, the east side features a totem pole depicting stylized beavers, fish and frogs.

Camp Long

5200 35th Ave. SW

One of Seattle's best-kept secrets, this 68-acre park offers visitors an opportunity to enjoy nature, hike in the forest, camp overnight in rustic cabins, rock climb, and learn about natural history. Rental facilities include a lodge with one meeting room and kitchen space, 10 cabins, two covered picnic areas, group fire ring, and climbing rock.

Delridge Playfield

4458 Delridge Way SW

This 14-acre park includes a children's play area, picnic tables, tennis courts and a wading pool. The park's community center offers classes and programs for individuals of all ages, including cooking classes, before and after school programs, and piano and dance lessons. The center also houses a fitness room.

Don Armeni Park and Boat Launch

Located on Harbor Avenue and Maryland Street south of the Duwamish Head, Don Armeni is Seattle's most popular saltwater boat ramp. Its close proximity to favorite fishing spots on the south end of Marine Area 10 makes it a popular ramp for fishers during salmon season.

Emma Schmitz Overlook

4503 Beach Dr SW

One of Seattle's stunning viewpoints, Emma Schmitz Overlook is a great place to stroll, jog, or sit and gaze across the water at the Olympic Mountains.

Fairmount Park/Playfield

5400 Fauntleroy Way SW

Fairmount Playfield is next to Fairmount Park Elementary School. It has a soccer and softball field as well as a children's play area. The shelter house is decorated with a Native American mural painted by local teens.

Fairmount Playfield

5400 Fauntleroy Way SW

Fairmount Playfield is next to Fairmount Park Elementary School. It has a Jr. soccer and softball field. The shelter house is decorated with a Native American mural painted by local teens.

Fauntleroy Park

3951 SW Barton St

Grab your pup and head for the woods. Fauntleroy Park is a densely wooded patch of forest in West Seattle with a network of trails and paths great for wandering, hiking and dog walking.

Glen Acres Golf Club

1000 S 112th St

This regulation, nine hole course has tree-lined fairways and well-bunkered greens. There is a defined cut of rough bordering all the fairways. The terrain is hilly, and the greens are medium-sized, undulating, and reasonably fast. There are several views of Seattle from this course.

Hiawatha Playfields

Located adjacent to West Seattle High School, Hiawatha Playfields includes ball fields, tennis courts, trails and a wading pool. Its community center offers programs and events such as dog training, gymnastics, martial arts, tap dancing, yoga, and a study hall program for middle school students.

High Point Playfield

6920 34th Ave SW

Name derived from its location as one of the highest areas in Seattle (elevation 513). High Point was once a housing project constructed by the Federal Government for “defense workers” in 1942.

Highland Park Playfield

1100 SW Cloverdale St

With views of Mt Rainier to the southeast and the Cascade Range to the east, Highland Park is a beautiful place to relax, enjoy a picnic, or splash about in the wading pool. Park features include ball fields, a shelter house, swings, tennis court and children's play area.

Lincoln Park

8011 Fauntleroy Way

Lincoln Park is one of Seattle's largest parks. Its 135 acres of open space provide a broad range of landscape types and a rich variety of recreational opportunities. Features include tennis courts, ball fields, horse-shoe pits, children's play areas, waterfront access, public shelters, a wading pool and the Colman Pool, a heated outdoor, salt-water pool.

Lowman Beach Park

7017 Beach Dr SW

Just north of Lincoln Park, this small park includes 300 feet of shoreline to explore as well as tennis courts, a children's area and spectacular views of the Olympic Mountains, Alki Point, and William's Point.

Mee-Kwa-Mooks Park

4503 Beach Dr. SW

Most of Me-Kwa-Mooks Park stretches up a hillside and extends north and farther south on land that is largely undeveloped. The dense trees provide habitat for many birds, including screech owls. Immediately across the street is a rocky beach that is accessible during low tide. The tidepools here are rich in limpets, lumpsuckers, blennies, chitons, and other strangely named creatures of the sea.

Me-Kwa-Mooks Natural Area

4100 Aikins Ave SW

More than 3.5 acres have been preserved at the Me-Kwa-Mooks Natural Area which extends both north and south of Me-Kwa-Mooks Park in West Seattle.

Rainier Golf Club

Known as a "golfer's" golf course, the 18 hole layout is gorgeous and challenging, with mature trees, a waterfall, beautiful ponds, numerous bunkers, a stream and a memorable variety of holes that places a premium on accuracy and finesse. Renowned for its carpet-like, undulating and subtle greens, Rainier offers a challenge for low and high handicappers.

Roxhill Park

Roxbury St.

Roxhill Park is the headwaters of Longfellow Creek and possibly Fauntleroy Creek. The park features a children's play area and picnic tables. Restoration of the wetland is currently underway to improve water quality and steady water flow to Longfellow Creek, enhancing the creek and improving salmon habitat.

Schmitz Preserve Park

5551 SW Admiral Way

Schmitz Preserve was donated to the city in pieces between 1908 and 1912 and, aside from a paved entrance and parking lot, has remained virtually unchanged ever since. The perfect place for quiet contemplation, the park is home to wildlife such as foxes, eagles, falcons, opossums, and raccoons.

Seacrest Boathouse and Pier

1660 Harbor Ave SW

Located next to the Don Armeni Boat Ramp, Seacrest Boathouse and Pier is accessible by boat on Elliott Bay. The Boathouse rents kayaks and other human-powered watercraft and the pier is a popular spot for fishers. The Boathouse also features a coffee shop.

SW Community Center

2801 SW Thistle St., 98126

Grab your bathing suit and head for the 4,000 square-foot pool at the Southwest Community Center. The center also features a 2,880 square-foot multi-purpose room, teen center, computer room and a 7,000 square-foot gymnasium. The center offers a variety of programs including childcare and summer camp and space is available for community events, meetings and rentals.

West Seattle Golf Course

4470 35th Ave SW

This public course, designed by course architect H. Chandler Eagan and opened in 1940, has drawn good reviews over the years. You can usually get on for less than $30, and early-bird specials make it even cheaper.

With a recent change in ownership, the course has undergone a resurgence in popularity and is now one of the more heavily played courses in the area.

West Crest Park and Off-Leash Dog Park

9000 8th Ave SW

This 80 plus acre park features a view platform with a panoramic view of the city skyline, 4 miles of trails, picnic area, and a children's play area. In addition, there is a 4 acre off-leash dog park with doggie drinking fountain, shade trees, and lots of open space for Rover to romp and play.