Starting from the Alki Point Lighthouse, this lively urban beach runs for two-and-a-half miles north to Duwamish Head on Elliott Bay, with knockout views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. The beach is surprisingly wild, being so close to the city, and is often strewn with giant driftwood. By the turn of the twentieth-century, Alki Beach Park had become so popular that an electric street car was extended from downtown. (A raucous amusement park, completed in 1907 and modeled after Luna Park in Coney Island, had a brief life before burning to the ground in 1931.) Alki was the very first municipal saltwater beach on the west coast, and its c.1911 Bathhouse was the first of its kind. Don't miss the beach's very own riff on New York’s Statue of Liberty—at only six-feet-tall, it was commissioned by the Boy Scouts in the early 1950s.
How to Get There
From downtown Seattle it’s a ten-minute water taxi across the sound to Seacrest Park, followed by an easy stroll or bike ride to reach the beach, shops and restaurants. Alternatively, hop on a free minibus shuttle to get there faster (look for #775 which loops south through the Admiral District of West Seattle before reaching the lighthouse and turning north along the entire length of the beach).
The Crowd
Alki attracts all sorts—from tide pool-scavenging families with young kids, to energetic cyclists, runners, skateboarders and rollerbladers. On warm summer weekends you’ll often find music concerts, beach volleyball competitions, and the occasional historic car show (the Coast Guard also runs free tours of the lighthouse). Many come just to chill at a waterside café, sunbathers flock here on rare and precious sunny days, others rent stand-up paddleboards or kayaks. With the laid-back vibe of California’s Venice Beach married to the honky-tonk amusements of an East Coast classic, Alki really does deliver in spades (and buckets).
Grab a Bite
There’s an astonishingly varied assortment of excellent places to eat at Alki. Don’t miss a morning treat from Top Pot Doughnuts, a classic British lunch at Spud Fish & Chips, an afternoon bowl of soup from Duke’s Seafood & Chowder, a craft beer or two at the West Seattle Brewing Company, or maybe an early evening supper at Salty’s or Hawaiian-inspired sundowner at Marination Ma Kai, both near the Seacrest water taxi landing. If visiting on a Sunday, check out the West Seattle Farmers Market (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) for a bounty of DIY local picnic fare.