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Things to do in Seattle

Discovery Park

Seattle's largest park, on the Magnolia bluffs: meadows, forest trails, two miles of protected beach and the 1881 West Point Lighthouse, a short ride from the Pier 91 cruise terminal.

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The useful answer

Should this fit your day?

Best for
Walkers and nature lovers, families who want a beach in the city, and anyone with a few hours who'd rather see forest and bluffs than shops.
Time to protect
Allow two to three hours for the Loop Trail and a walk down to the beach and the lighthouse. An hour gives you a meadow walk and the view.
Cruise-day fit
Discovery Park is on the same Magnolia peninsula as the Pier 91 cruise terminal, a ride of a few miles from Smith Cove, so it's a great morning before a Pier 91 sailing or an afternoon after one. The trails are no place for cruise luggage, so drop your bags first. From Pier 66 it's a longer ride north.
From the terminals
Pier 91 is the close one: the terminal is at the southeast foot of Magnolia and the park covers its northwest tip. No public transit serves Pier 91, so take a ride between them. Pier 66 downtown is farther, through Interbay.
Before a flight
There's no light rail out to Magnolia, and SEA is a long drive south across the city. Keep the park for an arrival day or a free day, or leave a generous buffer before a flight.

Getting down to the beach and the lighthouse

The lighthouse is at West Point, down at the water below the bluffs, and with no beach permits for now, most visitors walk down.

  1. Walk the South Beach Trail

    It leads down toward the beach and the lighthouse. Save some energy for the climb back up to the bluffs.

  2. Beach parking is ADA-only

    With an ADA placard you can use the beach lot. Without a permit or placard, parking at beach level can get you a ticket or a tow.

  3. Tell your driver which lot

    The East Lot, at Discovery Park Boulevard and 36th Avenue West, is by the Visitor Center. The North and South lots start other trails.

Book a ride to Discovery Park →

What to know before you go

  1. 01

    It's a city park, run by Seattle Parks and Recreation. At 560 acres it's Seattle's largest, and it covers most of the old Fort Lawton army post on the Magnolia bluffs.

  2. 02

    Expect a real nature walk: open meadows, forest, bluffs and two miles of protected tidal beaches. The Loop Trail, about 2.8 miles, was named a National Recreation Trail in 1975.

  3. 03

    The West Point Lighthouse went up in 1881, the first staffed light station on Puget Sound, and in 1985 it was the last lighthouse in the state to be automated. You can see it from the South Beach Trail.

  4. 04

    There's history all over the park. The Army named the post Fort Lawton in 1900, and about 1.1 million troops passed through it in World War II. In 1970 Native American activists led by Bernie Whitebear occupied part of the fort, and the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center, run by United Indians of All Tribes, opened in 1977. The park was dedicated in 1973 and named for HMS Discovery.

  5. 05

    There are three general parking lots: the North Lot at Illinois Avenue and Texas Way, the East Lot at Discovery Park Boulevard and 36th Avenue West, and the South Lot, entered from 43rd Avenue West and West Emerson Street. There's no general parking on Discovery Park Boulevard past the East Lot.

  6. 06

    The Visitor Center is closed until summer 2027 after a broken water main flooded it, so beach parking permits can't be issued for now. The beach lot by the lighthouse is for ADA placards only. The rest of the park is open, and the free summer beach shuttle has finished for 2026.

  7. 07

    Without a car, Metro route 33 runs into the park to the North Lot, and route 24 stops along its southern edge.

  8. 08

    You'll find restrooms, drinking fountains, a play area and tennis and basketball courts.

Trail work, the Visitor Center closure and beach parking rules change. Check the Seattle Parks page before you go.

Tours and activities

Tours that visit Discovery Park

Entry itself is free. These well-reviewed tours include it, with current prices. Check a date to see open start times, then book with Viator.

Tours are sold and run through Viator; booking opens viator.com in a new tab, and Viator confirms the final price and time. Seatac may earn a commission.

Free to visit, with tours nearby

There's no ticket for Discovery Park: just go. If you'd like a guide, a harbor cruise or another stop the same day, start here.

  • Tours and activities

    Seattle tours and tickets

    Guided tours, attraction tickets and day trips around Seattle, including options near Discovery Park.

    See tours and tickets

Opens a booking partner in a new tab; Seatac Connection may earn a commission. For current notices, see the Seattle Parks Discovery Park page.

Get a ride there

Drop-off: Discovery Park and the West Point Lighthouse, 3801 Discovery Park Boulevard

Starting from

Your fare is worked out for the exact trip on the next step, before you pay. Want the car to wait while you visit? Book by the hour.

Cruise day: Discovery Park between the ship and your flight

Off the ship with a few hours before your flight? Book the ride from the pier and the ride on to the airport now, so each driver knows where you are going.

  1. Step 1

    Ride from the pier

    Pier 91 is the close one: the terminal is at the southeast foot of Magnolia and the park covers its northwest tip. No public transit serves Pier 91, so take a ride between them. Pier 66 downtown is farther, through Interbay.

    From Pier 66From Pier 91

  2. Step 2

    Visit Discovery Park

    Allow two to three hours for the Loop Trail and a walk down to the beach and the lighthouse. An hour gives you a meadow walk and the view.

    Tours nearby

  3. Step 3

    Ride on to Seatac Airport

    There's no light rail out to Magnolia, and SEA is a long drive south across the city. Keep the park for an arrival day or a free day, or leave a generous buffer before a flight.

    Discovery Park to the airport

Big bags

  • Pier 66: Same-day bag storage is available. Pick bags up by 3 pm to avoid a late fee.
  • Pier 91: Same-day bag storage in the Crew Center, north of the Ground Transportation Center. Pick bags up by 3 pm to avoid a late fee.

Stored bags mean a stop back at the pier before the airport. To keep them with you instead, book a car by the hour and the driver waits with your luggage.

Planning the whole cruise trip? Keep Discovery Park on it with the rides around it.

Plan the whole cruise trip

Not sure which pier? Find your ship and pier or compare Pier 66 and Pier 91.

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