Swimming Beaches
Monday August 28: Magnuson Park's swimming beach is closed until unsafe bacteria levels improve, as per King County Public Health. Watch this page for status updates.
Dogs should not go in the water at any swimming beach; not only has algae at levels toxic to dogs been measured recently at Green Lake, but it is illegal for dogs to swim in Seattle lakes.
Although SPR is still in the midst of a national lifeguard shortage facing many park agencies, the following sites will be operational this summer. (Two pools, two wading pools, and three beaches will be non-operational until there is sufficient staff to maintain safety ratios.)
Please know, we are working hard to recruit, train, and hire more lifeguards and wading pool attendants so we can return to full operational hours, and we encourage the public to please share our lifeguard job opportunities with your networks.
2023 Summer Season Lifeguarded Beaches
Beginning Saturday, June 24 through varying closing dates as shown below:
Weekdays 12pm - 7pm; Weekends 11am - 7pm:
- Madison Beach, 1900 43rd Ave. E. - through Mon., 9/4
Matthews Beach now CLOSED for remainder of summer- Mt. Baker Beach, 2301 Lake Washington Blvd. S. - through Mon., 9/4
- Pritchard Island Beach, 8400 55th Ave. S. - through Sun., 8/27
- West Green Lake Beach, 7312 W Green Lake Dr. - through Mon., 9/4 once reopened by County Health
- Madrona Beach, 853 Lake Washington Blvd. - through Sun., 8/27
- Magnuson Park Beach, 7400 Sand Point Way NE - through Mon., 9/4
The following beaches will not be lifeguarded and are CLOSED this summer:
Seward Park Beach
East Green Lake Beach
Matthews Beach (as of mid July, due to high bacteria and lifeguard shortages)
Free Beach Swim Lessons
Free Swim Lessons are offered at all lifeguarded beaches. Lessons are for youth ages 6-16, and take place 12:15-12:45pm, Monday-Friday. The summer is divided into four 2-week sessions. Sign up in advance for one session per youth. Drop-ins are welcome if space is available.
Lessons are weather dependent and will not take place if the beach is closed for inclement weather, wildfire smoke, or water quality issues. Lessons are also occasionally cancelled on very hot days if the beach is too busy for lifeguard staff to run lessons. In these cases, the beach will still be open for supervised swimming, and we would encourage lesson participants to practice on their own.
Session 1
7/5-7/14 (shortened due to holiday week)
Session 2
7/17-7/28
Session 3
7/31-8/11
Session 4
8/14-8/25
Sign up in advance by phone (206) 684-4078 or email parksaquatics@seattle.gov (starting 6/1), or sign up in person at the beach (starting 6/24). Please provide the following information:
- Participant’s name and DOB
- Parent/Guardian’s name and best contact number
- Preferred location(s)
- Preferred session(s)