Discovery Park (Seattle)

Discovery Park
West Point Light in Discovery Park in 2011.
Map
TypeUrban Park
LocationSeattle, Washington
Coordinates47°39′30″N 122°25′08″W / 47.65833°N 122.41889°W / 47.65833; -122.41889
Area534 acres (2.16 km2)
Established1973; 51 years ago (1973)
Operated bySeattle Parks and Recreation

Discovery Park is a 534-acre (2.16 km2) park on the shores of Puget Sound in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. As the city's largest public park, it contains 11.81 miles (19.01 km) of walking trails. The Discovery Park Loop Trail, designated a National Recreation Trail in 1975, runs 2.8 miles (4.5 km) through the park, connecting to other trails.[1] Forests, beaches, prairies, and bluffs dominate the landscape of the park. Daybreak Star Cultural Center is within the park's boundaries. The West Point Lighthouse is located on West Point, the westernmost point of the park and the entire city of Seattle.[2] On the south side of the North Beach strip is the West Point Treatment Plant which is almost entirely concealed from the marsh, beach, and trail.

The park is built on the historic grounds of Fort Lawton; most of the Fort Lawton Historic District (FLHD) falls within the park (an enclave within the district remains in military hands). Both the FLHD and the lighthouse are on the National Register of Historic Places.

  1. ^ "Discovery Park Loop Trail". American Trails. April 23, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  2. ^ "Planning and Growth - CityArchives | seattle.gov". www.seattle.gov. Retrieved July 23, 2024.