Find The Best Beach In Shoreline, WA - Where To Go & What To Do

Shoreline residents, do you love going to the beach? Deciding on the best beach in Shoreline, WA is no easy task. We’ve got not just one “shore line, but two!” One on the east side of Shoreline – with Lake Washington, and one on the West – on Puget Sound. There’s lots to do at the beaches, too. In the summer you can soak up the sun and splash in the water, in the winter you can let the wind blow through your hair and gaze pensively out to sea. If you like to stay in shape, the beach is a great place to workout and get invigorated, year round!

Well, if there’s one thing we’ve got in Shoreline, WA it’s beaches, and I’m going to tell you about some of the best that I’ve enjoyed and I recommend to you!

*There are lots of fun places to find the beach in Shoreline, WA!*

This is Emily Cressey, Real Estate broker and Lake Forest Park native and I love introducing people to fun new things to do in the Shoreline area!

A quick glance at the map of Shoreline, tells you, we’ve got water everywhere! Puget Sound ocean water to the WEST and fresh water in Lake Washington to the east. Throw in a few ponds and pocket-parks with lakes and you’ve got a lot of fun places to try.

However, I’m going to start with the Beachy- Beaches – out on the ocean.

Recommendations: The Best Beach In Shoreline, WA Is…

1) We have Richmond Beach Saltwater Park all the way west on 185th; This beach is at the bottom of a steep hill. The hillside part of the park offers stair running, chin up bars, a kids play area, and a lovely short, flat walking trail where you can view the sunset with your love.

Emily Cressey - Just because it's too cold to swim doesn't mean you can't have fun at beaches in Shoreline, WA. — *Emily Cressey: Just because it’s too cold to swim doesn’t mean you can’t have fun at beaches in Shoreline, WA.*

Also, due to the slope, this is a great place to stand on the ridge and look out over the water for star gazing purposes, which my family recently enjoyed when we had the Mars and Saturn “Christmas Star” alignment of the planets.

There’s plenty of free parking and on designated days during the summer docents will come out during low tide and help kids (and adults) find and learn about the wild life in the area, including sea anenomes, sea stars (star fish), crabs, clams, and sea urchins. I’ve even seen an octopus there, which was very exciting. It does tend to be rocky at low tide. Many of our beaches are fairly pebbly here, but there is nice sand higher up the beach. In the winter, as I said in my last video on dog parks, you can bring dogs here to run off leash in designated areas. Plus, for the train enthusiasts, there is a track that runs right next to the park, and you can stand on the bridge overlooking the tracks and get a great view as well as counting the cars.

2) On the Lake Washington side, there are a number of neighborhood beaches along the Shoreline which can be reached by car and also accessed via bicycle if you want to go for a ride on the Burke Gilman Trail. In the Lake Forest Park/Kenmore area, you can join an inexpensive private beach club near the Lake Forest Park town Center to gain access to the Lake Forest Park Civic Club beach park which is a fun place to hang out. We often rent out the facility there for our cub scout graduation ceremony in June where we light a camp fire and watch the bald eagles fly by at sunset. Or you can go farther up the road near Kenmore Air to Log Boom Park, which doesn’t have a lot of beach front, but has an amazing dock you can walk out on and watch sea planes take off.

3) Further South, you can go to Matthews Beach which has some great playground equipment as well as a lifeguard and lots of swimming.

4) I would say the crown jewel of beaches in the area is Edmonds Marina Beach Park and surrounding areas. On the North end, is the Brackett’s Landing Ferry Terminal where you can drive on or walk on a ferry boat traveling to Kingston on the Peninsula. There’s a sandy beach there with lots of kids swimming in the summer and translucent jelly fish, which don’t sting, and make a great “catch.” Walking south in front of the senior center, you’ll find a fishing pier that sees a lot of action as well as a place to launch your dingy for some exciting action during crabbing season in August.

There are restaurants and bars along the way with a water front view. This is where my husband and I like to go for an anniversary or a dinner out with friends. You can admire all the boats moored there and choose which one you would want if you were going to buy a boat….

Finally, at the south end of the waterfront, you’ll find the park with a kids play area, picnic areas, and an off-leash dog park with water access for the dogs who love to swim. Now THAT is a great way for them to burn energy!

So if you love the beach – whether it’s boating, fishing, swimming, beach combing, running or just walking and admiring, there’s a lot to offer in the Shoreline area.

Orca Whale Art - Edmonds, WA — Public Art Edmonds WA

Which Beach In Shoreline, WA is Your Favorite?

If you’re live here and love it, let us know in the comments below what your favorite thing to do is in Shoreline. We’re putting together more videos and we want to incorporate your ideas! I’ve lived here all my life, but there’s always more to learn!