Matthews Beach Park

Nice little beach across Juanita (kirkland area). Pretty clean… public restroom avail.
Water is very shallow but also rocky so it would be ideally nice to wear water shoes (whatever you call it…)
My Buddy went for the water and loved it! Got in the water at least 4x. Buddy pulled and dragged me in there, and surprisingly, water wasn’t cold. I enjoyed my little Qt with my baby. He was all smiles and gave me lots of kisses for this little treat. It’s a small community of dog lovers and lots of kids here just playing in the water with Buddy. Oh, Buddy… :-)
That was fun! haha

It should be noted that this park and beach is frequented by a cluster of people who have problems with boundaries and children. Safety should be top of mind when bringing children here. People could be filming your daughter changing into her suit. Watching your boys in the bathroom. Talking to them… making friends (grooming) them. How do I know this? I’ve had the unfortunate happenstance to find out the hard way. Keep your kids close to you… I no longer go there… and it used to be my favorite.

I never knew that there was such a cute little beach near University Village/​District. Don’t expect a lot of sand though, there isn’t much of it!
Matthews Beach Park is not too long of a bus ride from the University. You take the 75 and it will take you basically all the way there. There is an average grassy area to put your towels down, or kick a soccer ball, or toss a frisbee. Lots of families and kids come here.
The sand portion of the beach is really small and not typical of what a real beach with sand would like it. None the less, kids can still pull out their buckets and shovels and build things.
The water is pretty lukewarm on a hot, sunny day. Life guards are on duty until 7 PM. The first section that is bordered off is not that deep and an adult could stand in it just fine. Kids are probably perfect being in this section. Just be careful because the ground is rocky and there are some sharp rocks! For more advanced swimmers, you are allowed to pass the first border into deeper waters. There is a small dock where you can take a break from swimming, or jump off the diving board. There is a life guard in a boat that patrols this section of the area.
Every time there is a life guard switch you have to either get out of the water or move to the nearest structure. At 7 PM, they ask all people to get out of the water. However, you can still swim after the lifeguards leave, it’s just unsupervised swimming so you have to understand the risks.
The public restrooms here are not all that great, but most beach restrooms aren’t. The smell isn’t the greatest and there are no locks on the door in the women’s restroom. Be prepared to hold the door yourself if there are people waiting. Thankfully there was soap in this restroom, but I do advise bringing hand sanitizer just in case they run out.
Don’t forget the sunscreen, towels, water and snacks! It’s a nice place to take a swim and relax.

I love that this is so close to home! The parking lot is tiny so it’s tough to grab a spot on sunny days, but there is a lot of lawn space and a few picnic tables in the area.
It’s definitely a nice and smaller alternative to Magnuson Park down the road.

Its not the most beautiful park, but its nice for a short quite walk. Was not too busy.

Matthews Beach Park is a pretty small park, but is connected to the Burke-​Gilman Trail, so it can be a good starting or ending point for a walk. There’s a small wetland area to walk through, and a hill with some nice picnic tables.
We went swimming here in the summer which was fun, but on hot days when it’s crowded there is not nearly enough parking. We had to park in the secondary lot a bit up the road (and even that was almost entirely full). And then some teenagers thought it was funny to hit the gas and make us jump out of the way as we were crossing the main parking lot. Not Amused.
The bathroom was almost unusable on the summer day we were there. One of the stalls had poop all over the sides and top of the toilet so there was basically only one stall available for an entire park full of people. And of course that stall got nasty with wet toilet paper everywhere and it was just disgusting.
Overall I do like the park though.

Matthews beach is not a beach. It is a dirt park with a lake filled with goose crap. I’m not trying to be a brat, since I do live in Honolulu, but I mean come on! What I liked most was watching the plump little babies run around this place during the summer. I for one, enjoy family areas and I think this is a great place for kids and families because there is a lifeguard on duty for the children swimming and it seems like a fairly safe and spacious park. I certainly WOULD NOT suggest swimming in that filthy lake though!

Really nice park with Lifeguards and diving boards.
The only thing is the parking lot is really small and there is no sand.
Otherwise great field for BBQ or just relaxing in the sun!

Don’t get me wrong, Matthews Beach Park is okay. However, there are so many 4 and 5 star parks in this city. This is the closest park to our home, and we go here often. However, last summer it seemed there were always drunk people everywhere that caused a lot of disturbance… not only at the park, but at the kids playground… really? Their presence usually means that my toddler gets to learn swear words and how not to use the playground equipment.
Another negative about this park is the amount of duck poop everywhere in the grass, make sure to bring a blanket and watch where you step!
PROS: Beautiful view of Lake Washington, decent swimming area, clean water. Great playground equipment.

I lived in Seattle for years before learning about Matthews Beach Park. It’s a bit off the beaten path but well worth a visit.
Consider your transportation options during the summer. Matthews can fill up quick and there is limited parking in the lot. Tons of cars can be found on the side of the road and in residential areas when it’s busy. Bus access is pretty good.
I’ve rented shelters and picnic tables at the park. I typically choose an area on the hill, near the shadiest part possible (I’m not a huge direct sun fan). It’s a great place to hang with a group of friends and family. During the «not-​so-​sunny» periods, or somewhat «misty» seasons, I have a canopy that I set up. Hey, if I waited for the sun to come out, I may never have a picnic! I’ve also rented picnic tables near the beach area off to the right. There is a large green field with some trees but mainly it’s a big grassy area. Perfect to read a book, catch some rays, or let the kids run. And run. And run.
Down the hill is a children’s play area. You’ll find all the usual playground equipment with happy kiddos running around. I like the design. When I have gatherings, it’s easy for parents to look down to see what’s going on and monitor the kids while still hanging out with the grown ups.
I’m not a huge fan of the «beach» itself but others seem to enjoy it a lot. I’m from Hawaii so my definition of a beach is a little different. I will occasionally go by to dip my feet in the water but I’ve never actually taken a swim and probably never will.
A solid Seattle park that allows for a variety of experiences and many ways to enjoy what our fair city has to offer.

Day 7 of 30 for 30 challenge: I grew up on this park. It’s a five-​minute walk from my childhood home and I still come here to wax nostalgic about the good ol’ days. Since I never drive here, I can’t speak much on the parking situation, but in the summer, it’s always packed. I even see cars jam-​packed on the landing at the bottom of NE 95^th and Sand Pt. Way. Sometimes it gets so bad that cars come down 97^th as well. Probably shouldn’t have divulged that info since the streets already get clogged enough on the 90-​degree days.
For starters, there’s a playground that they always seem to be remodeling. (I swear they’ve changed the swing sets at least 5 times in my 26 years of coming here.) There’s also a basketball hoop (don’t think I’ve ever seen a net on it for more than five seconds) where my brothers spent many a summer evening in the 90s. There’s also a picnic/​BBQ area if that’s your thing. If you walk south past the beach and main parking lot, cross the bridge, and swing a left and you can sometimes see beavers in the wetlands/​marsh area. You might also bump into a teen trying his first cigarette or other smoke-​able. There’s lots of nature in this park and I’m thankful for that. Pick up after your trash and dogs, people. A word of caution in the busy summertime: watch out for the annoying bikers on the paved path down to the beach (if you’re coming from the neighborhood or Burke). I’ve gotten cussed at for «being in their way» even though about 50 feet ahead, the sign instructs them to walk their bikes. Despite the many happy memories of swimming in geese-​infested waters, one of my favorite times to come here isn’t even in the summer. The Argosy Christmas ships come here every December. (Last year they even came on two separate occasions; once in late afternoon, and another time in the evening.) This is a wonderful neighborhood event and one of the things I love about Seattle. Check out the calendar and don’t miss it!

I don’t really have anything against Matthews Beach, I mean, it’s a nice park, with a lot of grassy areas and picnic tables. It is connected to the Burke-​Gilman trail.
The parking, however, on a lovely weekend day, is absolutely atrocious almost all the time, and seems to suffer from spurts of less than savory characters, mostly teenagers, hanging out in the back parking lot, maybe smoking a doobie, swearing loudly and peeling out of the parking lot in their vehicles. It’s such a tiny lot for the size of the park that it is. The beach area is also relatively small here, not so much an actual beach, more of a strip of sand.
There aren’t many places you could go in this park that would offer a ton of privacy and the ability to be not bumping elbows with someone close by. But, for a neighborhood park, it does serve it’s purpose. Not really a destination «beach», in my opinion.

A pleasant city park with freshwater beach, grassy field, picnic tables, restrooms, etc. Just beware of the sketchy cretins hanging around in the woods near Thornton Creek.

I drove by after taking my dogs to dog park on Sand Point. Parking is available by the entrance.
Matthews Beach Park is north of the dog park a couple miles away by Lake Washington. I love the path around the beach that I can walk around with my dogs. However, DOGS ARE NOT ALLOWED in the beach area. If you get caught, it’s $ 500 fine!
It’s good for kids. There’s a playground area for kids.
Since there’s a big and pretty grass beach, Matthews Beach Park is good for picnic and sunbathing in a sunny day.

It was 9 miles exactly on the Burke-​Gilman trail from my house, a perfect place to stop in the shade & rest. The only thing I didn’t like were the restrooms, I felt like I needed a shower afterward. The door didn’t shut or lock all the way, the floors looked like they’d never been cleaned, there were no sinks to wash up & Ewwww!
But it was quiet, pretty and relaxing listening to the water.

Why do they call this place a beach?! Beaches have sand! It had a strip of sand that fits maybe 10 people. This is not a beach! I was disappointed when I got there and we had to lay our towels on the GRASS!
With that said, I’ve had a nice picnic here before on a separate deserted vacation, but I still can’t stand the name of this place and prefer a lot of other parks over it.

Once again, the Annual Polar Plunge was great. Lots of families, crazy kids, still drunk college kids and some guy in an ape suit with a bikini.
Still one of the funnest places to hang out. I mean, I get to walk and bike the trail right into the park. Plenty of room to lay out and enjoy the weather in the summer. And I like having the park to myself in the winter.
And the occasional teen drinking beer on the lifeguard chair is fine with me.
You do however have to watch out for assholes on bikes that zoom on through. I do like when the kids hit them with pine cones. haha. And sometimes there are people that don’t know how to control their dogs. It’s not a dog park, but nice ones are welcomed. Avoid these people that take up space and enjoy the fat moms and kids. :)

My most recent visit was during the last snow. It was dark, cold, and beautiful. We had to park in a near-​by neighborhood, though, so we wouldn’t get stuck when they closed the gates. I was rather surprised to see that they locked them on-​time even though it was snowing and slushy out.
Every once in a great while I come here in the middle of the day. Last time this was at 3pm on a chilly, windy Monday. There were a couple of people with dogs, a person just wandering, and a woman with a stroller. There were birds chirping away and it was a wonderful spot to sit down and relax for a little while.

This a great secluded park. You know gloomy, windy, and chilly weather is not going to stop a Seattlelite from going to the park.
Today was gloomy with sporadic sunbreakes, but to our standards it was great summer weather.
The park was pretty busy, and although the parking lot is obviously too small to accommodate this park, parking was a breeze. Come summer, I’m sure this will be a problem. The Burke Gillman crosses the park and brings a lot of cyclist traffic, and that I’m sure helps with the parking situation.
There’s a nice green lawn up to the beach. I heard from some that it’s not the best part of Lake Washington to swim in, but that didn’t deter the masses. A little itch action in the pelvic area never killed anyone.
There’s a nice playing area with swings and such for the little ones, and open green areas for your doggies and rec games. Some benches are sporadically placed throughout the park if you want to enjoy a quick meal.
Trails. Check.
Beach. Check.
Grassy fields. Check.
Playground. Check.
Benches. Check.
Goose poop in your toes. Check.
Lifeguards. Check.
Shady areas. Check.
Overexposed blossoming teens. Check. = /​
Great hidden park with lots to offer! Don’t be a perv.

This is a great little beach park. But good luck finding parking. Unless you have good parking karma and snag a spot in the smallish parking lot, it’s pretty much non-​existent on the side streets. There was a Seattle’s finest parked on the perimeter to make sure you didn’t get any bright ideas about parking on the side street. I don’t really get it. It seems like a logical place for overflow parking. Sorry for my parking rant. I blame the heat.
Other than that, great little place to beat the heat. There is a swimming beach to cool off and nice playground for the kiddies. Nice lawn for playing frisbee and things like that.