Finding Your Way to Magnuson Park
Head to the Sand Point peninsula in northeast Seattle, where the park sits between Pontiac Bay and Wolf Bay on Lake Washington. The Sand Point neighborhood takes its name from the peninsula, which it shares with parts of View Ridge and Windermere. If you are planning more than a park visit, the Sand Point neighborhood guide covers the wider area.
Sand Point Way NE runs along the western edge of this part of the city. Once you arrive, you will find large parking lots sized for cars, trucks and boat trailers, a real help on busy weekends.
From Naval Airfield to Open Ground
Much of the ground under your dog's paws was once military land. King County acquired parcels here after World War I, the U.S. Navy began building in 1922, and in 1926 the county deeded the 413-acre field to the Navy, which turned it into Naval Air Station Sand Point.
The airfield earned its own place in aviation history, since the first successful flight around the world departed from Sand Point and was completed in 1924. The naval air station was deactivated in 1970, and in 1975 much of the land passed to the City of Seattle and to NOAA.
The city first called its share Sand Point Park, then in 1977 renamed it for Warren Magnuson, the longtime U.S. senator and former naval officer from Seattle. You will still hear locals use both names. The runways were torn out in the late 1970s, and today NOAA's western regional center occupies the north end.
Older Roots
Long before the Navy arrived, people lived on and around this shoreline, going back roughly 10,000 years. The Xacuabš, the People of the Large Lake, now part of the Duwamish tribe, had a village on Wolf Bay. Another village stood near Thornton Creek at what is now Matthews Beach, placing Sand Point between communities that shared it.
Make a Day of It Beyond the Off-Leash Area
Magnuson Park rewards you for lingering. Here is what waits around the dog area:
- Swimming beach: cool off at the park's designated swimming beach on Lake Washington.
- Boat launch: boat launch ramps and trailer parking make this a popular put-in spot, and public sailing is offered here too.
- Kite Hill: climb this large grassy mound, built in the 1980s from soil and broken pavement from the old airfield.
- Wetlands: wander about 30 acres of restored wetlands with walking paths and observation points, completed in 2009, with a further phase finished in late 2011.
- Sports fields: catch a game on the 12-acre Sports Meadow or the newer fields for rugby, soccer, baseball and softball.
- Playground: bring the kids to the Junior League of Seattle Children's Playground, the city's largest, which opened in 1999 on the site of the old control tower.
Birds and Wetlands
Bring binoculars, because Magnuson Park ranks second among Seattle parks for bird habitat, with 170 species reported, including pine siskins, Anna's hummingbirds and black-capped chickadees. The restored wetlands also filter runoff before it reaches Lake Washington. Keep your dog under control near these areas so the habitat stays healthy.
Nearby in Magnuson Park
The Magnuson Park community garden is less than 0.1 mile from the off-leash area, practically next door. The main park grounds, including the sections listed as Magnuson Park and Warren G. Magnuson Park, are about 0.2 mile away. Weighing your options? Browse all of Seattle's dog parks to find others around the city.
A Bit of Rock History
These open fields have drawn big crowds before. On September 20, 1992, Pearl Jam played a free outdoor show here called Drop in the Park, tied to a Rock the Vote push ahead of that year's presidential election, and all 30,000 free tickets were gone within a few hours.
