Discovery Park & West Point Lighthouse: Puget Sound Winter Beach and Forest Loop

About this adventure

Spanning 534 scenic acres on the Magnolia bluff overlooking Puget Sound, Discovery Park is Seattle's largest city park and a premier family winter nature retreat. On crisp winter days, the 2.8-mile gravel Loop Trail winds through mature evergreen forests and open meadows offering crystal-clear vistas across Elliott Bay to the snow-covered Olympic Mountain range. A paved and gravel trail descends to the beach and the historic 1881 West Point Lighthouse, marking the northern entrance to Elliott Bay. Children love beachcombing along the driftwood-strewn sandy point, hunting for sea glass, and watching harbor seals, sea lions, and green Washington State Ferries gliding across the sound. The Discovery Park Environmental Learning Center offers heated restrooms, children's nature exhibits, and free parking.