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As a family with three very active boys, we spend our summers at parks and playgrounds, burning off all that fantastic kid energy. Although colder weather usually means more time indoors, I learned early on in my parenting career that there’s no need to stay inside on a wet day. Whether we’re hiking on a trail with good tree cover, jumping in puddles or watching a storm roll in on a beach, it’s always exhilarating to be outside.
Here are some of our favorite rainy day parks to play in, as well as some favorite snack destinations nearby.
Richmond Beach Saltwater Park, Shoreline
Everyone likes this stunning Shoreline park, right on the edge of Puget Sound, but families with dogs feel like they’ve found nirvana, at least in the winter: From Nov. 1 to March 15 each year, this Shoreline park includes an off-leash area. Play fetch with your pup, dig in the sand and explore the driftwood forts.
Watch the whitecaps from a shelter on the beach or head to another shelter at the ship-inspired playground above the beach, giving you a spot for a drizzle-free lunch with a view.
Location: 2021 N.W. 190th St., Shoreline. Free parking in the lot and on streets just outside the park entrance.
Warm up: Cozy Richmond Beach Coffee Shop is just a short drive up the hill from the beach.
Miner’s Corner County Park, Bothell
This spacious Bothell park, designed for kids of all abilities, has been wildly popular ever since it opened nearly a decade ago. A flat, paved half-mile path — perfect for beginner bikers — meanders around the park. The three-story climbing structure has a long wheelchair-accessible ramp (reputedly one of the tallest of its kind in the world). Rock-climbing features, bridges, a fire pole and a long spiral slide add to the excitement. And a sand and water garden, fed by rainfall and runoff, invites kids to explore, get muddy and search for tadpoles.
Tall trees provide great rain protection over an area next to the playground, which has logs and stumps that my kids have been known to turn into a parkour course. If it really starts to pour, duck under the large covered structure for lunch at one of the picnic tables.
Location: 22903 45th Ave. S.E., Bothell. A small parking lot is close to the playground.
Warm up: Just 2.5 miles away, Crystal Creek Cafe serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in a super kid-friendly atmosphere, with airplanes hanging from the ceiling and a kids menu.
Deane’s Children’s Park, Mercer Island
This Mercer Island park is also known as “Dragon Park” for the 45-foot-long dragon slide/climbing structure that’s been a local icon for decades. The forested park on Mercer Island can keep kids busy for hours on drizzly days, with dense trees and a nearby shelter providing protection. Older kids and even teenagers will enjoy conquering the large rock-climbing structure; and two playgrounds provide lots of fun, including a long slide and a castle-themed structure complete with a fake stone façade and flags.
Most of the park is fenced, providing relief for parents who have more than one kid in tow or a child who likes to wander.
Location: 5500 Island Crest Way, Mercer Island. A small, free parking lot is close to the playground.
Warm up: Head to the Mercer Island location of Homegrown Sustainable Sandwiches, less than 3 miles away, for soups, salads and sandwiches made with locally sourced ingredients; and then to Island Books next door, which boasts a fantastic kids section.
Point Defiance Park, Tacoma
Tacoma’s showpiece Point Defiance Park has enough play options to occupy kids for a week, and with several covered shelters to pop under and heavy tree cover, it’s great for unpredictable weather. Climb and slide at the playground, get sandy at revamped Owen Beach, hike through old-growth forest on the Inside Loop Trail or fish at the pier. The Dune Peninsula features awesome slides (bring a towel if you want to try these on a wet day).
If you have more time, visit the critters and sharks at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, including its nature play area just for tots.
Suit up to stroll parts of Five Mile Drive (mostly closed to cars) and pause at bluff-top viewpoints for dramatic storm-watching across Dalco Passage and the Tacoma Narrows.
Location: 5400 N. Pearl St., Tacoma. Free parking is available at many lots inside the park. Follow signs to your destination. Buses stop inside the park. Be sure to stay up to date with recent traffic closures to plan out any detours.
Warm up: Cozy up at The Antique Sandwich Co., three blocks south of the park’s main entrance on North Pearl Street. Its milkshakes are a welcome treat in any weather.
Mount Baker Park, Seattle
A treehouse-style playground with bridges, slides and tricky ladders is the star attraction at forested Mount Baker Park in south Seattle, which stretches a third of a mile down to Lake Washington. Two structures suit older and younger kids alike with slides, instruments and a suspension bridge; and the zip line is one of the city’s best, with a fast ride and a thrilling bump at the end.
Bring scooters and bikes for a spin on the paved path that winds around the park and down to the waterfront under good tree cover.
Location: 2521 Lake Park Drive S., Seattle. Free parking is available in a lot near the beach and on adjacent residential streets close to the playground. Buses stop on South McClellan Street next to the playground.
Warm up: Pop over to Buddha Bruddah for a delicious, modern take on Hawaiian plate lunch. Find it about a mile from the park on Rainier Avenue South.
Lewis Creek Park, Bellevue
Lewis Creek Park is a wetland wonder in the Cougar Mountain area of south Bellevue. This expansive park feels like a true urban wilderness adventure. If the weather is creating a deluge, start at the beautifully designed visitor center, with children’s puzzles, comfortable seats and huge windows that look out over the wetlands. Pick up a scavenger hunt sheet to take outside on the half-mile Loop Trail and look for slugs, worms, birds’ nests, insects and more.
Next to the center, find two play areas with large sail-like covers that protect from both rain and sun.
Location: 5808 Lakemont Blvd. S.E., Bellevue. Free parking is available in the parking lot.
Warm up: Pick up supplies for a rainy day picnic at the Town and Country Market, less than a mile down the road.
Seahurst Park, Burien
Burien’s jewel of a waterfront park, Seahurst Park, is officially called Seahurst Ed Munro Park. Here you’ll find nearly a mile of restored saltwater shoreline to explore, along with trails and a playground. Time your visit with low tide to explore tide pools. Or take the South Shoreline Trail on a rainy day for a puddle-filled hike under tree cover. Covered picnic shelters located close to the beach offer a perfect vantage for watching storms roll in.
Location: 1600 S.W. Seahurst Drive, Burien. Free parking is available in the parking lot. Buses stop on Ambaum Boulevard Southwest, about a mile outside the park.
Warm up: Located a couple of miles from the park, 909 Coffee and Wine is your spot for a delicious late-afternoon snack or early dinner. Grand Central Bakery, also in Burien’s hip downtown, offers very tasty sandwiches and baked goods.
Lake Meridian Park, Kent
Terrific, waterfront Lake Meridian Park in Kent is justifiably popular in the summer, but the good news about visiting in the off-season is that kids may have the fabulous playground mostly to themselves. The brightly colored, imaginative play equipment (most of which is wheelchair-accessible) includes fun, fast slides and a pirate-ship-like structure that has inspired my kids to create an elaborate game of defending their territory against incoming boats and hunting for “treasure” with a park scavenger-hunt game. You’ll also find a tall, geometric net climber, a rock-climbing structure, swings and a spinning rope climber. If necessary, take cover in the huge covered shelter nearby.
Dig and build at the long, sandy beachfront, or walk out on the dock for access to year-round fishing.
Location: 14800 S.E. 272nd St., Kent. A free parking lot is a short walk from the playground.
Warm up: You’ll find kid-friendly Mod Pizza, where everyone can order what they want, about a mile west.
Lincoln Park, West Seattle
West Seattle’s 135-acre Lincoln Park is an excellent off-season destination. Recently reopened after a seven-year closure and revamp, the south playground has four areas of play: an expanded climbing ropes course, swings, a playground structure for ages 2–5, and a multi-story play structure for children ages 5–12. Kids will love the orca whale — a central figure in the park’s design — rising from the wood chips. The nautical theme is lightly sprinkled throughout the playground with ample amounts of ropes, a ship’s wheel and a life preserver pictured on the climbing structure lookout. The redesign also included improved access via paved walkways and an added paved patio space. The north playground has a zip line, swings, climbing equipment and inclusive play elements.
For a truly memorable outing, bring firewood and s’mores supplies — shelter No. 3 on the southern waterfront has a fireplace. (The shelter can be reserved, but is also available on a first-come, first-served basis if nobody has reserved it.)
Location: 8011 Fauntleroy Way S.W., Seattle. Free parking is available in two parking lots. Buses stop along Fauntleroy Way Southwest immediately outside the park.
Warm up: Less than a mile away, pop into local favorite Caffe Ladro for hot cocoa for the kids and a coffee for you.
Maple Leaf Reservoir Park, Seattle
Fantastic, two-level Maple Leaf Reservoir Park in northeast Seattle offers outdoor thrills year-round, with two picnic shelters — one right next to the playground — available for an escape from the pouring rain. The lower part of the park is the site of the playground, where kids will have a blast zipping on the zip line, whooshing down the slides built into the hill, climbing on rock structures, hiding in the little rock cave and digging in the sand area. If the weather holds up, walk or bike the half-mile paved loop in the upper section of the park. You can also shoot hoops on the basketball court or play pickleball.
Location: 1020 N.E. 82nd St., Seattle. Free street parking is available on Roosevelt Way Northeast and Northeast 82nd Street. Buses stop on Roosevelt Way Northeast and on 15th Avenue Northeast.
Warm up: Just north of the park, longtime neighborhood favorite Cloud City Coffee (8801 Roosevelt Way N.E.) serves hot drinks, soups and sandwiches, and baked-on-the-premises cakes and pastries (coconut bread!). Kids love the small play area, with its big trucks and small books.
Camp Long, Seattle
West Seattle is abundant with hiking options that are kid-friendly, and Camp Long is one of the best spots for keeping kids entertained in any weather. Explore the half-mile Middle Loop Trail where there’s something new to discover around every corner, including Schurman Rock, the country’s first man-made rock climbing structure built in the 1930s. Picnic shelters provide a dry spot for a lunch break, and you can also stop by the Environmental Learning Center to escape a downpour.
Location: 5200 35th Ave. S.W., Seattle. Free parking in the lot or on the streets nearby.
Warm up: There are tons of options in West Seattle around 35th and Fauntleroy, and also along California at the Junction. For a tasty kid-friendly lunch, try Coastline Burgers.
Seward Park, Seattle
Seward Park, a 300-acre forest park located at the southern end of Lake Washington in Rainier Valley, has enough to do to keep kids occupied for hours. The playground features a small climber for younger kids near the sandbox, in addition to a big tree house-style structure for older kids, that’s partially covered. You’ll also find swings and a popular zip line.
At the Seward Park Audubon Center, learn about Seward Park’s wildlife. Hiking trails right behind the playground have good tree cover for rainy day hikes.
Location: 5900 Lake Washington Blvd. S., Seattle. Free parking in the lot or on the streets nearby.
Warm up: You’ll want to travel a couple of miles south for a legendary waffle at Drae’s Lake Route Eatery. If Drae’s isn’t open, gobble up the delicious doughnuts at King Donut.
Santos Rodriguez Memorial Park, Seattle
This fully-fenced playground in front of El Centro De La Raza is a delight for families living on Beacon Hill. Kids will have fun on the colorful climbing structures, which have little roofs on the tops of each platform. There’s also mosaic art that looks like stepping stones, swings and a demonstration garden. Parents and grandparents can keep an eye on the kids from nearby benches, and everyone can duck under the covered shelter if rain hits.
Location: 2524 16th Ave. S., Seattle. Park on the street or consider taking transit to this central location.
Warm up: The Station, a neighborhood coffee shop, is right in the same block and tasty Despi Delite Bakery is just a stone’s throw away.
O.O. Denny Park, Kirkland
Some of the oldest and tallest trees in our region shelter visitors at O.O. Denny Park, a north Kirkland park on the shore of Lake Washington. Start at the playground, which has a tree house-style climbing structure with slides and a rock-climbing wall. If the weather turns bad, a large covered picnic shelter is just steps away and provides plenty of protection for lunch or a snack. The network of trails starts across the street near the overflow parking area. This dense forest has good rain cover, and kids will like looking for the giant stump of Sylvia, a 600-year-old Douglas Fir.
Location: 12032 Holmes Point Dr. N.E., Kirkland. The route to Denny Park will experience road closures in Fall 2025, making it only accessible via Juanita Drive Northeast.
Warm up: Find Spud Fish & Chips, Starbucks and more at nearby Juanita Village.
Blyth Park, Bothell
Find Bothell’s Blyth Park adjacent to the Sammamish River Trail — and a bit south of another riverside park, the Park at Bothell Landing. The two covered picnic shelters at Blyth Park are steps away from the playground.
The playground has two climbing structures with slides and a little suspension bridge. An interesting structure made out of old tires is also a fun place to climb. You can also venture onto the Sammamish River Trail where kids can bike, cross bridges and occasionally see boats passing by.
Location: 16950 W. Riverside Dr., Bothell
Warm up: Grab some delish tacos at Julio’s, or swing by McMenamins Anderson School for lunch (and a swim!).
Beaver Lake Park, Sammamish
Nestled among tall trees on the Sammamish Plateau, Beaver Lake Park is a peaceful spot for a fall or winter walk. Several spots along the shore are great places for kids to throw rocks into the water or dig a hole. Bring a lunch and take advantage of the picnic tables, many of which are underneath tall cedars and other evergreen trees for protection from the rain. There’s also a playground and, if you need to dry off, a large picnic shelter.
Location: 2526 244th Ave. S.E., Sammamish
Warm up: Met Market, a few minutes away, has a nice coffee shop, and there’s a handy Starbucks close by.
Mercer Slough Nature Park, Bellevue
A fantastic park for urban hiking, Mercer Slough Nature Park — just off Interstate 90 in Bellevue — has more than 300 acres to explore. With kids in tow, it’s best to start small and begin your visit by the Environmental Education Center on the park’s eastern side. Trails start just below the center and wind down the hillside to the flat wetlands where it’s fun to try to spot wildlife.
Location: 1625 118th Ave. S.E., Bellevue
Warm up: Head north to Main Street to find sustenance at Blazing Bagels or Belle Pastry, or just a hair farther for all that downtown Bellevue has to offer.
Lakewood Park, Seattle
Nestled in a South Seattle neighborhood, not far from larger Seward Park, Lakewood Park welcomes kids and families for play.
While most playgrounds we’ve visited feature two distinct play structures — one for the ages 2–5 set and another for ages 5–12 — parents of multi-aged kids won’t have to keep switching their gaze between structures at Lakewood. Park designers here stuck to one comprehensive structure, with age-appropriate elements for toddlers to tweens, so everyone can play together. Multiple climbing approaches provide access to the structure. My daughter loved climbing up the castle-like stone walls before leaping to the ramp and dashing down the tube slide. We saw younger kids gleefully coasting down the ramp astride tricycles and dump trucks.
A giant empress tree provides shade in summer — and surprisingly excellent rain cover — to the playground. This is thanks to the thoughtful placement of play structure footings around the tree’s significant roots.
Location: Lakewood Park is located at 5013 S. Angeline Street in Seattle.
Warm up: You’ll find coffee a couple of blocks away at Caffe Vita. For a brunch option, check out Geraldine’s Counter in Columbia City. We picked up brisket and mac and cheese at Lil Red.
— Natasha Dillinger
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Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2014, and was most recently updated on Sept. 19, 2025, with a thorough fact-check by ParentMap’s editorial team. In the past, Natasha Dillinger contributed to this article.
