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Photo: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
53.1 acre Schmitz Preserve Park has old growth forest, walking paths and an urban stream.
Schmitz Park, also known as Schmitz Preserve Park, is a 53.1-acre (21.5 ha) park around 15 blocks east of Alki Point in West Seattle, Washington. It features Schmitz Park Creek and one of the last stands of old-growth forest in the city.
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Alki Beach Park is one of the best and biggest sandy beaches in Seattle. There's a rollerblade/bike/walking path along it for miles and the beach itself is always busy and fun. Great views of the city, the ferries and the Olympics. There are several great cafes and coffee shops right across the street. Good place for barbeque as well as many outdoor recreations. It has one of the best night view of Downtown Seattle and the city light.
The small replica toward the west end of the beach area is much beloved in the neighborhood. West Seattle has a peculiar affinity to New York City, where a few influential early settlers were from.
Historic Lighthouse on Alki Point a short walk from Alki Beach sometimes offers public tours but can at be at least partially seen from the road.
Some of the best views of the Seattle skyline are from West Seattle and the Viewpoint at Admiral is the best of the best. You can't miss it as there are usually people there. Bring your camera.
Seacrest Cove 2 is a local dive site in West Seattle, Washington. The site is within Seacrest Park. Cove 2 is often used as a training site for Open Water, Navigation and other scuba classes. The site has a moderate slope leading down to depths greater than the recreational limit of 130 feet (40 meters). Because of the easily reached deep areas Technical Divers also use Cove 2 for training. The site has a silty bottom, but many submerged logs and pilings and sunken boats (the Honey Bear) that are well decorated with Pacific Northwest Marine Life. There are restrooms in the pier building and a great little Fish and Chips bar within easy walking distance. The site sports a nice view of the Seattle skyline across Elliot Bay. There is an exclusion zone of 150 feet around the walk-on ferry dock. Other sites (Coves 1 and 3!) are just to the north and south respectively. Most parking is curbside on the street.
seasonal guided sea kayak tours for beginners and experts exploring the natural & human history of Elliot Bay and Puget Sound. They also offer a range of rentals along Alki beach – including stand up paddle boards, quad and inline skates, bicycles and fishing boats.