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Matthews Beach Park Review

Matthews Beach Park has got to be one of my favorite parks in Seattle.  It's got a little bit of everything: a beach, a beautiful playground, a places to wander or be alone, and gorgeous views of Lake Washington.  It's a bit of a drive from my home, but it's always worth it.  Once we even saw a bald eagle here.

One view of the lake
The beach is fantastic.  In the summer, it has a lifeguard and is extremely popular for swimming.  We, however, usually find ourselves here on weekday mornings in the fall when it is less crowded.



I'm noticing a trend in my park pictures that somehow Buddy is wearing one of his dress-up costumes.  It's not usually a normal occurrence!

Lots of ducks can be found!

Lifeguard chair and the beach
I love it when the boys can find ways to entertain themselves with just nature.  This trip they just enjoyed throwing rocks into the water and playing in the wet sand.  As an added bonus, Buddy found a shovel left behind by another park patron for lots of sand play.




The playground is also so much fun.  It's really big and recently remodeled.  It hosts a fort, lots of swings, a couple of play structures, climbing rocks, sand pit, and a merry-go-round.  We could play here for hours.









Just up the hill from the playground is a nice but smallish wooded area that we like to explore.  I think this would be a great place to curl up with a good book for an afternoon.  Hmmm... maybe when the boys get older?



Bathrooms, oh, bathrooms... The bathrooms here were closed for the season!  We've discovered a few parks that do this.  My guess is that the seasonal closure is only for the parks that don't have playfields (soccer, baseball, etc.).


Some other things you might want to know...
  • Parking?
    • Yes!  Usually, plenty!  But we have attempted to come here on big summer days where there isn't a place to be found and people are hiking in from the main street.  I, personally, don't think the park is big enough to host that kind of crowd and we just skip it if it is that busy.
  • Would I come here again?
    • Of course!  We love it here.  It has a little bit of everything.
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