Review Highlights
“Free entrance (except Japanese Garden is $8) to the many trails traversing the 230 acres of wood & wetlands.” in 61 reviews
“Took a walk out to the Marsh Island and got all muddy and watched the kayakers doin there thing.” in 6 reviews
“Dogs will like taking a walk here, and have found that because the place is so big, the walking trails aren't busy.” in 12 reviews
Location & Hours
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Amenities and More
Ask the Community
Q:
What is the parking situation here? do I pay to park?
A:
There are a few parking lots around the park that are free parking but they tend to get packed pretty quickly on a good day.
Nicole L.Q:
Hi, Is this place good for stroller?
A:
It is. There are some paved paths and some gravel paths.
Rachel S., Business Owner2 people found this helpful
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- 269120161Dec 7, 2024
I love doing a 3 mile walk around this park. They have trees from different parts of the world.
I like to grab bunch from Madison park and come here for a walkHelpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Nov 26, 20241 check-in
This park is included in a Yelp Top 100 parks in the U.S.collection. Even though November is not prime garden season, I had to stop by and check it out.
Located along the shore of Lake Wahington, the garden is a collaborative effort of the University and City. Enter 'Graham Visitor Center' into your GPS for easy navigation. There are three parking areas here along with restrooms, a gift shop and information. Additional parking areas are scattered around the park. Some are paved, others dirt.
If you begin your explorations from the visitor center, a paved pathway loops around the park. Parts of it seem to be pedestrians, bikes, strollers, joggers and so on 'only' while other sections are streets with sidewalks. Many dirt pathways meander in and out of the paved road. The gardens are built on a slope so there is some up or down-hill walking.
We headed behind the visitor center and accessed a dirt pathway. Besides intersecting with the paved road, the dirt paths meander through a variety of gardens, criss-crossing each other and include options of beautiful stone stairways. The garden designs here are lovely.
We encountered several garden styles on our walk. The Azalea garden would be a gorgeous pop of color in the Spring. The meadow garden offers a variety of low growing plants and views. There are some gazebos along the way and benches. Definitely the spot to sit a spell and enjoy nature.
We couldn't begin to see everything the gardens have to offer in our hour walk about.
This is a beautiful plot of nature nearby the city. Open dawn to dusk in the winter (according to a sign in the parking area), or dawn to 8pm (according to the website). Free admission. Signs throughout the park describe ongoing experiments, garden information and art installations. The paved path includes directional signage (visitor center, nearby gardens, etc.).
Even on a rainy week day there were a lot of people in the park. The rain did not seem to phase anyone. Most were wearing Seattle attire i.e. a rain coat, plus hats and gloves on this November day. Parts of the park are very shady under beautiful old trees while others are open to the sky. So dress appropriately for the season and bring water on a hot day.
The restrooms at the visitor center are accessed from the outside. The doors were propped open so a few leaves had blown in. It was 'public restroom' clean but ladies, please use more care! Someone had an issue with removing a 'seat cover' from it's dispenser and littered much of the floor with pieces from several of them. Also, paper hand towels had not made it into the conveniently placed, large bin. There are 3 stalls here and two more restrooms are available in other areas of the park.
This is a park we would definitely frequent if we lived nearby and will happily visit again on a future visit. Donations are welcome to help maintain the gardens.Helpful 4Thanks 0Love this 6Oh no 0 - Dec 2, 20241 check-in
This is one of the best parks I've ever been to in our travels. Not only is it free to wander around, but there are 230 acres of it to explore. There is a Japanese Garden at the south end that does have an entry fee, but we did not have time to visit that. We visited in mid-October, so the trees were showing off their autumnal colors and it was magical. It's a beautiful place to just roam, breathe the fresh PNW air, and enjoy the beauty of the plants and greenery. There were lots of people there, many with their dogs, too, but you don't feel overwhelmed because the park is so spacious. Just follow one of the many trails and go with the flow.
Helpful 5Thanks 2Love this 3Oh no 0 - May 16, 2024
Washington Park Arboretum is gigantic and has many different paths to go and walk through. You can find many people walking around on the different trails and seeing many different plants and trees. I love all the green here.
One of the coolest and biggest arboretums I have ever been to in my life. I'm glad I got to visit here and I would totally suggest people come here as well.
Staying healthy and also just having a nice walk.Helpful 5Thanks 1Love this 4Oh no 0 - Apr 10, 2024
We came searching for the cherry blossoms because according to Google, this is a top place to see them. We walked all the way down Azalea Way, which is supposedly where the cherry blossoms are located, but we only saw two or three trees scattered about. Certainly not deserving of a top spot, unless they were all hiding in another undisclosed location of this large park.
Nevertheless, this is a pretty park with cool flowers, plants, and trees. I wish more of the flora were labelled because I wanted to learn the names. I resorted to using my phone camera to identify them. I appreciate how it's open 8am to 8pm, and it's free. The Japanese Garden is the only paid section.Helpful 3Thanks 1Love this 2Oh no 0 - May 20, 2024
What a gorgeous park this was. So many beautiful spots and ample trails to walk along. Loved the woodland and azalea trails. We saw a lot of rhodonderons, magnolias and all sorts of plants and ponds.
Very beautiful and very green with ample spots to picnic. There was also a kids playground with clean bathrooms.
Absolutely my favorite part of visiting SeattleHelpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 1 - 84263Apr 7, 2024
Whether you are a nature nerd or are just looking for a beautiful place to lose track of time, the Arboretum is a true gem of Seattle. They also have some really awesome educational programs for all ages, if that's something you're into, be sure to check those out!
*beautiful spot for cherry blossom viewing/pictures in the Spring, if that's your jam!Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Aug 23, 2023
A gorgeous park with lots of paved trails perfect for taking a nice stroll. There are little park signs which tell some history and information about the plants at the park which we enjoyed reading.
We came a little later in the day so we didn't have too much time to walk around but we saw some beautiful blue hydrangea flowers in bloom.
There's also a field with a little park and bathrooms nearby. There is also a japanese garden in the park, but we didn't have time to go see it.
This park is dog friendly and a perfect place to spend time with friends, family, and your pup!Helpful 4Thanks 1Love this 3Oh no 0 - May 29, 2023
Went here once for an evening walk after work. It was lot bigger than I thought. It's a pretty park for walking or going for a bike ride. There are several places to park around this park. When you walk to the water, you can see that it's a good place to picnic.
Would recommend this park.Helpful 31Thanks 3Love this 26Oh no 1 - Jun 21, 2023
This is one of our first stops on our family trip to Seattle. It was our second trip to Seattle, so I don't know how I didn't visit here last time. It was definitely hot when we visited, so we didn't stay as long as we would have liked to.
First off, parking was very easy and bathrooms were very accessible in front. The park is very large, so I would anticipate spending about 2 hours here at least if you want to see the whole thing. Entrance is free.
It would be better if the trail/walks were better labeled, as we were often confused where we were exactly. We kind of just walked along where was shaded due to the heat. There are ample flowers to see, but it would be better if there were more labels so you knew what you were looking at. There is a nice pond. Overall, I greatly enjoyed my experience.Helpful 2Thanks 0Love this 1Oh no 0
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